Famous Latina mothers team up for climate voter mobilization

The Latino Victory Project is investing $5 million in a climate voter mobilization campaign led by famous Latina mothers.

“Vote Like a Madre,” the campaign, features artists, celebrities and influencers calling on other Latina mothers to vote with climate change in mind.

In one ad featuring actress and activist Eva Longoria, the “Desperate Housewives” stars lists a series of environmental issues augmenting climate uncertainty in the future.

“As mamás, we can use our vote the way we use our voices: To get loud and vote like a madre this November,” Longoria says in the ad.

“Latina moms are leaders in their families, the workforce and our communities, but they also exert tremendous power as voters. Nearly 60 percent of Latinas support candidates that support initiatives to combat climate change, so we have a key opportunity to mobilize this powerful electorate to vote for climate change action in November,” said Nathalie Rayes, Latino Victory Project president and CEO.

Vote Like a Madre was first launched in 2020, and according to the Latino Victory Project, it succeeded in driving 40,000 additional Latinas to the polls in Arizona and Florida that year.

Longoria leads a long list of celebrity mothers teaming up for the campaign, including America Ferrera, Dr. Luz Towns-Miranda (Lin-Manuel Miranda’s mother), Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Ariana DeBose, Angélica María, Angélica Vale, Gloria Calderón Kellet, Chef Lorena Garcia, Carolina Sandoval, Danna Garcia and Cyn Santana.

The celebrity listing includes names from classic Mexican telenovelas, like María and Vale, who are usually not known for their political activism.

“It’s also important to note that Latina celebrities and influencers who had never been involved in political or electoral work are joining the Vote Like a Madre movement because they recognize the urgency of the climate crisis, how it impacts their community and the need for action,” Rayes told The Hill.

Hispanic voters have historically been more responsive than others to environmental and climate politics, in part because many Latino communities live in areas with high pollution.

Many Hispanics also live in places where the effects of climate change are looming, like California, with its wildfires, or Florida, with the destructive potential of sea level rise.

A tracking poll of registered Latino voters released Wednesday by the National Association of Latino Elected Officials showed that 20 percent of survey respondents listed climate change and pollution as one of their top three priorities ahead of the November midterm elections.

An August poll released by UnidosUS and Mi Familia Vota, two top Hispanic advocacy and voter participation organizations, found similar results.

The 2022 campaign is focusing on Nevada, Arizona and Colorado.

“As mothers, we want nothing more than a clean, safe environment so our children can live healthy, prosperous lives with clean air, water, and a stable climate. So, in this election, I call on my fellow madres and madre figures to make a pinky promise to their children to demand candidates have bold plans to combat the climate crisis. Together, we can elect a government that will protect our children by taking action on the climate emergency,” Rayes said.