Statewide Latina Leaders Announce Launch of Latina Civic

Trenton – July 7, 2021 – Today, statewide Latina leaders Dr. Patricia Campos-Medina, Laura Matos and Andrea Martinez-Mejia announced the launching of a newly formed organization – Latina Civic. Following years of investment in the development of LUPEPAC, Latina Civic spins-off with strong footing to focus on the growing base of Latinas in civic life beyond elected leadership.  With an eye on the growing Latina engagement in civic and electoral activities in the state of New Jersey, Latina Civic forms three separate entities that creates diverse opportunities for participation and engagement of Latinas in all aspects of the political process, from education and training; to issue advocacy & electoral candidate support; ultimately – getting our voices heard at the ballot box and in the public sphere is a win for our communities.

“Supporting women will continue to be at the forefront of our organization’s mission. New Jersey is a state with so much opportunity and potential for Latinas; our growing numbers as a population also means that we must enhance our capacity to generate policy ideas, advocate on behalf of our families and engage voters to vote for our issues and our candidates. We look forward to working with our partners to increase equity of opportunity and political power for Latinas across the state,” said Dr. Patricia Campos-Medina

“We are very excited that this incredible group of women will continue to collectively address the dire need for increased representation in all levels of elected and appointed office in New Jersey. This continued effort and coordinated approach will be fundamental in making tangible change in the demographics of our elected and appointed officials,” stated Laura Matos.

“Educating and training Latinas to be civically engaged will be paramount in all that we do at the Foundation. We will work hard to ensure that Latinas receive the necessary tools to be competitive in New Jersey, which has been a difficult process thus far,” added Andrea Martinez-Mejia.

“Many of us have worked for over twenty years to empower Latinas across the state to be civically engaged. Our community represents over 19% of the population in New Jersey, and we look forward to the day that our representation in elected offices is reflective of that number,” said Arlene Quinones Perez, who will serve as General Counsel.

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Latina Civic Action is a 501c4 non-partisan civic action committee whose mission is to advance a policy agenda that invests and advocates on behalf of Latinas.  We will support issues, causes, and leadership that works to ensure Latinas thrive and achieve economic prosperity, equal representation in private and public sectors, and are a priority when advancing public policy and legislation.

Latina Civic PAC is a non-partisan political action committee whose mission is to increase the number of Latinas in elected and appointed office in the State of New Jersey. The committee promotes and supports progressive leaders who stand up for an agenda that invests in Latina political leadership and advances critical issues that matter to Latinas in New Jersey. The PAC will continue to distribute tens of thousands of dollars every election cycle to endorsed Latinas throughout the state.

Latina Civic Foundation is a 501c3 non-partisan educational committee whose mission is to build a network of civic engagement that expands Latina women’s capacity to develop their leadership potential and impact policy change via civic engagement in their local communities. By training women with the skills needed to run for office, manage and run electoral and issue-based campaigns, and build a base of strong community leadership, we hope to lay the foundation for future changemakers. The Foundation will also support initiatives that inform the public on critical issues that matter to Latinas in New Jersey.

Full lists of the boards for each organization are listed below.

Latina Civic Action 501 c4

Dr. Patricia Campos Medina, President

Cristina Pinzon, Vice President – Membership

Flora Castillo, Vice President – External Affairs

Lucia Gomez, Treasury

Milly Camacho, Secretary

Grissele Camacho

Sonia Delgado

Lizette Delgado Polanco

Laura Matos

Noemi Velazquez

Latina Civic PAC

Laura Matos, Chair

Grissele Camacho, Co-Secretary

Sonia Delgado, Co-Secretary

Lizette Delgado Polanco, Treasury

Milly Camacho

Flora Castillo

Sonia Delgado

Monica De Los Rios

Aida Luz Epifanio

Zulima Farber

Rosa Farias

Lucia Gomez

Kay LiCausi

Noemi Velazquez

Latina Civic Foundation 501c3

Andrea Martinez-Mejia, Chair

Connie Pires Sanchez, Vice Chair

Maria Del Cid-Kosso, Treasury

Brianna Earle

Aida Luz Epifanio

Analilia Mejia

Nohemi Soria-Perez