Latino Voter Surge Propels Working Family Candidates – SOL’s Get-Out-The Vote Campaign Part of State Wide Push on Behalf of Candidates That Address Issues That Matter to Working Families

Latino immigrant voters propelled working family candidates to victory. The Latino voter surge was sparked by the get-out-vote work of Strengthening Our Lives (a.k.a. SOL) whose 310 precinct workers door knocked over election weekend in the working family, mostly immigrant, neighborhoods for four candidates: top runoff vote getters Mark Ridley-Thomas, L.A. County Supervisor District # 2 candidate, Henry T Perea, Fresno Mayoral candidate, and Manuel Perez, State Assembly District #80 candidate, and Bob Blumenfield State Assembly District #40 candidate who was outright victorious.

“Voters said no to more of the same, no to a politics that does nothing to bring us better days,” noted SOL Executive Director Javier Gonzalez. “State wide we spoke with tens of thousands of humble, hard working, Latino immigrants who voted for candidates — African-American, Latino and Anglo — who imagined what is possible when we work together.”

State wide, over the past month 90 SOL precinct workers contacted nearly 75,000 voters. Over the last four days, SOL ramped up to 310 precinct workers — mostly Latino immigrants many of whom lived in the community they were now walking in — labored from sunrise to sunset to turnout the over 60,000 commitments they had gotten. On election night, SOL backed candidates received nearly 83,000 votes.

“Here in District 2, Latinos voted, many for the first time — they voted for,” commented Los Angeles SOL precinct leader Blanca Perez, “better schools, good jobs, accessible healthcare and safe streets — they voted for the issues that matter to all families.” “People were excited that someone who understood how hard we work was running,” commented Fresno precinct worker Raquel Barajas. “We will finally have someone who can truly bring all of our great city together.”

SOL, or Strengthening Our Lives, is a state wide coalition of labor and community organizations dedicated to ensuring that the issues that matter to immigrant Latino working families are addressed by elected officials. Historically Latino immigrants have been less active than other groups in the political process. SOL strategically focuses its efforts on motivating occasional voters to go to the election polls.

This election year state-wide SOL precinct workers contacted more than 76,000 voters. Through independent expenditure campaigns SOL supported candidates regardless of race or ethnicity who had a proven track record of addressing issues that matter to working families. This remarkable effort comes on the heels of SOL registering in the last year more than 40,000 new California voters.

Strengthening Our Lives thru Action, Participation and Education, is a partnership of progressive labor, faith and community organizations dedicated to increasing the civic participation of California’s immigrant communities.

For additional information: www.sol-california.com/ and

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