UPDATED: Hispanic Republican Group To Meet in ABQ

The Hispanic Leadership Network, which is backed by former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman and his American Action Network, on Wednesday will announce plans for the gathering Sept. 23 and 24 at the Hyatt Regency. The group’s inaugural conference was held in January in Miami and co-chaired by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.

Coleman said the Hispanic Leadership Network was created to engage the country’s growing minority voting block as the group builds a “center-right” agenda on issues like the economy, jobs, education and immigration reform. It is one of several new Republican efforts to reach out to Hispanics, who have voted overwhelmingly for Democrats in recent presidential elections.

He said New Mexico was chosen in part because it has a new Republican Hispanic governor, Susana Martinez, who along with Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has agreed to speak at the conference. New Mexico is also a key Western state in next year’s presidential election.

“We believe that center-right vision is what America needs to move forward,” Coleman said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “… If that vision is to remain a majority vision in the country, Hispanics are going to have to be a big part of that. We recognize the importance of reaching out and connecting with the Hispanic community so we are all working together to build the American dream.”

Some Hispanic voter groups, however, were skeptical of the group’s intent.

“It’s very interesting that center-right groups always want to engage Hispanics during election years,” said Paloma Zuleta, spokeswoman for the League of United Latin American Citizens in Washington.

Zuleta said LULAC is a bipartisan group, although Hispanics traditionally lean Democrat because “that has been the party that has concentrated its efforts on access and centered on things that we care about.”

Tomas Garduno, a co-director of the non-profit Southwest Voter Project, accused the Hispanic Leadership Network of “pandering to a group of people not because they actually care about hearing that community’s perspective or making sure they are represented within their parties but because they are more interested in ensuring that they get their votes vs. the other guy.”

Coleman said the Hispanic Leadership Network was established as a long-term project to celebrate strides Hispanics like Martinez made in the last elections and create an ongoing conversation with Hispanic communities around the country.

“This is not a one-time, rah-rah, get folks fired up,” he said. “This is a sustained commitment for the American Action Network.”

Jennifer Korn, executive director of the group, said the long-term goal is to become a voice for Hispanics, “to formulate policies that will help the Hispanic community educate and engage our leaders across the country and to then really bring those to the decision makers. … It will be a long-term sustained grass-roots effort.”

A spokesman for the network said more than $1 million a year has been committed to the project. Political advertising will be done through the American Action Network, which funneled more than $30 million in campaign funds to Republicans in about 30 congressional races last year, Coleman said.

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Aug. 9, 2011 4:30 p.m.

The Hispanic Leadership Network, which is backed by former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman and his American Action Network, on Wednesday will announce plans for the gathering Sept. 23 and 24 at the Hyatt Regency. The group’s inaugural conference was held in January in Miami and co-chaired by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.

Coleman said the Hispanic Leadership Network was created to engage the country’s growing minority voting block as the group builds a “center-right” agenda on issues like the economy, jobs, education and immigration reform. It is one of several new Republican efforts to reach out to Hispanics, who have voted overwhelmingly for Democrats in recent presidential elections.

He said New Mexico was chosen in part because it has a new Republican Hispanic governor, Susana Martinez, who along with Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has agreed to speak at the conference. New Mexico is also a key Western state in next year’s presidential election.

“We believe that center-right vision is what America needs to move forward,” Coleman said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “… If that vision is to remain a majority vision in the country, Hispanics are going to have to be a big part of that. We recognize the importance of reaching out and connecting with the Hispanic community so we are all working together to build the American dream.”

Some Hispanic voter groups, however, were skeptical of the group’s intent.

“It’s very interesting that center-right groups always want to engage Hispanics during election years,” said Paloma Zuleta, spokeswoman for the League of United Latin American Citizens in Washington.

Zuleta said LULAC is a bipartisan group, although Hispanics traditionally lean Democrat because “that has been the party that has concentrated its efforts on access and centered on things that we care about.”

Tomas Garduno, a co-director of the non-profit Southwest Voter Project, accused the Hispanic Leadership Network of “pandering to a group of people not because they actually care about hearing that community’s perspective or making sure they are represented within their parties but because they are more interested in ensuring that they get their votes vs. the other guy.”

Coleman said the Hispanic Leadership Network was established as a long-term project to celebrate strides Hispanics like Martinez made in the last elections and create an ongoing conversation with Hispanic communities around the country.

“This is not a one-time, rah-rah, get folks fired up,” he said. “This is a sustained commitment for the American Action Network.”

A spokesman for the network said it will be spending more than $1 million a year on the grass-roots effort. Political advertising will be done through the American Action Network, which funneled more than $30 million in campaign funds to Republicans in about 30 congressional races last year.

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Aug. 9, 2011 2:37 p.m. — Grassroots GOP Group To Meet in ABQ

A conservative Republican group formed last year to woo more Hispanics to the GOP will hold its second conference in Albuquerque next month.

The Hispanic Leadership Network, which is backed by former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman and his American Action Network, on Wednesday will announce plans for the gathering Sept. 23 and 24 at the Hyatt Regency. The group’s inaugural conference was held in January in Miami.

Coleman says the network was created to engage Hispanics on “center-right” issues like the economy, jobs, education and immigration reform.

He says New Mexico was chosen in part because it has a new Republican Hispanic governor, Susana Martinez, who will speak at the conference.

New Mexico is also a key Western state in next year’s presidential election.