Oldest Latino civil rights group breaks with past to endorse Harris

The Harris-Walz campaign has received the first-ever presidential endorsement from the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the oldest and largest Latino civil rights group in the country.

The endorsement breaks from the 95-year-old group’s practice of not endorsing in presidential races, and LULAC leaders are expected to make an appearance at a campaign rally in Las Vegas on Saturday. 

“Throughout her career, [Vice President] Harris has demonstrated a commitment to justice, equality, and inclusivity—values that resonate deeply with the Latino community and will move our country forward in the right direction,” Domingo Garcia, LULAC Adelante PAC chair and former LULAC president, said in a statement.

“Today, we are proud to endorse Kamala Harris and Tim Walz because of the real issues facing Latino communities and all Americans across the nation; we can trust them to do what is right for our community and the country.”

The endorsement was made through the group’s political action committee, the LULAC Adelante PAC. LULAC said in its statement that its local chapters, or councils, will work to rally support for the Democratic ticket, especially in key swing states. The organization has 535 councils and 140,000 members, 86 percent of which are registered to vote, it said.

Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Harris-Walz 2024 campaign manager, said the campaign was honored to earn LULAC’s endorsement, in a statement to NBC, which first reported the endorsement.

“They’ve never backed away from the fight for the communities they represent, and Vice President Harris has never stopped fighting to create opportunities for Latino families,” she said.

Harris addressed LULAC’s national convention at the end of June in a video-taped message, touting the Biden-Harris administration’s accomplishments on behalf of the Latino community.

“LULAC, there is so much at stake at this moment as we continue to fight to win paid family leave and affordable child care, to secure a pathway to citizenship including for dreamers and families, to lower rents and help more Americans buy a home,” Harris said. “We continue to count on your leadership to energize, to organize and mobilize and to make your voices heard.”

The organization, while not partisan in membership, has expressed concerns over the impact a second Trump presidency would have on Latino civil rights. On Wednesday, the group issued a report slamming Project 2025 for its “disproportionately” negative impact on Latino civil rights

“Latinos understand how much is at stake in this election, for not only our community but our democracy,” Garcia added. “The choice in this election is clear: Donald Trump and Project 2025 would bring another four years of fearmongering, division, and disrespect and demonizing of Latinos.”