Hispanic Caucus endorses two front-runners for House seats

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus’s campaign arm on Monday rolled out endorsements for two House challengers in Florida and Colorado, both of whom are leading fundraising in their districts.

Bold PAC, the campaign group, endorsed Colorado state Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D) for the state’s newly created 8th District and political organizer Maxwell Alejandro Frost for a newly vacant Democratic seat in Florida.

“These two candidates represent the best hope for us to win in November, expand Latino representation in Congress and improve the quality of life for communities in their districts and across the nation,” Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Bold PAC’s chairman, said.

Both Caraveo and Frost lead fundraising numbers in their districts, among both Democratic and Republican candidates.

Caraveo has so far raised more than $560,000, while two of the four Republican candidates competing in the GOP primary have topped the $300,000 mark.

The second most prolific Democratic fundraiser in that race was Adams County Commissioner Chaz Tedesco, who last month fell less than a percentage point short of making the ballot against Caraveo and who raised slightly more than $240,000.

Colorado’s newly created district is a prime pickup opportunity for Hispanic Democrats, although the general election is expected to be a toss-up between both parties.

While the Hispanic Caucus has grown markedly over the past few elections, the group’s growth could plateau as Hispanic voters spread throughout the country and as some Hispanic districts lean more toward the GOP.

That’s the case with several districts in Florida, where Republican campaigns have been effective at outreach with the state’s Hispanic population.

But Frost is competing for the seat vacated by Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), who is running for the Senate and retiring from one of the few true-blue districts left in the state after redistricting.

Frost, a Gen Z organizer and survivor of gun violence, has raised nearly a million dollars, beating out his closest competitor by a 2-to-1 margin so far.

Frost told The Hill the number he’s “most excited about” is the more than 12,000 individual donors, mainly teachers and nurses in his central Florida district, who have contributed to his campaign.

“My age plays into everything,” said Frost. “I’ll be honored to be the first member of my generation in Congress.”

“We see a world that is broken and we see these solutions and we wonder, ‘why aren’t we talking about them more in a bold way?'”

His candidacy is also a salve for Hispanic Democrats in the state, who once sought to compete in up to five districts and would likely net only two in 2022 if Frost wins the primary.

Frost, who worked as an organizer in high-profile issues like Fight for Our Lives and the American Civil Liberties Union’s campaign to restore voting rights for former felons in Florida, could also energize a young Hispanic voting bloc in central Florida, anchoring a growing Democratic base in the region.

“Whether it’s fighting for affordable access to healthcare, good-paying jobs, and the opportunity to get ahead, Yadira and Maxwell are the best candidates in their races and we look forward to serving with them in Congress next year,” Gallego said.

–Updated at 2:48 p.m.