New York's Espaillat running unopposed for Hispanic Caucus chair

New York Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat is all but certain to lead congressional Hispanic Democrats next year, as he is running unopposed to head the group.

Espaillat’s tenure as Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) chair will come at a crossroads for Latino Democrats, fresh off a painful election loss where 45 percent of Hispanic voters picked President-elect Trump over Vice President Harris.

Espaillat will lead a group that’s gained relevance over the last decade, and one that stands to have an even stronger voice within the party as Democrats seek to repair the damage of the 2024 election.

The group is expected to play a key role in pushing back on the incoming Trump White House's promises of mass deportation, as it did during the first Trump administration.

Espaillat, who will become the second foreign-born CHC chair, has been active in the immigration advocacy space, often pushing back against Democratic leadership.

The Dominican-born Espaillat, entering his fifth term in Congress, will also be the first Afro-Latino to lead the CHC.

In recent years, he has often teamed up with Reps. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.) and Lou Correa (D-Calif.) — earning the moniker “the three amigos” — to push for more pro-immigrant policies.

As the CHC deputy chair, a position often referred to as "vice chair," Espaillat was considered next in line for the top spot, according to the group’s traditions.

CHC chair elections are rarely contested, with the second in command often running unopposed for the top job; Espaillat in July told Punchbowl News he was planning to run.

The last contested CHC chair race came after the 2020 election, when then-Vice Chair Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) decided to run for chair of Bold PAC, the CHC’s campaign arm, instead of going for the CHC chairmanship.

Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) ultimately beat Rep. Verónica Escobar (D-Texas) for the job, which he held until he passed the helm to now-outgoing Chair Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), who had served as vice chair.

CHC vice chairs are concurrently board chairs of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), which hosts the CHCI Annual Awards Gala, a massive event where the Latino political world congregates, often with the sitting president in attendance.

In September, President Biden accepted Espaillat’s invitation and addressed the 47^th edition of the gala.