Latina Civic Action, a bipartisan statewide organization dedicated to building political power for Latinas and their families at the state and federal levels, on Thursday called on Gov. Mikie Sherrill to appoint a Latina as New Jersey’s next lieutenant governor. www.latinacivicaction.com
The vacancy follows the Sept. 25 resignation of Lt. Governor Dale Caldwell.
Under the state constitution, Sherrill has 45 days to name a successor, a deadline that falls on approximately Nov. 9. The appointment does not require legislative confirmation. And the decision rests with her alone.
The group noted three potential candidates:
- Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Annette Quijano (D-Elizabeth), a legislator who has represented the 20th District since 2008;
- Patricia Campos-Medina, Executive Director of the Worker Institute at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations;
- Arlene Quiñones Perez, an equity partner at DeCotiis, FitzPatrick, Cole & Giblin, where she serves as a labor and employment attorney.
Campos-Medina and Perez this week were both named to the BINJE’s BEST: Top Hispanic Business Leaders list.
“Gov. Sherrill has a rare opportunity to make history,” it wrote. “Latinos are the largest minority group in New Jersey and generate roughly $158 billion in economic output in the Garden State. Yet despite that contribution, and despite systemic barriers and discrimination, our state has never had a Latina lieutenant governor.”
The board said the impact would reach beyond the border.
“Latinos nationwide are facing a hostile climate. Governor Sherrill can set a different tone right here at home by choosing a leader who reflects the people she serves,” it wrote.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Latinos represent 24% of New Jersey’s population, underscoring the importance of their voices in shaping state government and public policy.
They are also a major economic force. New Jersey’s Latino economy generates approximately $158 billion in gross domestic product, part of a national Latino economic output that has reached $4.4 trillion. Measured on its own, that figure would rank as the world’s fourth-largest economy.
