The Latino Victory Fund is a left-of-center political action committee that supports left-of-center Latino candidates in local, state, and national elections. It is one of three Latino-focused political organizations founded by liberal activist actress Eva Longoria, the other two being the Latino Victory Project and the Latino Victory Foundation. [1] They are collectively known as “Latino Victory.”
According to The Hill, the Latino Victory Fund “has played a role in the election of nearly 20 Hispanic members of Congress.” [2]
The Fund endorsed Julian Castro, the former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama administration and the only Latino seeking the nomination, for the 2020 Democratic Presidential nod. [3]
History
The Latino Victory Fund was founded in May 2014 by actress Eva Longoria and philanthropist Henry Munoz III, who, as of October 2019, is the current National Finance Chairman for the Democratic National Committee. [4] It was built out of a pre-existing network of donors who had supported former President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign and included representatives from the AFL-CIO, the National Education Association, and billionaire George Soros. Longoria had served as co-chair for the Obama campaign. [5]
As it launched, it also announced the endorsement of several federal and state level Hispanic candidates. Of the four candidates who were present at the launch, none were successful in their elections. [6]
In March 2019, the Victory Fund’s longtime president, Cristobal Alex, stepped down to become an advisor on former Vice President Joe Biden’s 2020 Presidential campaign. He was replaced by Mayra Macias, who had served as the Victory Fund’s vice president and national political director. [7]
Present activities
The Latino Victory Fund has steadily grown since its inception. The group raised $6.1 million in 2018, compared to $4.2 million in 2016. [8]
In the 2018 midterm elections, it supported 58 candidates, 43 of whom won their elections. [9]
It is most active in the states of Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona, as it has state chapters there that recruit and support local candidates. According to a 2017 interview with The Washington Post, former Fund president Cristobal Alex noted that states such as Florida and New York might also become chaptered states, given their high population of Hispanics. [10]
In October 2019, it announced the launch of its “Our Champions” program, which will attempt to assist five Democratic Latino incumbents in retaining their seats in competitive districts. [11]
Leadership
The current executive director of the Latino Victory Fund is Mayra Macias. Prior to working for the Latino Victory Fund, she was a field organizer for former President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign and an outreach director for the Florida Democratic Party. [12]
Funding
The Latino Victory Fund’s most recent publicly available filings show total revenues of $3,205,729.19 and total expenses of $2,900,609.47.