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Press Release: Hispanic Groups Congratulate President-Elect Obama And Push For a Diverse Cabinet. LULAC supportive of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson as Secretary of State and former AFL-CIO Executive Vice-President Linda Chavez-Thompson as Secretary of Labor. November 18, 2008 For more information contact: Washington, DC – As President-Elect Obama moves quickly to fill cabinet appointees within his administration, the League of United Latin American Citizens is pressing the President-Elect to appoint several high-ranking Latinos to key cabinet posts. “We’ve been in high level discussions with the President-Elect’s transition team, and we have communicated to them the importance of having diversity reflected within his cabinet and in key positions within the administration,” said LULAC National Executive Director Brent Wilkes. LULAC has expressed strong support as an organization for the nomination of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson for Secretary of State and former AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson as Secretary of Labor. “Governor Richardson has a proven track record of leadership and tremendous experience in foreign affairs. He will represent our country and our new President well if selected.” stated LULAC National President Rosa Rosales on the potential appointment of Governor Richardson. “Equally impressive is Linda Chavez-Thompson. I have known Linda for a number of years and there is no question that she is the best and most qualified candidate for Labor Secretary. Her track record on labor issues is irrefutably solid,” President Rosales said. With Latino voters turning out in record numbers this election and voting overwhelmingly for Senator Barack Obama, Hispanic organizations are coming together to help the President-Elect’s transition team create a strong and diverse cabinet that will be reflective of the country’s demographic diversity and will acknowledge the inclusive and ethnically diverse coalition that elect him. According to exit poll projections, almost 11 million Latinos voted with 67% voting for Senator Obama. If these numbers hold, it would be an astounding 44% increase in Latino voter turnout since the 2004 elections. Senator Obama received a higher percentage of the Latino vote than did John Kerry (59%) and Al Gore (62%) putting to rest for good the suggestion by some that Latinos would not vote for an African American candidate. “We believe that President-Elect Obama has put forward a message of change, and inclusion that is vindicated by the millions of Latinos who supported his message,” said LULAC National President Rosa Rosales. “The Latino vote proved decisive in the key battleground states of Virginia, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Ohio, Indiana and Florida.” Latino voters provided the margin of victory for Obama in key battleground states. In Florida where Obama won by just 198,303, Latinos cast 14% of the ballots and supported Obama (57%) over McCain (42%). In Colorado where Obama won by 138,521 votes, Latinos cast 17% of the ballots and supported Obama (73%) over McCain (27%). In Virginia where Obama won by 155,862 votes, Latinos cast 5% of the ballots and supported Obama (65%) over McCain (34%). The League of United Latin American Citizen (www.lulac.org) advances the economic conditions, educational attainment, political influence, health, housing and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide. ### |