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Colorado Latino Leaders To Community: The Stakes Are High, Your Voice is Your Vote

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Republicans Candidates – Gardner, Beauprez and Coffman – Would Create Lasting Damage

on Immigration and Other Top Issues

As ballots are mailed to voters across the state today, Latino leaders in Colorado held a press conference to highlight how important it is that Latino voters turn out in record numbers this election to make their voices heard.

With so many highly competitive races in the state and the control of the US Senate hanging in the balance, the role of Colorado’s Latino voters is more important than ever.

“As a community, we can’t afford to sit this election out. We’ve made so many gains at the state level; now is not the time to take a step backwards,” said State Senator Jessie Ulibarri. “We have Republican candidates who are now bending over backwards to make their immigration stances sound more moderate, but the truth is that both Coffman and Gardner were part of a Republican House majority that blocked immigration from moving forward. The best way to hold them and all our leaders accountable is to stand up and make your vote count.”

Added Polly Baca, First Latina elected to Colorado State Senate, “It’s critical that the community know just how important our votes are in Colorado this year. The control of the US Senate could be decided by just how many Latino voters show up in Colorado this year. Whether it’s immigration, women’s issues, minimum wage, or any of the issues important to the community, we must stand up and be counted.”

“Here in Colorado, we’ve made real progress where those in Washington have failed. Gov. Hickenlooper, for example, signed into law the ASSET bill that gives young immigrants the chance to go to college with in-state tuition. In contrast, Bob Beauprez has called for troops to be sent to the southern border to keep child refugees out of our country. The choice is clear,” said Denver City Councilman Paul Lopez.

He added,“I talk to families in my district all the time who are so fed up with the lack of action in Congress. We’re tired of the inaction and this November we’ll be going to the ballot box to correct the inaction.”

At today’s event, speakers highlighted the hypocrisy of Republican candidates who now claim support for immigration reform, despite a voting record that shows the opposite, and touched on candidate positions on other key issues of great importance to the Latino community.