Although this partisan transfer of power signaled a political shift in county politics and government, racial/ethnic underrepresentation persists and is a major issue of equity. Nora Vargas’s electoral victory last year as the first Latina Supervisor is monumental.  Mexicans have lived in San Diego County since before it became part of the United States and Latinxs make up 1.1 million people, the largest non-White group living in the county. Despite the large population, Latinxs have had zero representation in county government for almost 170 years. Supervisor Vargas overcame the status quo and the institutionalized practice of gerrymandering that has diluted the power of Mexican/Latinx voters. She broke through a brick wall forging a new pathway for increasing Latinx representation on the County Board of Supervisors and other elected positions for generations to come. 

REPRESENTATION MATTERS! 

We are amid a dramatic demographic transformation in San Diego County with people of color increasing in numbers across the county. Latinxs account for 30 percent of the total population in the county and in cities such as Escondido they have been the majority of the population since 2010. However, numbers alone do not automatically translate into political influence. As a community of interest, Latinxs continue to face gross political underrepresentation at every level of government.