The Latino Victory Fund on Wednesday endorsed Marco Lopez, the former Democratic mayor of Nogales, Ariz., for governor of Arizona.
Lopez, who served as Customs and Border Protection chief of staff in the Obama administration, would be the state’s first Hispanic governor in nearly half a century.
“Marco Lopez is an experienced, well-rounded community leader who has worked tirelessly for Arizonans by serving in public office and the small business sector. He’s a job creator with a bold vision to make Arizona an inclusive, prosperous state where Latinos and immigrants can thrive with opportunity,” said Nathalie Rayes, Latino Victory Fund president and CEO.
The endorsement should open the spigot for support from the Hispanic community and within the Democratic Party for Lopez. Key Latino Victory alums are embedded in the White House and throughout President Biden’s political network.
“I am excited to have Latino Victory Fund’s support because they are committed to electing more Latinos to statewide office and providing the resources needed to flip Arizona’s governorship blue,” said Lopez.
Lopez, 43, is jumping into a primary against at least two other Democrats, state Rep. Aaron Lieberman and Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, for a chance to run in the general election in an increasingly competitive state.
Republicans currently control both houses of Arizona’s legislature and the governor’s mansion, but incumbent Gov. Doug Ducey (R) is term limited and cannot run for reelection in 2022.
In order to win, Arizona’s Democrats need high participation among younger, urban Latinos to counteract Republican strength among rural and older suburban voters.
In an election with heavy headwinds, Democrats want to pull off a repeat of 2020, when they won a Senate seat and the presidential election in Arizona.
Arizona’s new electoral map will make it harder for Democrats to maintain the five U.S. House seats they currently hold, potentially dwindling the state’s Democratic delegation to two members.
That makes statewide offices a prime target for the party, especially the governorship and the reelection of Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.).
Early in the primaries, Hobbs and Trump-endorsed Republican Kari Lake have already traded accusations of racism.
Four other Republicans are in the race, and at least two have focused their campaigns on immigration and border security, which Democrats in the state say is a distraction from the real issues affecting Arizonans.
“Unfortunately, my Republican opponents are wasting no time in using their campaigns to stir up hate against Latinos—people who look like me. The only way we can overcome this hatred and fear-mongering is to unite all communities regardless of background to build a stronger, more inclusive Arizona where everyone is welcome,” Lopez said.
In addition to becoming mayor of Nogales at age 22, Lopez served as executive director of the Arizona-Mexico Commission, as policy adviser for Mexico and Latin America under former Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) and as director of the Arizona Department of Commerce.