Photo by Julie Fleming

Fifteen Latina, Latino and Latinx elected officials and activists from Iowa have joined 100 other Latino leaders from across the nation in endorsing Senator Elizabeth Warren for president.

Among those who endorsed Warren is Alfonso Medina, a small business owner in Marhsalltown.

Medina, who introduced Julian Castro at a recent Elizabeth Warren event in Marshalltown, moved to Iowa when he was 10-years-old. He now owns his family’s restaurant that he washed dishes at as a child and his family has a college scholarship fund for those in need.

He previously supported Castro’s campaign for president, but jumped on Warren’s ticket as soon as Castro did.

“The time for a woman president is long overdue,” Medina said. “Elizabeth Warren can do the job, and she has my utmost trust.”

Also endorsing Warren is Des Moines School Board Member Kyrstin Delagardelle, a prominent former supporter of Kamala Harris.

Other Iowa voters who supported Castro’s bid for presidency are following Medina’s lead and are at least considering caucusing for Warren.

Dave Barajas Jr. is one of those voters. Iowa Starting Line caught up with him at a recent town hall.

“I was going to be with Secretary Castro all the way to the end,” he said. “And when he decided to suspend his campaign, then I knew that I had to take another look. And then he came out right away and decided that he was going to endorse [Warren] with his full-fledged endorsement. That’s why I’m here, to hear more from her.”

Turning out Latino voters could be key for Democrats in Iowa.

Voter turnout here was lower in 2016 than it was in 2012 in all 31 Iowa counties Trump flipped after they voted for Barack Obama twice.

In all, fewer than 172,000 people voted in the Iowa caucuses in the last presidential cycle. According to the Los Angeles Times, there will be about 80,000 eligible Iowa Latino voters in February.

The Sanders campaign, the Times reported, believes as few as 1,500 Latinos attended Democratic caucuses in 2016.

During a recent town hall event in Marshalltown, Castro said he decided to endorse Warren because she “can bring this party together” and “unify Democrats to defeat Donald Trump in November of 2020.”

“She’s about making sure that no matter who you are in this country you have a fair shot,” Castro said.

At the same town hall, Warren was asked what she will do to protect dreamers.

“I’ve got a plan for this,” she said, before saying legal immigration needs to be expanded and dreamers should be brought out of the shadows.

“Bring them into the full economy, bring them in so they can participate fully in American life,” Warren said. “This is good for all of us.”

She also promised she would restore the aid Trump has cut to Central America, close down the for-profit detention centers at the U.S.-Mexico border during her first day in office and issue orders to ICE and border control to treat people with respect.

Marino joins fourteen others in endorsing Warren. Here’s the full list of endorsers from Iowa:

Heather Anderson, Des Moines Public Schools board member, Des Moines

Kyrstin Delagardelle, Des Moines Public Schools board member, Des Moines

Cara McFerren, city councilor, West Liberty

Edgar Villagrana, city councilor, Conesville

Scott Syroka, city councilor, Johnston

Dave Barajas, community leader, Marshalltown

Ricardo Garcia, community leader and small business owner, Postville

Himar Hernandez, former LULAC Local 377 president, Ottumwa

Caleb Knutson, community leader, Garden City

Johnny Alcivar, community advocate, Des Moines

Mayra Lopez, LULAC Council 309 member, Storm Lake

Alfonso Medina, community leader and small business owner, Marshalltown

Silvia Quezada, former city councilor, University Heights

Sonia Reyes-Snyder, community advocate, Des Moines

Julia Villatoro, Captain Latino Caucus of Iowa Democratic Party, Des Moines

by Paige Godden

Posted 1/17/20