With 29 Hispanics in the U.S. House of Representatives and three in the U.S. Senate, 2015 will be the most Latino Congress in U.S. history, according to an analysis by the National Association of Latino Elected Officials Educational Fund.
The incoming Congress will have one more Latino representative than it does currently, while the number of Latinos in the U.S. Senate remained unchanged at three.
“Latino candidates made history on election night, securing groundbreaking victories in contests across the country and in both political parties,” Executive Director of NALEO Education Fund Arturo Vargas said in a press statement. “Latinos will continue to shape the nation’s political landscape as candidates, demonstrating their ability to lead and win at all levels of office.”
The incoming class of Latino Congress members leans toward the left, with Democrats making up almost three out of four of the 32. The largest Hispanic delegation comes from the state of California, with 10 members, all of whom are representatives. Texas will send the second-highest number of Latino members of Congress, with seven -- six representatives, and one senator.
Five new Hispanic faces will join the U.S. House of Representatives next year, including two Democrats and three Republicans. Alex Mooney, a Republican, will become West Virginia’s first Latino U.S. Representative.
Despite the steady progress boosting their numbers, Latino representation in the U.S. Congress still isn’t nearly consistent with the Hispanic share of the population. Latinos make up some 8 percent of U.S. Congress members, but 17 percent of the population as a whole.
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