Washington, D.C. – Latino Victory Fund congratulates Melisa López Franzen for winning the 49th Minnesota Senate District race. López Franzen was elected in 2012 and 2016, and she made history by becoming the first Puerto Rican to represent the 49th District.
“Melisa has served her community in the Senate with the dedication and commitment that we need in our legislative governments to ensure the well-being of our families,” said Nathalie Rayes, Latino Victory Fund president & CEO. “She’s a proven leader who will continue working for Minnesotans to provide quality early childhood education, invest in infrastructure, and improve health care access. Latino Victory congratulates Melisa for her victory.”
Meet Senator Melisa López Franzen
Senator Melisa López Franzen was first elected to the Minnesota State Senate in 2012 and reelected in 2016 and 2020. Senator López Franzen made history as the first woman and first Puerto Rican to represent Senate District 49 in 2012. She’s a small business owner, a strategic communicator, a mother, an attorney, and an advocate in the community.
In the state Senate, López Franzen serves on the Finance, Health and Human Services Finance and Policy, and Transportation and Public Safety Finance Committees. She is also a member of the Task Force on Medical Cannabis Therapeutic Research and has previously served on the Education Policy and Higher Education Committees. She has a proven record of fighting for families and working Minnesotans in the state Senate, having authored or co-authored dozens of pieces of legislation on a host of challenging issues.
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, López Franzen was compelled to first run by the Tea Party’s emergence. She is sought re-election to stand up for marginalized communities in light of COVID-19 and a rise in white supremacists’ attacks.
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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.
