New Report: Latinas Severely Underrepresented in New Jersey Politics

Today, the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, released a report titled Status of Latinas in New Jersey Politics 2024. The report, produced in collaboration with the Latina Civic Foundation, provides a comprehensive analysis of the disparities, challenges, and opportunities for increased political engagement and representation for Latinas in the state.

Latinas, who constitute a significant percentage of New Jersey's population, are notably underrepresented in elected offices across the state. Despite Latinas comprising 10.9% of the state's population, no Latina has ever represented New Jersey at the congressional or statewide elective executive level, and Latinas make up only 7.5% of the state legislature. In addition, Latinas make up only 3.1% of county constitutional officers, 6.7% of county commissioners, and 4.8% of county party chairs. 

“Establishing a baseline of the status of Latinas in New Jersey politics is an important step towards building opportunities to increase Latina representation at all levels in New Jersey politics. At 22% of the Garden State’s population, the Latino community is the largest minority in New Jersey, contributing to the state's economic engine. Latinas are ready, willing, and able to serve their communities and work alongside other allies to improve the state of New Jersey. We hope this report will serve as a catalyst for greater representation and inclusion of more Latina leaders at all levels,” said Andrea Martínez-Mejía, chair of the Latina Civic Foundation. 

The report includes an overview of existing research on the hurdles faced by Latina candidates, including limited support from partisan networks, doubts about their expertise and commitment from political elites, and challenges in navigating male-dominated networks. Despite these obstacles, Latinas have demonstrated strategic advantages by mobilizing minority voters and leveraging their gender and ethnicity to cross barriers in appealing to voters.

In addition to documenting the status of Latinas holding office at the state and county level, the report provides actionable recommendations for increasing Latina representation in New Jersey politics, including supporting existing programs and creating new organizations that recruit and assist Latina candidates. The recommendations also underscore the critical role of political party gatekeeping in perpetuating Latina underrepresentation. Despite ongoing legal challenges, New Jersey party leaders continue to exercise significant influence over candidate recruitment and ballot placement. The limited presence of Latinas in key party leadership roles, such as county party chairs, is problematic given the significant influence these positions hold in candidate recruitment and support. CAWP and the Latina Civic Foundation both call for intentional efforts by parties to recruit and support Latina candidates, particularly in winnable races.

“New Jersey has been ranked as one of the most diverse states in America and our elected officials should reflect that,” said Debbie Walsh, director of CAWP. “By addressing structural barriers that are pushing against Latina representation, we can create a more inclusive and equitable political system that better serves all New Jerseyans.”

The full report, Status of Latinas in New Jersey Politics 2024, is available for download on the CAWP website here.