La Voz magazine and Radio Kingston brought together active voices in our local Hispanic political scene for “Latinos in Politics,” a roundtable discussion that took place recently in Kingston.
Moderated by Mariel Fiori, co-founder and director of La Voz and host of La Voz con Mariel Fiori on Radio Kingston, the event tackled important questions about political engagement and representation.
According to the Voto Latino platform, every 30 seconds a Latino person turns 18 in the United States. Most experts estimate that 16.6 million Latinos voted in 2020, or 30.9% more than in the 2016 presidential election. NALEO, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, expects more than 17.5 million Latino voters (11%) to cast ballots nationwide in November. And that’s when Latinos eligible to vote exceed 36.2 million according to Pew Research Center statistics. Why the discrepancy between those who could vote and those who are actually expected to vote? Has everyone registered to exercise their right to vote?
Panelists included:
– Sandra Cuéllar Oxford – Co-Chair and Secretary of the NY Working Families Party; Political and Community Organizer, NYS Nurses Association
– Ruben Estrada – Founder and Chairman, Latino National Republican Coalition of New York State
– Juan Figueroa- Ulster County Sheriff
– Kevindaryán Lujan – Orange County Legislator
– Eddie Monroy – Deputy Campaign Manager & Field Director, Michelle Hinchey for NY
– Genesis Ramos – Orange County Legislator