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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah House Minority Leader Angela Romero stepped into her new role as the president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators during the group's annual summit in Philadelphia over the weekend.
Romero, a Democrat from Salt Lake City, will serve for two years, after which the newly elected president-elect will fill the role.
"I am profoundly honored to start my tenure as president of NHCSL," Romero said in her first remarks as president. "Since I was elected to Utah's House of Representatives in 2012, I have been involved with our organization, and I accept this position with gratitude and humbleness leading it into the future. I look forward to a tenure based on collaboration and mutual respect, while always centering our communities' needs."
Romero grew up in Tooele and has served in House Democratic leadership since 2016. She was elected House minority leader in November 2022.
The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators is a nonpartisan nonprofit founded in 1989 with the goal of creating policies to improve the quality of life for Hispanic constituents across the country. More than 450 lawmakers are part of the organization.
"It is our sacred mandate as elected officials to keep doing our best work possible to make sure that we keep our country moving forward, not backward, and that we protect our values as a nation and keep Hispanic communities as a priority and not an afterthought," said Nellie Pou, outgoing president and Democratic state senator from New Jersey.
Here's the full list of organization leaders elected to serve with Romero:
- Connecticut Rep. Juan Candelaria, president-elect who takes over in two years
- Texas Rep. Victoria Neave, vice president for membership
- Illinois Sen. Cristina Castro, vice president for public policy
- Washington Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, secretary
- Puerto Rico Rep. Angel Matos, treasurer
- New York Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas, East Region chairwoman
- Georgia Sen. Jason Esteves, South Region chairman
- Illinois Sen. Celina Villanueva, Midwest Region chairwoman
- Arizona Rep. Marcelino Quiñonez, West Region chairman
