Latinos have a lot to brag about in politics this year. Our community witnessed a number of firsts this year, from local to national offices. We increased our representation in the Senate. Latinos also showed the true power of our community as a voting bloc. Latino voters are not a monolith, so the wins are on both sides of the aisle. There were a lot of firsts, so let’s break down some of the most instrumental firsts for Latinos in politics for 2025.

Secretary Marco Rubio became the first Latino to serve as the Secretary of State

Secretary Marco Rubio broke the ceiling for Latinos in the president’s cabinet. The former Florida senator joined the current administration’s cabinet as the Secretary of State, overseeing international relations, foreign policy, and immigration, among other responsibilities. In his current role, Sec. Rubio has helped to push President Donald Trump’s agenda, including targeting green card holders who have been critical of the United States’ involvement in the Gaza-Israel conflict.

Representative Adelita Grijalva is the first Latina to represent Arizona in Congress

Rep. Adelita Grijalva is the newly sworn-in congresswoman representing Arizona’s 7th congressional district. She is the first Latina elected to represent The Copper State, making history. Rep. Grijalva is taking over her father’s seat in the House of Representatives after he died in March 2025. Rep. Grijlava was elected on Sept. 23, 2025, but her swearing-in was delayed due to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. Speaker Johnson blamed the delay on the government shutdown. After more than a month, Rep. Grijlava was sworn in and became the final signature needed on the discharge petition to vote on the release of the Epstein Files.

Representative Nellie Pou is the first Latina representing New Jersey in Congress

Rep. Nellie Pou brought new Latina representation to Congress to represent New Jersey’s 9th congressional district. She was sworn in at the beginning of the year after the 2024 elections and is the first Latina to represent the Garden State. Rep. Pou managed to win her seat during an election when her district swung to the right. She defeated Republican Billy Prempeh by five points. For comparison, late-Rep. Bill Pascrell, who represented the district, beat Prempeh by 34 points during the last presidential election. Republicans believe that she is the most vulnerable House Democrat in the midterms, but her district saw incredible gains with Latino voters in the 2025 gubernatorial election.

Senator Bernie Moreno is the first Latino to represent Ohio in the Senate

Sen. Bernie Moreno’s campaign and first year in office are not without controversy. It was revealed during his campaign that employees had filed a series of lawsuits against Sen. Moreno for wage theft. The senator is a vocal critic of Colombian President Gustavo Petro. He is encouraging the Trump administration to take a harder stance against the South American country. The contentious relationship between the U.S. and Colombia reached a peak in October 2025 when Sen. Moreno gave President Trump a folder titled The Trump Doctrine For Colombia and the Western Hemisphere,” which included a photo of President Petro in a prison jumpsuit.

Several cities have elected Latinos for be mayors for the first time

Robert “Bobby” Sanchez is the new mayor of New Britain, Connecticut. He is the first Latino to lead the city. According to Census data, New Britain has become increasingly Latino in recent years. The data shows that New Britain is 42.8 percent Latino, and the latest mayoral election represents the demographic shift happening.

Voters in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, also elected their first Latino mayor. Jaime Arroyo won his election on Nov. 4, 2025, to lead the city. Arroyo served as the vice president of the Lancaster City Council and is the CEO of a local nonprofit called ASSETS. ASSETS focuses on helping women and BIPOC entrepreneurs start or grow their businesses with access to training and capital.

New Orleans voters elected Mayor-elect Helena Moreno as the first Latina to lead The Big Easy. Not only is she the first Latina, but she is also a proud immigrant from Mexico. Mayor-elect Moreno started out as an investigative reporter and got into politics in 2010 when she was elected to represent parts of New Orleans in the Louisiana House of Representatives. Since then, she has served on the city council and is now the first Latina to be the mayor of New Orleans.

Overall, Latinos have seen a growth in representation in government from the local to federal levels. Additionally, after the 2024 shift to the Republican Party, the 2025 elections on Nov. 4 showed that Latinos are not blindly loyal to one party. Latinos all but erased the gains Republicans made in 2024 in key elections in New Jersey, Virginia, and North Carolina. Leading into the 2026 midterm elections, one thing is clear: the Latino vote is up for grabs. How our community uses that power to elect politicians who will be accountable is yet to be seen.

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