Anita López to lead ‘Hispanics for Sherrod’ effort

By Kevin Milliken for La Prensa

June 2, 2012: Lucas County Auditor Anita López will co-chair an effort to mobilize the Latino community in support of the re-election effort of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). The other co-chair of the campaign is Rep. Dan Ramos (D-Lorain).  

The pair will co-lead “Hispanics for Sherrod,” a group that will attempt to not only mobilize support for the incumbent Democratic senator’s race against Republican state treasurer Josh Mandel, but advise the campaign on issues critical to Ohio’s Latino population, and speak across the state about Brown’s work on behalf of the state’s Latino community.

“The Hispanic community has no greater friend than Senator Sherrod Brown,” said Ms. López in a written statement, citing his work on the auto industry bailout, his support of the DREAM Act, and efforts to freeze college tuition rates. “We are proud to have Sherrod represent the Hispanic community and will work from now until November to make sure he is re-elected.”

The leadership position also raises the political profile of Ms. López, who has made no secret of her desire to pursue statewide elected office someday. Political insiders even have mentioned her name as a possible Democratic candidate for Toledo mayor next year to oppose incumbent independent Mike Bell.
 

Anita López

Sen. Sherrod Brown

The co-chairs of the campaign effectively tied together Sen. Brown’s northern Ohio support base from the Latino community, stretching across the North Coast of Lake Erie. The Democratic senator was born in Mansfield, but later moved to Lorain to run for Congress, serving seven terms in the U.S House of Representatives in a district that represented the western and southern suburbs of Cleveland. He defeated GOP incumbent U.S. Senator Mike DeWine in 2006.

The launch of “Hispanics for Sherrod” is being accompanied by a new Facebook page and a section of Brown’s campaign website devoted to keeping the Latino community up-to-date on relevant campaign issues and congressional news.

Brown supports the DREAM Act

According to that Facebook page, Brown voted in favor of the DREAM Act, which would allow children who were brought into the U.S. without documentation and through no fault of their own to be granted conditional non-immigrant status and allowed to stay if they have been admitted to a U.S. college or enlisted in the military, submitted a formal application and met other strict requirements. The Democratic senator also supports a path to citizenship for these children, who would be allowed to apply for permanent legal status after 10 years.

Alongside the DREAM Act, the Facebook page also touts Brown’s record of trying to freeze college loan interest rates and expand the availability of Pell grants for college students.

The Democratic senator’s campaign also mentions heavily his support of the auto industry bailout, crediting the effort for saving thousands of Ohio jobs, particularly at the Toledo Jeep Assembly Complex and the GM Powertrain plant. Both factories are in the midst of huge expansion projects, which are expected to create 1,800 new jobs by the end of next year.

Brown also has sponsored the Business Incubator Promotion Act, which he claims would make more communities in Ohio eligible to receive federal funding, while also help existing incubators such as ones at the University of Toledo focused on green energy to grow and expand. The incumbent senator contends the incubators will help create thousands more jobs in Ohio.

Copyright © 1989 to 2012 by [LaPrensa Publications Inc.]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 05/29/12 18:30:19 -0700.