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Why Can't Latinos Get Elected To The U.S. Senate?

Why Can't Latinos Get Elected To The U.S. Senate?
Roque Planas
By 

National Reporter, HuffPost

QUINCY, MA - FEBRUARY 28: Gabriel Gomez appears on the campaign trail for first time, as a candidate for US Senate. (Photo by David L Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
QUINCY, MA - FEBRUARY 28: Gabriel Gomez appears on the campaign trail for first time, as a candidate for US Senate. (Photo by David L Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Latinos are growing in population and electoral clout but can’t seem to grow their numbers in the U.S. Senate. And if Republican Gabriel Gomez doesn’t win next month’s special election in Massachusetts, it could be three more years before another Latino is added to the U.S. Senate.

Even though the midterm elections are still almost a year and a half away, the candidate fields are already starting to solidify and, besides Gomez, there don’t appear to be any credible Latino candidates in the most competitive races.

The lack of Hispanic candidates is striking, not just because of the growing Latino population, but because eight Senators have announced their retirement, leaving an open seat for aspiring candidates who don’t want to take on an incumbent. But in each case, both parties are looking to non-Hispanic candidates to run to take each senator’s place.

Read more on NBC Latino

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