Washington, D.C. — Latino Victory Fund today announced that it has endorsed Secretary Tom Perez for governor of Maryland. Perez would make history by becoming the first Latino governor of Maryland in a state with a fast-growing and vibrant Latino population.
“We’re thrilled to support Tom Perez for Maryland governor. He’s a force for good who has fought tooth and nail to improve the lives of every constituency he has served while in public office,” said Nathalie Rayes, Latino Victory Fund president and CEO. “Secretary Perez has the vision and know-how to implement policies that will transform Maryland into a state where the doors of opportunity are open for everyone.
“As governor, he’ll be an effective champion for progressive policies that will help the Latino community thrive, including access to high-quality education, job opportunities, racial justice and climate change. He has a proven public office track record and the support of Maryland’s growing and vibrant Latino community. We’re confident he’ll break another barrier by becoming the first Latino in Maryland history to head to the governor’s mansion,” Rayes said.
“We are so proud to be building a multi-racial, multiethnic, and diverse coalition of Marylanders who believe in our vision of a Maryland that works for everyone and I’m deeply honored to receive the support of Latino Victory Fund in that fight,” Tom Perez said. “Nathalie and the Latino Victory Fund have done incredible work to expand Latino political representation across our country and I’m excited that together we will mobilize Latino voters across our state like never before so we can deliver results for all Marylanders.”
Latino Victory Fund supported Perez’s bid for Democratic National Committee chair in 2017 when he became the first Latino to hold this position. Now, Perez’s endorsement is part of Latino Victory Fund’s efforts to focus on electing more Latinos to statewide office and investing in states where Latino populations are emerging, and their political power is growing. For instance, Maryland’s Latino population grew from 8 percent in 2010 to 12 percent in 2020, making it a key and decisive electorate in statewide races.
Meet Tom Perez: A barrier-breaker, civil rights attorney & Latino immigrant advocate
- Perez is the son of immigrants from the Dominican Republic and a civil rights attorney. He put himself through college using Pell Grants and working on the back of a garbage truck.
- After graduating from Brown University and Harvard Law School, Perez began his career as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice fighting for civil rights and prosecuting some of the country’s most high-profile civil rights cases.
- Perez later served as the first Latino elected to the Montgomery County Council, where he fought for affordable housing and improved literacy and immigration programs. Perez also served as the Board President for CASA de Maryland, where he grew the organization from a small, local organization to one of the largest immigrant advocacy organizations in the nation.
- In 2007, Perez was appointed Maryland Secretary of Labor, implementing Maryland’s first-in-the-nation living wage law and leading the charge to pass mortgage and foreclosure protections during the 2008 housing crisis.
- President Obama appointed him Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, where he investigated systemic discrimination by police departments, lead the charge to protect voter rights, and prosecuted the first cases under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
- In 2013, President Obama appointed Perez U.S. Secretary of Labor, where he advocated for nationwide paid sick and family leave and pushed for every worker to be treated with dignity and paid a fair wage.
- Perez later became the first Latino to chair the Democratic National Committee (with the support of Latino Victory), overseeing efforts to successfully win back the White House and both chambers of Congress.
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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.
