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Axios Latino

From the American Southwest to New England, Latino candidates are seeking to break barriers in statewide races and flip seats traditionally held by opposing parties. 

Why it matters: If successful, the up-and-coming candidates could quickly become the faces of their parties and catapult themselves onto the national stage. 

Latinos are roughly 19% of the U.S population, but are deeply underrepresented in politics.  

Who to watch: Zack Quintero, Democratic candidate for New Mexico state auditor, would be one of the nation's youngest statewide elected Hispanic officials at 31. He's running on an anti-corruption platform.

Monica De La Cruz, a Republican candidate for a U.S. House seat, is  one of a trio of Latina GOP congressional hopefuls who could flip traditionally Democratic seats in South Texas.  The others are Cassy Garcia and Mayra Flores.

Maxwell Alejandro Frost, an Afro Cuban Democrat and gun violence survivor, is hoping to thwart Republican Cuban American power in Florida and win a central Florida seat representing Orlando.

Puerto Rican-born Raúl Labrador, a Republican and former congressman, is seeking to become Idaho's attorney general. 

The intrigue: Sonia Chang-Díaz, a former teacher and the first Latina and Asian American to serve in the Massachusetts Senate, is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in Massachusetts. 

Some Massachusetts cities, like Lawrence and Chelsea, are majority Latino.

Don't forget: New Mexico Republicans are attracting a record number of Hispanic candidates for state House seats.

New Mexico has the highest percentage of Hispanics of any state. It's also dominated by Democrats, who control the governor's office, legislature, two U.S. Senate seats and two of three House seats.

Go deeper: Dems' push to center abortion rights faces first test

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Latino candidates to watch in 2022

Up-and-coming Latino candidates may quickly become the faces of the new generation of American politics.

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Hispanic and Latino Americans

Latin America and Latinos

From the American Southwest to New England, Latino candidates are seeking to break barriers in statewide races and flip seats traditionally held by opposing parties. Why it matters: If successful, the up-and-coming candidates could quickly become the faces of their parties and catapult themselves onto the national stage.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.