Voto Latino Statement on Pelosi Announcement

Today, in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s announcement that she would not run for a leadership position in the next Congress, Voto Latino President and CEO María Teresa Kumar issued the following statement:

“Nancy Pelosi will go down as the most consequential House Speaker in this country’s history. During her tenure as leader she helped enact landmark legislation on healthcare, climate change, jobs, child poverty, and so much more. Just as importantly, she was a powerful and effective leader when her opponents tried to roll back progress. She led the charge to stop George W. Bush’s efforts to privatize Social Security, and she played a critically important role in defending our country’s institutions against the countless attacks of the Trump administration. She was always willing to stand up to the former President and beat him at his own game when he tried to enact harmful policies. On January 6, she showed strong steady leadership in defending our Constitution even as the capitol was under attack.

“But even that record of victory doesn’t capture her full importance. As the first woman to serve as Speaker, she demonstrated that women aren’t just capable of playing ‘a man’s game.’ She showed that women could win at it–something she did again and again. She led the most diverse congress in our nation’s history in no small part because of her own efforts.

“When Voto Latino was starting out, Nancy Pelosi was one of the few people to immediately understand the power that our community could play in national elections. Over the last 18 years, she’s been a constant supporter of our work, and has been unwavering in advocating to Democrats as a whole the critical need to prioritize Latino engagement.

“Nancy Pelosi is a singular force for progress in this country. I’m profoundly grateful for her service, support, and leadership.”

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Voto Latino is a grassroots political organization focused on educating and empowering a new generation of Latinx voters, as well as creating a more robust and inclusive democracy. Through innovative digital campaigns, culturally relevant programs and authentic voices, we shepherd the Latinx community towards the full realization of its political power.