Hispanic Coalition offers list of state candidates

By Timothy Pratt (contact)

Thursday, Oct. 11, 2001 | 10:15 a.m.

The Hispanic Coalition, a bipartisan group that formed to lobby state lawmakers during the redistricting process, has firmed up its organization and announced Wednesday it will be supporting six candidates in the November 2002 elections.

During the last legislative session, the group drew up maps and presented a proposal for drawing new districts with majority Hispanic populations.

Now the group of 35 Hispanic leaders is solidifying efforts to increase state and local government representation. Members named Jose Bolanos, executive director of the Immigrant Workers Citizenship Project, as coordinator. The coalition will be meeting quarterly until next year's elections, spokesman Andres Ramirez said.

With its list of candidates, the coalition has formally entered the campaign.

"In backing these candidates, the coalition will provide a support system that will help their campaigns reach success," Ramirez said.

Four of the six candidates are running for the state Assembly.

They are:

* Luis Valera -- the only Republican on the coalition's list -- for District 21, located in Henderson.

* Carlos Blumberg, for District 29, in Green Valley.

* George Cantu, for District 11, in eastern Las Vegas.

* Moises Denis, for District 28, in eastern Las Vegas.

Aldo Aguirre and Ann Casados-Mueller also are being backed as candidates for the Board of Regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada, which was increased by the Legislature from 11 to 13 members.

Valera is running for the seat Sandra Tiffany, a Republican, is vacating to run for state Senate. Assembly District 21 is majority Republican with a minority Hispanic population.

Valera is president of the Nevada Republican Hispanic Assembly and a former staffer for Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev.

Blumberg just passed the bar exam and is a graduate of Tulane Law School. He was born in Mexico City but grew up in Green Valley, where he will be running for an open seat created in the last legislative session. District 29 is majority Republican. Blumberg also is a former staffer for Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Cantu is a former California School Board trustee and is now site manager at the Community College of Southern Nevada's Western High Tech Center. District 11 is 64 percent Hispanic.

Denis works for the Public Utilities Commission and is a former president of the National Parent-Teacher Association. District 28 is 65 percent Hispanic and has elected Vonne Chowning, a Democrat, five consecutive terms.

Aguirre is the Educational Equity Consultant for the state Department of Education, and Casados-Mueller is the director of diversity initiatives for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.