House Republican Conference Welcomes Four New Hispanic Members

The House Hispanic Republicans welcome four new members whom they will formally add to their ranks this January. All four of them won against Democratic candidates during the recent election.

The Congressional Hispanic Conference or the group of Hispanic Republicans in Congress is the counterpart of the Democratic Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

These are the two partisan groups of Hispanic and Latino lawmakers in the House of Representatives. The lawmakers belonged to the group where their affiliations are.

The Congressional Hispanic Conference is set to welcome representatives Carlos Gimenez and Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida, Nicole Malliotakis of New York, and Tony Gonzales of Texas.

These four new members have Hispanic descent. Gimenez, Salazar, and Malliotakis are Cubans, while Gonzales is Mexican-American, according to a published article of The Hill .

Their presence now adds up to the growing number of Hispanic and Latino lawmakers in the country.

There is no doubt that Gimenez, Salazar, and Gonzales won in Florida and Texas because most voters in their respective states are Hispanics. These newly elected Republican representatives were favored to win the elections over the Democratic candidates.

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida and the chairman of the Hispanic Conference said: "There's no doubt we've seen a dramatic increase in the representation of minorities, including Hispanics, among Republicans."

The presence of Hispanic lawmakers in the House will help to address the issues and problems of the largest minority group in the country.

"The question is why? Partly it's why Latinos in the United States is here. We either come from a socialist country where there's no liberty, the violence [in Latin America] and a third very important factor is economic opportunity," Diaz-Balart noted.

The message of Diaz-Balart resonated among the Hispanics and Latinos in traditionally conservative communities like those in the South Florida districts, including the Texas district, which helps Gonzales and the Republican party won the support of the voters.

The incoming four new Hispanic Representatives will be joining Diaz-Balart, Washington Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón, Ohio Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, California Rep. Devin Nunes, West Virginia Rep. Alex Mooney, Florida Rep. Brian Mast, and American Samoa Del. Aumua Amata Radewagen.

Rep. Mike Garcia and former Rep. David Valadao would likely join the list after California races formally end.

According to Diaz-Balart, the growth in Hispanic Republican representation in the House is a significant development and progress for the largest minority group in the country whose concerns and issues were not given attention due to underrepresentation.

"Having more Latino Republicans in Congress is a good thing... It is very positive for the country... It can only help those negotiations," he said in The Hill report.