Politics

DNC Congratulates ‘Latina’ Texas Candidate — But She’s Filipino-American

Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
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The Democratic National Committee tweeted “felicidades” (congratulations) to Texas Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones on May 22, saying, “The future is female. And Latina too!” The group deleted the tweet a short time later after realizing that Ortiz is not Latina at all, but a Filipino American.

Ortiz Jones, 37, defeated Rick Trevino to win the Democratic nomination for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District. She will face incumbent Will Hurd (R-Texas) in November.

The DNC later corrected its mistake, posting a second congratulatory tweet.

Ortiz Jones will face an uphill battle going into November’s general election, because the district definitely leans Republican — but if she wins, she will be the first lesbian, the first Filipino-American, and the first Iraq War veteran to represent the state of Texas in Congress.