Koch Latino campaign group endorses Virginia Latina in House race

The campaign arm of a major Hispanic advocacy group within megadonor Charles Koch’s political network has endorsed Republican Yesli Vega for a House district in Virginia.

Libre Action, the Libre Initiative’s campaign arm, is endorsing Vega, a former street cop in Alexandria and Prince William County Supervisor, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger in a toss-up Northern Virginia district.

“We’re proud to endorse Yesli Vega, a Prince William County Supervisor, and like many in our community, she is the daughter of immigrants. But, most importantly, Vega knows the power of the American Dream and the proper role of government—limited,” said Michael Monrroy, advisor to LIBRE Action-Virginia.

Libre’s endorsement means the organization will operate phone banks, knock on doors, run digital ads and host events in support of Vega.

“From now through Election Day, LIBRE Action will be conducting voter outreach in Virginia’s 7th congressional district to mobilize Latinos in support of Yesli Vega,” said Monrroy.

Vega was born in Houston to Salvadoran parents escaping that country’s civil war, which ran from 1979 to 1992.

She grew up in Virginia, where the areas surrounding Washington, D.C. host a large Salvadoran community.

On her website, Vega says her support for strict border controls stems in part from “gangs like MS-13 [that] have been allowed to metastasize and prey on our communities.”

Vega has also come out strongly in defense of restrictions on abortion, generating some controversy last month when she said that as a police officer, she had only seen one case of a pregnancy as a result of rape.

But Vega’s top issue is what her website labels “checks and balances on the Biden administration,” building on the results of the 2021 election in Virginia, where Republican Glenn Youngkin came from behind to win the governorship.

“The big-government approach and reckless spending are having detrimental effects on our economic opportunities. Vega will work to restore the government to its proper size and scope and restore the American Dream by supporting policies that empower the American people to work together to solve the greatest challenges facing our nation, from the bottom-up,” said Monrroy.