Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Latina Democratic Candidate Supported by Environmental Groups on Her Campaign

The Latino Victory Fund and the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) endorsed their support for Michelle Vallejo, a progressive Democrat running for the most competitive House seat in Texas.

In May, Vallejo won her primary. In July, she received the endorsement of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’s campaign arm, indicating that Hispanic Democrats are confident that she can succeed in her district. After the 2020 census, her district shifted from a slight Democratic lean to a true purple district.

Vallejo is running a very progressive campaign, while her opponent, Republican Mónica de la Cruz, is running a Trump-backed conservative campaign. Vallejo is the only Democratic Latina running in one of the three South Texas Hispanic-majority districts.

“Michelle Vallejo is the only Latina candidate running in the 15th District who supports issues and policies that will help South Texas families and Latinos across the country,” said Nathalie Rayes, the Latino Victory Fund president and CEO.

Although Vallejo’s campaign is progressive, her views can be described as moderate-to-conservative in the Rio Grande Valley communities. For instance, Vallejo won the dual endorsement partly because of her environmental proposals, which focus on job creation through clean energy rather than climate change.

“Michelle Vallejo will fight for every community in South Texas to have clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment, especially people in frontline communities facing the brunt of corporate polluters,” said Tiernan Sittenfeld, the LCV Action Fund’s senior vice president of government affairs.

Sittenfeld added, “As a small business owner and family of farm workers, immigrants, and entrepreneurs in the Rio Grande Valley, she understands what is at stake.”

The Hill