Washington, D.C. — Latino Victory Fund announced the endorsement of Dr. Yadira Caraveo for Congress. If elected, Caraveo would be the first Latina and first physician elected to Congress in Colorado. In addition, Caraveo would be the second physician in Congress’ Hispanic delegation.
“Dr. Caraveo has spent the past decade helping her community as a physician and working on expanding health care access and protecting voting rights as a state legislator. She’s a true advocate for Colorado’s families who has the experience and drive to be an effective legislator in Congress,” said Nathalie Rayes, Latino Victory Fund president and CEO. “Her top priorities in the U.S. House will focus on lowering healthcare costs, boosting the economy and creating more jobs, and protecting access to Democracy and voting rights. We need more voices on Capitol Hill like Dr. Caraveo, who will fight for issues that impact the Latino community and support working families. Latino Victory is thrilled to endorse Dr. Caraveo for Congress.”
Latino Victory’s endorsement is part of the organization’s efforts to increase the Latina bench in Congress. Latinas are currently less than 3 percent of the members of Congress, and in the U.S. House, only 13 out of the 435 voting members are Latina/Hispanic. In addition, the 8th Congressional District is considered the state’s most Hispanic congressional district, with 38 percent of its population identifying as Hispanic.
Meet Dr. Yadira Caraveo
- Rep. Dr. Caraveo is a first-generation Mexican American, an accomplished pediatrician, legislator, and a successful advocate for children. Her parents came to Colorado from a small town in Mexico. They put four kids through college on a construction worker’s salary. Dr. Caraveo attended public schools in Adams County, received a degree from Regis University, and attended medical school at the University of Colorado.
- In medical school, Dr. Caraveo became a union representative with SEIU and was named a Champion of Change by President Obama for her work with the Union of Concerned Scientists. Dr. Caraveo chose to be a pediatrician in Adams County, but with 65% of her patients’ families on Medicaid, she quickly understood that truly helping children required a lot more than what she was able to do as a doctor.
- She was first elected to represent the 31st House District in 2018 and re-elected in 2020. Dr. Caraveo has stood up to big special interests and worked to pass historic legislation to force drug companies to lower the cost of prescriptions, drastically limit the toxic pollution that is endangering kids’ health and the planet, expand preschool funding, ensure all Coloradans have access to paid family and sick leave and protect renters from eviction during the pandemic.
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