With Hispanic Heritage Month underway, local leader Rob Barron is highlighting the importance of Latino representation in politics. “My dad ran for Des Moines City Council in 1979, the year I was born,” Barron said. “And he ran, but he was an underdog candidate, and he didn’t win.” But his father’s efforts inspired Barron to pursue a career in public service. “My dad was a role model for me, and that’s part of why I’m doing this now,” Barron said. Barron now runs the Latino Political Network, an organization that aims to educate Latinos about voting, understanding elected officials, and running for office. According to the 2020 census, Iowa has more than 200,000 Latinos, making up about 7% of the population. Despite this, only about 30 of the state’s more than 7,000 elected positions are held by Latinos. “Is that enough? No. As a percentage, I think there should be over 400 Latino elected officials,” Barron said. LPN aims to fill this gap by providing resources and support to aspiring Latino politicians. “LPN is about being a voice for aspiring people in our community who want to run for office, but also being able to shine a spotlight on public officials in communities across the state,” Barron said. Barron believes representation and connection lead to increased political participation, a lesson she learned after becoming the first Latino elected to the Polk County School Board. “Right after that election, other people in my community came up to me and said, ‘I’m so glad you won. I want to run, too,'” Barron said. Barron hopes that this ripple effect will grow and encourage more Latinos to run for office. “To be out there, to be a voice for people who don’t usually get a voice. It’s really great and I hope that more people in our community continue to run for office,” Barron said. In addition to running for office, Barron is encouraging the community to vote in the upcoming presidential election. More information on how to vote can be found on the Latino Political Network website. This year’s Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15.
Des Moines, Iowa —
With Hispanic Heritage Month underway, local leader Rob Barron is emphasizing the importance of Latino representation in politics.
“My dad ran for Des Moines City Council in 1979, the year I was born,” Barron said, “and he ran, but he was underrepresented and didn’t win.”
But his father’s efforts inspired Barron to pursue a career in public service.
“He’s a role model to me and that’s part of what motivates me to do this now,” Barron said.
Barron now runs the Latino Political Network, an organization that aims to educate Latinos about voting, understanding their elected officials and running for office.
According to the 2020 census, there are more than 200,000 Latinos in Iowa, making up about 7% of the population. Yet, of the state’s more than 7,000 elected positions, Latinos hold only about 30 of them.
“Is that enough? No. Proportionally, we should have more than 400 Latino elected officials,” Barron said.
LPN aims to fill this gap by providing resources and support for aspiring Latino politicians.
“LPN was meant to not only give a voice to aspiring people in our community who want to run for office, but also to highlight public servants in communities across the state,” Barron said.
Barron believes representation and connection lead to increased political participation, a lesson he learned after becoming the first Latino elected to the Polk County School Board.
“Right after the election, other people in the community came up to me and said, ‘I’m so glad you won. I want to run, too,'” Barron said.
Barron hopes the ripple effect will grow and encourage more Latinos to run for office.
“I get to stand up there and speak for the lives of people who don’t normally have a voice. It’s really a great gift and I hope more and more people in our community continue to run,” Barron said.
In addition to running for office, Barron is encouraging the community to vote in the upcoming presidential election. For more information on how to vote, visit the Latino Political Network website.
This year Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15th to October 15th.
