Latino Politicians with Anglo Names Face Challenge

WASHINGTON — Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico is facing a challenge in his presidential bid: convincing voters he is Hispanic.

Latino candidates with Anglo-sounding last names have a harder time attracting the attention of the growing number of Latino voters, political experts say.

AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN (enlarge photo) Texas state lawmaker was once 'Richard Raymond' and is now 'Richard Pena Raymond' after adding his mother's name to his. AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN (enlarge photo) Texas State House of Representatives member Trey Fischer Martinez, D-San Antonio.

With a rise in mixed marriages, more Latino politicians could be facing the prospect of having to prove they are Hispanic.

The phenomenon has led some politicos to add a Hispanic middle name or last name to their moniker, or ditch an Anglo one.

Before becoming a U.S. congresswoman, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., ran for Anaheim City Council as Republican Loretta Sanchez-Brixey, using her then-married name. After losing that race, she dropped the Brixey name, became a Democrat, and won a hotly contested seat in an Orange County district, which is now 65 percent Latino.

Rebecca Klein, who once chaired the Texas Public Utility Commission, added her maiden name to become Rebecca Armendariz Klein when she ran for the U.S. Congress against Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, a few years ago.

In addition, Texas state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer was known as Tracy Fischer years before he ran for a seat representing Hispanic-heavy San Antonio.

And another lawmaker in that state — Rep. Richard Raymond — recently changed his name to Richard Pena Raymond.

Raymond said that his name change was a personal decision not influenced by political calculation. It was prompted by receiving a law degree late in life and wanting to honor his mother by adding her maiden name on the diploma, he said.

But Raymond also said that if he decided to run for statewide office, having a Hispanic sounding middle name is "probably not going to be a negative."

Fischer also said that his name change was a personal decision that happened years before he ran for office. He also said there is nothing wrong with someone wanting to highlight their heritage by using a Latino family name, especially at a time when there is a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment in the country.

"It's important for our young children and leaders to realize that they have a culture and a heritage to be proud of," he said.

Lionel Sosa, a longtime consultant on Hispanic voter outreach, said that politicians will likely continue to change their names to showcase their Hispanic heritage.

"It is a matter of packaging, a matter of branding. I think any politician has to pull out all the stops," he said.

But Sosa also said that Latinos want a candidate who is qualified, whom they can trust and identify with, regardless of name.

Sosa served as a consultant and fundraiser in President Bush's national campaigns but is now supporting Richardson, a Democrat, in part because of Richardson's Mexican heritage.

A politician's name has always been a factor in politics.

Just last week, former White House counselor Dan Bartlett suggested that GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee's last name was a problem because it did not sound presidential. Huckabee is a former Arkansas governor.

When former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo was considering a White House run in the 1980s and 1990s, analysts discussed the difficulty of electing someone with an Italian last name.

Now, Richardson, who has a Mexican mother and spent his early childhood in Mexico City, is spending hard cash to prove he is ethnically diverse.

The New Mexico governor launched a Hispanic outreach effort — dubbed "Mi Familia Con Richardson" or "My Family With Richardson." It challenges Latino families to recruit five other Hispanic families and form a community group to support the campaign.

When he announced the effort in Las Vegas, Richardson said he wanted "to have a strong Latino base that at least knows I'm Latino and that comes and votes for me."

Nathan Gonzales, an analyst at the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report, said that Richardson's Anglo name does present a challenge with Hispanic voters, but could be overcome with aggressive outreach in person, on television and in Spanish-language media.

In addition, Gonzales said that Richardson's Mexican ethnicity and his ties to the Southwest could help a Democratic ticket in key states with large Hispanic populations, including New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Nevada.

Richardson, who has yet to break into the top tier of Democratic candidates in the polls, is considered a potential choice for vice president.

John Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College in California, said that having an Anglo surname does make it more difficult for Latino politicians to reach out to Hispanic voters but does not eliminate their appeal.

In the case of Richardson, much of the challenge has to do with his extensive political career, Pitney said.

"He has spent his political lifetime positioning himself as a pragmatic problem-solver who happens to be Hispanic," Pitney said.

On the Web:

Rep. Richard Pena Raymond: http://www.richardraymond.com

Richardson for President: www.richardsonforpresident.com

Rothenberg Political Report: www.rothenbergpoliticalreport.blogspot.com/