2016 Presidential Race: Hillary Clinton Campaign Launches 'Mujeres in Politics'
New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito launched a new Latino national group for the Hillary Clinton campaign on Monday.
The new group, "Mujeres in Politics," will focus on a strategy to turn out las mujeres, the Latino women population in the United States. This is an expansion of the Clinton campaign and is expected to start a national outreach. For the launch, Latinas in New York have already contacted other Latinas in Colorado.
"Mujeres in Politics was ... designed for Latinas to speak to Latinas about the fights they are waging and the importance of their civic participation," Mark-Viverto said to NBC News. "Latinas are the CEOs of their family and community and will play a critical role in securing the nomination."
The launch was part of an initiative to start a "culturally relevant and bilingual" program for the Clinton campaign.
Latino voters are a growing part of the electorate, according to the Center for American Progress. Back in 2014, Latinas favored Democratic candidates over Republicans. It is believed that Latinos also helped President Barack Obama win the vote. At the time, Obama received 77 percent of the Latino vote in 2012, over then-Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's 21 percent.
Other candidates are not hesitating to reach out to the Latino community as well, and even though business mogul Donald Trump called Mexican immigrants "rapists" and "killers," he too reaches out to the Latino community for his self-funded campaign.
"Latinas are often neglected by political campaigns, even though they are pivotal and important voters in an election," said Christina Bejarano, an associate professor of political science at University of Kansas, told NBC News. "Latinas can also help political candidates convey their message to Latino families and communities."
Businesses are also finding ways to target the Latino community since they are one of the fastest growing consumer populations as well with more than $1 trillion in spending power.
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