NextGen America and Latino Victory Fund Launch Immigrant Candidate Recruitment Program

The “American Dream Project” Will Train 200 Participants Through November 2018

San Francisco, CA —Today, on a press call, Tom Steyer, President of NextGen America, and Cristóbal J. Alex, President of Latino Victory Fund, announced an innovative program to identify, train and recruit naturalized immigrants to run for office. The first of its kind, the American Dream Project aims to expand immigrant communities’ representation in government and campaigns and decrease the barriers of entry faced by many immigrants running for office.

Through the American Dream Project, NextGen America and Latino Victory Fund will offer candidate training sessions through the 2018 election cycle that will focus on how to prepare for and overcome obstacles that Latinos and immigrants face when running for office, such as soliciting support, budgeting and resource allocation, and media trainings.

In addition to naturalized immigrants, the program will also be offered to former Dreamers, Dreamers (in select offices) and Puerto Ricans who have transitioned to the mainland. From Fall 2017 through the 2018 midterms, the initiative will train approximately 200 participants and recruit 25 candidates to run for public office.

“Immigrants contribute significantly to the social and economic landscape of our country, and they deserve the chance not just to participate in our society, but to lead it,” said Tom Steyer, President of NextGen America. “We believe that the broadest and most representative democracy possible — one that counts every vote, and fights for every community — will deliver a prosperous future for all Americans. We’re proud to partner with the Latino Victory Fund in this initiative.”

“For nine months, President Trump and complicit Republicans have been slandering our community, criminalizing our families, endangering our brightest young people, and abandoning Puerto Rico,” said Cristóbal J. Alex, President of Latino Victory Fund. “By empowering immigrants to take their rightful seat at the table, we’ll be able to change the political tide and build a more inclusive and prosperous America.”

Today, on the press call announcing the American Dream Project, Steyer and Alex were joined by State Senator Annette Taddeo, the first Latina Democrat elected to the Florida Senate, Congressman Ruben Kihuen, the first Latino to represent Nevada in the House of Representatives, and Shekar Narasimhan, the Chairman of the AAPI Victory Fund. A recording of the press call can be found here.