Here is what you need to know about Latinas and Latinos running for the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and Governor in 2022:

1. Latina/o candidates continue to be underrepresented relative to their share of the population. While Latinos make up more than 19% of the U.S. population, they represent less than 8% of all candidates. As seen in Figure 1, the Latino representation gap is larger among Republican candidates, where only 8% of the candidates for U.S. House of Representatives, 5% of the candidates for U.S. Senate, and none of this year’s candidates for governor are Latina/o.

Figure 1: Latina/o/x Candidates as a Percentage of All Nominees, by Party

2. We estimate a total of 93 Latinas or Latinos running for seats in the House of Representatives in this year's midterm elections. Of those 93, 48 are nominated by the Democratic Party, 35 by the Republican Party, and 10 are running  as a third party, independent, or write-in candidate.

3. Less than half of all Latino/a candidates are women. As seen in Figure 2, for the House of Representatives, 20 Latinas are running as Democrats, 16 as Republicans, and 4 as a third party, independent, or write-in candidate. For U.S. Senate, there is only one Latina nominated by each major party, and for Governor, there is 1 Latina running as a Democrat and 2 running as a third party, independent, or write-in candidate.

Figure 2: Number of Latina Candidates for U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and Governor, by Party

 

4. Only 21 states have at least one Latina/o candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. As seen in Map 1, states with large number of Congressional Districts and traditionally large Latino populations such as Texas and California, have the largest number of Latina/0 candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Map 1: Number of Latina/o/x Candidates Running in the 2022 U.S. House of Representatives Midterm Elections

Note: Click on a State to see the list of Latino/a candidates in that state.

5. Only 7 out of the 34 U.S. Senate seats up for election in 2022 have a Latina/o candidate. Map 2 shows all the U.S. Senate with a Latina/o candidate.

Map 2: Number of Latina/o/x Candidates Running in the 2022 U.S. Senate Midterm Elections

Note: Click on a State to see the list of Latino/a candidates in that state.

6. Only 3 out of the 36 Governor's races in the 2022 election have a Latina/o candidate. Map 3 shows all the U.S. governor's races with a Latina/o candidate.

Map 3: Number of Latina/o/x Candidates Running in the 2022 U.S. Gubernatorial Elections