2016 Presidential Campaign Diversity: Data on Democratic Candidates Forgets Prominent Latina on O'Malley Campaign
Based on filings to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the diversity rate among the Democrats presidential campaigns lack diversity, according to an organization focused on bridging talent and people of color.
The group Inclusv, a project of PowerPAC+, reported on FEC filings submitted by July 1, from the Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton and Martin O'Malley campaigns. According to Inclusv, each campaign's FEC report was examined and sought to raise awareness for campaigns to include inclusive hiring practices.
Based on Inclusv's "best estimates," Clinton's campaign has the most "staff of color" with 32 percent, followed by 10 percent for Sanders and 9 percent for O'Malley. In an additional breakdown, 8 percent of Clinton's staffers and 7 percent of Sanders' staffers are Latino. In O'Malley's campaign, Inclusv stated zero percent is Latino.
"If staffers of color are not at the forefront within every department of your campaign, it's inauthentic to say you are ready to lead our nation on issues like immigration or criminal justice reform," said Inclusv Co-Founder Quentin James. "We have to move beyond conversations about diversity and ensure we always reflect the true ideals of our democracy, even when it's not convenient. If candidates want our support, people of color have to play prominent and vital roles within their campaigns."
"Inclusv recognizes the direct correlation between who works on campaigns and how those campaigns engage the communities disproportionately impacted by every issue on the national agenda," said Inclusv Executive Director Alida Garcia. "Authentic and deliberate inclusion is a vital component for any of these candidates to succeed. These numbers have significant room for growth."
Garcia added, "Moving forward, we call upon each presidential candidate to internally track and transparently publish their diversity data on a quarterly basis."
The data, however, was met with some confusion.
In a statement to Latin Post, Gabi Domenzain, director of public engagement for O'Malley campaign, shared her disappointment with the "false" report.
"As a board member of Inclusv and as the Director of Public Engagement for Martin O'Malley, I am disappointed that the organization released numbers they know to be false," said Domenzain.
"I joined Gov. O'Malley's team prior to his launch, and I am one of the highest ranking Latinas on a presidential campaign this cycle. The governor and his staff are committed to surrounding themselves with diverse voices as is exemplified by his leadership on issues most important to minority communities across the country," added Domenzain.
According to Inclusv's report, the number of "staff of color is potentially higher" for the three campaigns due to some staffers starting employment on June 30. The group admitted, "there is not 100 percent verifiable method" in conducting their analysis and expects pushback to the data.
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