National Latino group endorses Florida's Debbie Mucarsel-Powell for Senate

Democratic Florida Senate nominee Debbie Mucarsel-Powell has been endorsed by the country’s oldest Latino civil rights organization, a group that until 2024 had refused to endorse candidates.

Mucarsel-Powell, a former congresswoman who is challenging Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), is now the first woman running for Congress officially backed by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) through its campaign arm, Adelante PAC.

"This is a critical moment in the history of Florida and the country that makes Debbie Mucarsel-Powell's candidacy all the more significant,” said LULAC National President Domingo Garcia.

“She is the first woman the LULAC Adelante PAC is endorsing for Congress because she understands and champions all of Florida's residents, including Latinos. We know she will be the strongest voice in the U.S. Senate for one of the nation's most populous Latino constituencies and we are proud to stand with her."

Mucarsel-Powell is the second Democratic Senate hopeful ever endorsed by LULAC, following Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who picked up the group’s nod in his bid for Arizona’s open Senate seat Tuesday.

“I’m incredibly honored to have earned the support of LULAC PAC, and together we will fight for the economic wellbeing and civil rights of Latinos across our country. Our Latino communities are the backbone of Florida, and with their support, we will retire Rick Scott in November and build a brighter future for all,” said Mucarsel-Powell.

In August, LULAC made its first-ever political endorsement in its 95-year history, backing the Democratic presidential ticket of Vice President Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

This week, Garcia also visited Nebraska to endorse Democrat Tony Vargas, who is challenging Rep. Don Bacon (R), and independent Dan Osborn, who is within striking distance of Sen. Deb Fischer (R).

The group also plans to back Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), who is running for the Wolverine State's open Senate seat.

"The Republican Party is moving too far to the right," said Garcia. "It's too much, we're going to do something."

The Texas-based group’s turn into partisan politics comes amid growing tensions between LULAC and the GOP-led state.

In August, an 87-year-old LULAC member had her house raided by Texas officials as part of a voter fraud inquiry led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R).

LULAC, a group founded in 1929 to protect Mexican Americans from a wave of lynchings in Texas, took the slight personally.

After the raid, Garcia told reporters, “You don’t go after our grandmothers.”

But he told The Hill that LULAC's main motivation for jumping into politics is former President Trump.

"You gotta take Trump at his word," said Garcia, citing Trump's pledge to oversee mass deportations and statements denigrating immigrants.

LULAC's structure means it has ample reach in rural areas that many other civil rights groups struggle to reach, including in states like Florida and in the Midwest.

"We're looking at candidates [for whom] the Latino vote could make the difference," he said.

With Mucarsel-Powell’s endorsement, LULAC is taking its fight beyond the Southwest, where Gallego holds a lead over Republican Kari Lake.

Mucarsel-Powell, who was the first South America-born member of Congress, is running an uphill campaign against Scott, a former chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

“Only in America is it possible for a Latina like me to go from immigrating from Ecuador and working a minimum wage job to becoming a United States congresswoman,” said Mucarsel-Powell.

Though Scott is a favorite in that race, Mucarsel-Powell has gained ground in the polls, trailing him by about 4 percentage points in the latest polling average published by The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, down from a gap of more than 10 points in early summer.

Florida voters in this election will vote on six constitutional amendment proposals, including one to legalize marijuana and another to repeal the state’s abortion ban, which Democrats hope will boost voter turnout.