WASHINGTON – Today, Latino Victory Fund announced the endorsement of six Latino candidates across Virginia. The candidates are Elizabeth Guzman for District 29 Virginia State Senate, Hala Ayala for District 33 Virginia State Senate, Fernando “Marty” Martinez for District 29 Virginia House of Delegates, Phil Hernandez for District 94 Virginia House of Delegates, Andres Jimenez for Mason District Supervisor on Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and Jonathan Dromgoole for Arlington County Board.
Statement from Nathalie Rayes, President and CEO of Latino Victory Fund:
“Latino Victory Fund is thrilled to announce that we are endorsing six Latino candidates to state and local government in Virginia. These talented and proven leaders are dedicated to fighting for policies that will help families thrive and all share the common vision to build a better future for Virginia.
“Delegate Elizabeth Guzman is a proven legislator and champion for progressive issues. She has fought tirelessly for labor rights, environmental justice and expanding access to health care in the Virginia House of Delegates. Delegate Guzman has also proven to be an ally to the Latino and immigrant communities in the Commonwealth, advocating for policies that advances these communities forward. In her bid for the 33rd Senate District, former Delegate Hala Ayala is centering Virginia’s working families and economic growth. As Delegate, Hala helped strengthen Virginia’s schools, expand Medicaid access, increase transportation options, and expand access to clean energy. Latino Victory Fund was proud to stand by Guzman and Ayala when both made history becoming the first Latinas elected to the Virginia General Assembly, and we are proud to endorse them once again as they seek to make history in the Senate.”
Latino Victory Fund is also endorsing the following candidates:
- “Fernando “Marty” Martinez and Phil Hernandez, who are vying for victory in newly created District 29 and District 94, respectively. Marty is a U.S. Air Force Veteran and a former Vice Mayor for Leesburg. Phil, a former Obama White House alumni, helped coordinate the response to the BP oil spill and recently helped mitigate the baby formula shortage for Virginia families.
- Andres Jimenez, who is running for Mason District Supervisor on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, is an environmental advocate with over 20 years of policy experience at the state, local, and federal levels.
- Jonathan Dromgoole, is running for a seat on the Arlington County Board with a track record of fighting to increase Latino representation in Virginia. He founded “Juntos Por Virginia” and served as President of the Democratic Latino Organization of Virginia.”
More About the Candidates
Elizabeth Guzman for Virginia State Senate, District 29
- First elected in 2017 to the Virginia House of Delegates, Guzman became one of the first two Latina women to become a delegate.
- Shortly after her election, Speaker Pelosi invited Delegate Guzman to give the 2018 Spanish language response to Trump’s State of the Union address.
- Delegate Guzman helped pass historic legislation to lift Virginia’s blanket ban on public sector collective bargaining and is leading the fight for a paid sick days law so that no Virginian has to choose between their health and a paycheck.
- An effective legislator, Delegate Guzman passed 19 bills in her first three years in office. Now she serves as Vice-Chair of the Education Committee and was named 2020’s “Legislator of the Year” by the Virginia Education Association and the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers.
You can learn more about Elizabeth Guzman’s campaign here.
Hala Ayala for Virginia State Senate, District 33
- In 2017, Hala Ayala ran for House District 51 in Prince William County and won against a four-term Republican incumbent.
- During her two terms in Richmond, she led efforts to expand Medicaid for more than 500,000 Virginians, stood up to attacks on reproductive healthcare, and strengthened background checks to keep guns out of dangerous hands.
- In 2021, Hala became the first woman of color nominated by the Democratic Party for statewide office, earning the most votes for a Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate in history.
You can learn more about Hala Ayala’s campaign here.
Fernando “Marty” Martinez for Virginia House of Delegates, District 29
- In 2002, Marty Martinez ran for and successfully won a seat on the Leesburg town council and won re-election for four additional terms. He was elected vice mayor in January 2019 and served as vice mayor from July 2004 to June 2006.
- Marty enlisted in the United States Air Force and served for over seven years before being honorably discharged as a staff sergeant in 1978.
- Marty moved to Leesburg with his wife Doris and children in 1993 and began working as a government contractor supporting the Federal Aviation Administration.
- On the town council, Marty has worked to grow Leesburg while preserving its historic character. Time and again, he’s fought for our Virginia values by building consensus and engaging in people-centric policy.
You can learn more about Marty Martinez’s campaign here.
Phil Hernandez for Virginia House of Delegates, District 94
- Phil holds a J.D. from the Berkeley School of Law and a B.A. from William & Mary. He is an active member of the Virginia State Bar.
- A former Senior Policy Analyst in President Obama’s White House Domestic Policy Council, he partnered with leaders nationwide to expand affordable clean energy, fight for clean air and water, and help coordinate the response to the worst BP oil spill.
- He is the Senior Vice President for Policy & Advocacy with The Commonwealth Institute.
- In recent years, he’s helped pass laws to increase the minimum wage and lower taxes, and in 2022, during the baby formula shortage, he helped create a tool to help Virginia families find baby formula for their children.
You can learn more about Phil Hernandez’s campaign here.
Andres Jimenez for Mason District Supervisor, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
- Andres currently works for Green 2.0 as their Executive Director.
- Previously, Andres served as Senior Director of Government Affairs at the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. He worked with U.S. House and Senate partners to further bold solutions to the climate crisis.
- Andres also served as the Associate Director of Government Relations at Ocean Conservancy, focused on creating bipartisan solutions for issues like ocean acidification and sustainable fisheries.
- He serves on the board for the Culmore Clinic in Fairfax County and is the At-Large Planning Commissioner of Fairfax County Planning Commission.
Learn more about Andres Jimenez’s campaign here.
Jonathan Dromgoole for Arlington County Board
- Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Jonathan is a proud first-generation double graduate of Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and later the McCourt School of Public Policy.
- Jonathan served as President of the Democratic Latino Organization of Virginia, helping maintain a 1000% win rate for endorsed Latino Candidates.
- In August of 2021, appointed by Governor Ralph Northam, Johnathan became an inaugural member of the LGBTQ+ Advisory Board, a first in Virginia and the first of its kind in a southern state.
- Jonathan founded “Juntos Por Virginia” in 2022, an organization dedicated to building political resilience, power, and representation for Latinos across Virginia.
You can learn more about Jonathan Dromgoole’s campaign here.
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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.
