Washington, D.C. – Today, Latino Victory Fund announces the endorsement of Alfonso Lopez, candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates, District 49, and Canek Aguirre, candidate at-large for Alexandria City Council.
Delegate Lopez is the first Latino Democrat elected to the Virginia General Assembly, and he is also the founder of Virginia’s first Latino Caucus. Councilman Aguirre is the first Latino elected to the Alexandria City Council, and he is currently the only Latino candidate in the race.
Statement on Alfonso Lopez by Nathalie Rayes, Latino Victory Fund President & CEO:
“Alfonso paved the way for Latinos in the Virginia General Assembly. Not only did he break a representation barrier for Latinos, but he also created valuable collaborative space for other Latino delegates by creating the first Latino Caucus. Alfonso is a powerful voice for Latinos in the legislature and a seasoned public servant. He’s committed to advancing progressive issues, including access to affordable housing, criminal justice reform, and equity for immigrant and new American communities. He’s been a steadfast advocate for his constituents and the immigrant community in Virginia, and we’re proud to support his candidacy.”
Statement on Canek Aguirre by Nathalie Rayes, Latino Victory Fund President & CEO:
“With Latinos comprising 17 percent of Alexandria’s population, Canek’s voice is an invaluable asset in Alexandria’s City Council. Canek’s a dedicated public servant who has worked to improve his community over the past decade. As a city council member, he’s committed to working for an equitable Covid-19 recovery for Alexandrians, increasing housing opportunities, investing in public schools and infrastructure, and eliminating health disparities. We’re proud to support such a hard-working and visionary public servant such as Canek.”
Meet the Candidates:
Delegate Alfonso Lopez
Delegate Alfonso Lopez has nearly three decades of public service experience at the highest federal and state government levels. His father immigrated from Venezuela at the age of 19 and his mother was a public school teacher. Lopez served as an Obama Administration political appointee, Tim Kaine Gubernatorial Administration cabinet-level appointee, and a five-term member of the Virginia House of Delegates representing the people of the 49th District. He’s the first Latino Democrat elected to the Virginia General Assembly, and he serves as the Majority Whip of the Virginia House Democratic Caucus.
Over the last couple of cycles, Lopez has played a vital role in acquiring the Democratic majority in the General Assembly and delivering progressive results for Virginia’s families. Throughout his tenure in the Assembly, he accrued a broad legislative accomplishments portfolio. He created the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the Virginia DREAM/In-State Tuition Act, overturned the ban on Project Labor Agreements, repealed driver’s license suspensions for inability to pay fines & fees, and repealed mandatory reporting of undocumented immigrants to federal authorities. Lopez also helped pass legislation that prohibited the police from inquiring about undocumented victims’ immigration status or witnesses of a crime, expanded Medicaid coverage to immigrant mothers and children, and passed the Solar Energy Freedom Bill. He is the founder/Chair of the bipartisan Virginia Latino Caucus and the Virginia Environment & Renewable Energy Caucus. Lopez also serves as the Chair of the Government, Social Justice, and Taxation Task Force of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators.
Councilman Canek Aguirre
Elected in 2018, Canek Aguirre is the first Latino to serve on the Alexandria City Council. Aguirre is the son of Mexican immigrants who instilled in him the importance of hard work, education and giving back to the community. With over ten years of service to his community, Aguirre is committed to increasing housing opportunities, investing in our public schools and infrastructure, and eliminating health inequities.
Aguirre successfully led the City of Alexandria’s 2020 Census Complete Count Committee to achieve a 100% count of all households and secure federal funding for the next decade. He serves as vice-chair of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, Chair of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board’s Access for All Advisory Committee, and an alternate on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Board. In 2019, El Tiempo Latino recognized Aguirre as one of the 100 most influential people in the Hispanic community in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
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The Latino Victory Fund is a progressive political action committee with the mission of growing Latino political power by increasing Latino representation at every level of government – from the school board to the Senate to the White House.
