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In this election year, an estimated 36.2 million Latinos will be eligible to vote. The Pew Research Center notes that this number has risen from 32.3 million since 2020. The power behind the Latino electorate is undeniable, as Julie Chavez Rodriguez, campaign manager for President Joe Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign, shared on an episode of Hispanic Executive’s The Latino Majority podcast.
Many Latino political leaders feel a personal pull toward activating the Latino vote and motivating the community to act on its power because of its citizens’ upbringings. They see their parents, siblings, and friends in the faces of all Latino community members.
Below are three Latino political leaders on how they got into politics and how they are moving the needle on activating the Latino vote this election cycle.
Kevin Munoz, Principal National Spokesperson, Biden-Harris Campaign
Kevin Munoz was working in advertising as an account executive when he felt the pull to join the Biden campaign in 2019. His impetus for such a move? Listening to how villainized the Latino community had become and wanting to shift the narrative and impact change.
“I knew because of the way Donald Trump talked about Latinos, the way he talked about immigrants—my father’s an immigrant from Mexico—that I needed to do my part in the 2020 election to make sure that we could get Trump out of office,” Munoz explains.
Following his time on the campaign as Nevada press secretary and Florida press secretary, he joined the White House as assistant press secretary.
As he looks ahead to the 2024 election, Munoz emphasizes that Latinos have immeasurable power, and the goal is to empower them enough to use it.
“I think you cannot underestimate your voice and the role that you play,” Munoz says when referring to the Latino community. “You should not assume that someone has the perspective and the expertise and the thoughts and the cultural competency that you bring to the table. Our voices are power . . . we matter, and we matter more than ever. At the same time, our community is under attack by so many elected officials more than ever, and so you have to be fearless. You cannot give up.”
NextGen Collective 30 Under 30 2023
“My goal is to use policy/government to reduce harm in communities of color. I don’t aspire to serve in any particular office or level of government. If I’m reducing harm, I’m achieving my goal.”
Ashanti Martinez, Maryland State Delegate
Maca Casado, Spokesperson and Hispanic Media Director at Biden for President
Maca Casado immigrated to the United States from Venezuela over a decade ago and immediately decided to participate in the political system upon making the United States her new home. She first volunteered for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 political campaign. After multiple roles, including on Biden’s 2020 election campaign and at the Democratic National Committee, she found herself back on President Joe Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign as its spokesperson and Hispanic media director.
“It’s so important that we use our voices, that we understand everything that is at stake in this election and the misinformation that is targeting our community,” she explains.
She encourages those excited to advocate and organize not to shy away from how much they bring to the table, whether as a political campaign staff member, volunteer, or proactive electorate. “My advice for those people is to follow your dreams and work hard,” she says. “Just try to make your path and trust yourself, believe in yourself. Sometimes, we tend to have a little imposter syndrome—believe and just go for it.”
To the ever-growing voting electorate, she adds: “Decide what you care about in this election. What are you trying to protect and talk about that with your family, with your friends, with your neighbors, with your tios, and your primos. Spread the message. Choose your thing that you’re fighting for, that you care for, and just go for it with all of your resources.”
The Latino Majority Podcast
María Teresa Kumar Pushes for the Vote of Confidence
Jeremy Martinez, Latino Finance Director at the Democratic National Committee
According to Vote Latino, a Latino individual turns eighteen years old every thirty seconds. Jeremy Martinez, who has been the Latino finance director for the DNC since 2021 and for the Biden Victory Fund, has seen the prominence and power of the Latino community firsthand while growing his career in the political world.
With a background in nonprofits before taking on his role at the DNC, Martinez is especially grateful that meeting other Latinos in politics has continued to inspire and motivate his commitment to his work and the Latino community.
“A number of folks that I’ve met just whether on the road or just in the last three years, a lot of us have the same story. It is a very similar story,” he shares. “I’m first generation, and my mom came to Texas . . . and was able to make it happen eventually. Whenever I talked to other Latinos in politics, they’re like, ‘Me too, I’m so glad you’re here as someone who can relate to me.’ We all have the same thing in mind, very similar goals, and we’re just happy to be here. A lot of times you feel like you’re outnumbered or not being heard. It’s inspiring to see your colleagues doing super well or the ones that are still climbing. It’s amazing to see it.”
All three of these Latino political leaders credited their own personal upbringing as motivation for the work they do and the commitment they have to empower the Latino community in this election and as an electorate moving forward.
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Are you a Latino political leader or know someone working to activate the Latino vote for the 2024 election? Email us at [email protected] to share your story.
