Bolstered by district elections, Latinas are running for office and changing the face of the county's politics.
In Orange County this year, 26 Latinas are running for city council, school board or supervisor offices.
The Latinas entering politics are Navy veterans, nonprofit executives, small-business women and teachers. Some are immigrants, while others are second-, third- or fourth-generation Americans. Most are Democrats.As O.C. becomes increasingly diverse — the county is 34% Latino and 23% Asian — elected officials should reflect that diversity, to better represent the varied experiences of residents, politicians and community advocates say.
The city, which is about two-thirds white, 19% Latino and 14% Asian, is Republican-dominated but changing politically — a majority of voters backed Joe Biden for president in 2020. In the late 1950s, Mexican American men who were active in the civil rights movement won seats on the Stanton and Placentia city councils.
But the idea grew on her. Maybe she could bridge the divide between the council and her Mexican American community.Espinoza’s campaign was largely do it yourself. As a professional designer, she fashioned her own lawn signs. That same year, Claudia Alvarez, who is now a Superior Court judge, joined the Santa Ana City Council.
In her research on why women run, she noticed more women of color are getting elected to local office, particularly Latinas like herself. In some O.C. cities, council districts were carved out under the threat of litigation, with established politicians loath to lose the advantage they had over upstarts in citywide elections. Anaheim spent $2.5 million fighting a lawsuit before adopting districts and electing its first Latina to the City Council in 2016.
“It has taken active investment in voter outreach and education from a number of organizations to get to this point, and it will take a lot more to achieve parity,” she said. Among the Latinas running for local office are two aiming to be O.C.’s first directly elected Latina mayor — Valerie Amezcua in Santa Ana and Beckie Gomez in Tustin, who have endorsed each other.
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