Latinos have been becoming more involved in Washington state politics over the past ten years, ever since Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, D-Mukilteo, joined the Legislature in 2014. 11 Democrats from the House and Senate got together in 2023 to start the first Latino Caucus. Ortiz-Self is in charge of it.
And to join Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, and Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, in the Legislature in 2025, the Center for Latino Leadership wants to bring in more conservatives. Ybarra is running for the 13th Legislative District seat he has held since 2019 without any other candidates.
It is worth noting that at least six other Republican candidates for office have Latino roots in their bios.
There is Maia Espinoza, who is running against Sen. T’wina Nobles in Pierce County’s 28th Legislative District. Espinoza started the Center for Latino Leadership in 2014 as a casual group that wanted to break down negative ideas about the politically diverse Hispanic community in Washington, D.C.
“We still appeal to Latino leaders who think of themselves as Democrats, but we’ve had a lot of success electing Latino Republicans,” Espinoza said, naming Ybarra, Torres, and candidates for city, county, and municipal posts from Seattle to the eastern part of Washington state. “A lot of business owners who believe in the American dream like us.”
One of those Latina stars is Torres, who works in business. In 2022, she was voted in the 15th Legislative District. However, she is now in the 16th Legislative District because of redistricting. This happened after a federal judge changed the state’s legislative map earlier this year. According to state law, Torres can finish her term, which ends in 2026.
Tores is backing Gloria Mendoza and Debra Manjarrez in the races for the House in her home district.
“Gloria was mayor of Grandview, and like me, she grew up in farming and is the first Latina in her family. Both of them run their own small businesses, Torres said. “Gloria still has high school students,” She runs a CPA company and farms with her Latino husband. Both of them are very skilled and care about the community. They will both do well in Olympia because they have business experience. “Those are great candidates.”
Mendoza is one of three candidates running for Position 1 in the 14th Legislative District. The other two are Andy Kallinen, a Republican park ranger from Klickitat County, and Chelsea Dimas, a Democrat organizer.
Manjarrez is one of four candidates for 14th Legislative District Position 2. The other two are Democrat Ana Ruiz Kennedy, who volunteers at Pasco School, and Eddie Perez, who says he has “No Party Preference” and has been working at the same job for 30 years.
This year, Hispanic people also ran for office at the state level. In the race for U.S. Senate, Republican Dr. Raul Garcia, an emergency room doctor from Yakima who came to the U.S. from Cuba as a kid, is running against Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell.
Former Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler is one of three candidates in the primary for the open position of Commissioner of Public Lands. The other two candidates are Republicans Sue Kuehl Pederson and Democrats Allen Lebovitz, Dave Upthegrove, Patrick DePoe, and Jeralee Anderson.
