Congressional Hispanic Congress (CHC) Chairwoman Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., announced her bid for the second-highest rank within the House Democratic Caucus.

The current 114th Congress has Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., as the vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, a role he assumed in 2013. For the upcoming 115th Congress, Sanchez hopes to succeed him.

"As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, I promise to bring their tenacity, their can-do spirit, and their love of this country to the role of vice chair," Sanchez wrote, stating she will continue to fight for hardworking Americans and noting her experiences in various House committees including Veterans Affairs, Education and Labor, Judiciary and Ways and Means.

"When called upon, I never shy away from taking on difficult assignments," wrote Sanchez. "I have the honor of serving at the request of Leader [Nancy] Pelosi as the ranking member on the House Committee on Ethics and on the Select Committee on Benghazi. And as a co-founder of the Labor and Working Families Caucus I fight every day to help low-income and working families strive for the American dream."

If elected, Sanchez would be the first woman to serve as vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus since Barbara Kennelly, former congresswoman from Connecticut, in 1999. Sanchez would be the first Latina vice chair, but not the first Hispanic in the role. Previously, then-Rep. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Rep. Xavier Becerra of California have taken the position. Menendez has since moved on to the Senate, while Becerra is currently the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.

Currently, Sanchez serves as the CHC chair, which includes Democratic Latino lawmakers from both congressional legislative bodies. In the letter to colleagues, Sanchez acknowledged that the U.S. is experiencing a growing Latino population, which coincides with the CHC's increasing membership and influence. Sanchez and the CHC have been working on issues ranging from immigration reform, education, voting rights and equal rights and social security.

"The strength of the Democratic Caucus lies in our talented members and our unified efforts. Over the next several months I will work to earn your support to be the next Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus. I look forward to continuing our discussions about your priorities and share with you my vision of how we can lead our caucus, and our country, forward. Together we will continue working to make America a more perfect union -- where everyone is free to pursue their dreams," said Sanchez.

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., is also seeking the vice chair role. Crowley is ineligible to serve a third vice chair term due to term limits within the Caucus. The vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus is the fifth-highest ranking among House Democrats. All House Democrats will elect the next vice chair before the start of the new congressional session.

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