Last week, Tennessee Latino political leaders announced the creation of a PAC with the sole purpose of getting Latinos elected across the state.
Fuerza, meaning “strength,” will represent the interests of the state’s growing Latino populations by identifying suitable Democratic candidates and providing the essential support to navigate a political sphere not familiar to Latino candidates.
Metro Nashville Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda said that in her experience as one of few elected Latino public officials in the state, Tennessee’s current government does not reflect the needs of Latino communities.
“The new generation of Latino Tenneseans needs to be able to look at their elected officials and see someone whose lived experience reflects their own, which is why we at Fuerza are eager to hit the ground running to build the infrastructure for our community to be able to run a competitive race,” said Sepulveda, who will serve as Fuerza’s executive director.
In Nashville alone, Latinos represent 10.5% of the population and 5.7% of the state’s total population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And these numbers are expected to grow, making political representation a necessity that “can’t wait any longer,” she added.