Latino Victory Fund Endorses Dromgoole For Arlington County Board

ARLINGTON, VA — The Latino Victory Fund, a national group that works to get progressive Latino candidates elected, has endorsed Jonathan Dromgoole for Arlington County Board, the group announced Thursday.

Dromgoole, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for one of the two seats opening on the county board, has “a track record of fighting to increase Latino representation in Virginia,” the Latino Victory Fund said. He founded Juntos Por Virginia and served as president of the Democratic Latino Organization of Virginia.

With 11 percent of Virginians identifying as Hispanic but less than 2 percent of elected positions across the state held by Latinos, Dromgoole decided to form Juntos Por Virginia in 2022, a group dedicated to building political power for Latinos across the state.

The Latino Victory Fund also announced Thursday that it is endorsing five other Latino candidates for various offices in Virginia: Elizabeth Guzman for Virginia state Senate District 29; Hala Ayala for Senate District 33; Fernando “Marty” Martinez for House of Delegates District 29; Phil Hernandez for House of Delegates District 94; and Andres Jimenez for Mason District Supervisor on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

“Latino Victory Fund is thrilled to announce that we are endorsing six Latino candidates to state and local government in Virginia,” Nathalie Rayes, president and CEO of Latino Victory Fund, said in a statement Thursday. “These talented and proven leaders are dedicated to fighting for policies that will help families thrive and all share the common vision to build a better future for Virginia.”

Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Dromgoole is a graduate of Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and the university's McCourt School of Public Policy. In August 2021, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam appointed him as an inaugural member of the LGBTQ+ Advisory Board, a first in Virginia and the first of its kind in a Southern state.

If elected to the county board, Dromgoole would be the first LGBTQ+ Latino on the board and the first out LGBTQ+ Latino and LGBTQ+ immigrant elected in Virginia history.

"The Latino, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ communities remain severely underrepresented in government" Dromgoole said in a statement Thursday. "I am proud to have earned the endorsement of Latino Victory Fund, and I am confident that when elected, I can be a powerful and inclusive voice for progressive values on the County Board."

Dromgoole said his campaign is about unifying diverse coalitions around building "a more equitable government that works for everyone."

The Democratic primary election for Arlington County Board will be held on Tuesday, June 20. Early voting in the primary begins on Friday, May 5. Dromgoole and five other candidates are on the June 20 primary ballot.

The top two finishers in the primary will move onto the general election in November, where voters will cast their ballots to replace current Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey and Board member Katie Cristol, both of whom chose not to seek re-election.

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