Excellent news (and congratulations to DLOV president Alfsono Lopez) as the Democratic Party of Virginia becomes
more diverse while the Republican Party of Virginia...well, doesn't do that.
TO: Members of the DLOV
FROM: Alfonso Lopez, State President
RE.: DLOV has Become an Official CAUCUS of the Democratic Party of Virginia!!
It has been exhausting – but I am proud to report that – WE DID IT!!!! This past weekend the State Central Committee of the Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA) unanimously agreed to create an official Latino Caucus.
As you know we needed to elect eight (8) individuals – from at least four (4) Congressional Districts – to the State Central Committee in order to create an official Latino Caucus for the first time in the history of the DPVA.
We Elected nine (9) individuals – from seven (7) Congressional Districts!!
The following individuals won election to the State Central Committee over the past several weekends at their respective District Conventions:
1st District – Carlos Del Toro (Elected as a City/County Rep at-large)
1st District – Rebecca Jaramillo
2nd District – Lenny Reyes
3rd District – Dietra Trent
5th District – Gloria Rockholdt (DLOV Constituency Rep. – appointed)
6th District – Vivian Sanchez Jones
8th District – Carolina Espinal
8th District – Alfonso Lopez
10th District – Ricardo Cabellos
Rita Aguilar was also reappointed as Deputy Counsel of the State Democratic Party. She lives in the 8th District.
This has been a team effort – five months in the making.
We have traveled to every corner of Virginia in order to recruit and support our candidates for the various committees, worked with the political players in the Districts and at the State Party, and drafted materials and speeches. It has taken a considerable amount of organizing and all of the hard work has paid off for a truly worthy cause!
We recruited twenty (20) candidates to run and I want to thank them all for their hard work and belief in the DLOV effort – it is greatly appreciated and will be remembered. Special thanks to Andrew Rivera of DLOV for his hard work and the assistance of Don Mark, DPVA Political Director, and Levar Stoney, DPVA Executive Director, as we teamed up to make this Caucus a reality.
I am so proud of everyone and everything you did to achieve this HISTORIC GOAL – from running for election to the State Central Committee to making calls to handing out flyers at the conve For the first time in the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Democratic Party of Virginia – Latinos will have an official Caucus.
As a Caucus, DLOV will have greater power to affect policy, resolutions, and decisions made by the DPVA. We will also have an improved ability to assist the Democratic Party’s outreach efforts to the Latino community; encourage Latino participation at the local, state, and national levels; facilitate voter registration efforts; develop potential candidates for public office; and, better inform the
public about issues of importance to our community. We will also be able to more effectively advocate for and on behalf of issues important to our community and defend against anti-immigrant attacks. Also, like the African American, Labor, and Women’s Caucuses - we will be able to petition to have our community represented on the Senior Steering Committee of the DPVA.
We have also begun discussions with the Leadership of the Democratic Party of Virginia on formally petitioning to make DLOV a Steering Committee Member organization. This would enable DLOV to have a representative on the Senior Board that is charged with leading the Party.
I am so proud of everyone’s efforts in support of our DLOV Caucus effort – Thank you!!
Now the real work begins to grow Latino turnout and Party Identification/Participation and to ensure that the Virginia Latino vote is a key part of a Democratic Victory for Creigh Deeds, Jody Wagner, and Steve Shannon in November.
