NHCSL Installs Rep. Juan Candelaria as its New President

Rep. Juan Candelaria (CT)

Washington, D.C. – The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) held its 23rd Annual Summit in Oklahoma the weekend before Thanksgiving and elected new leadership to serve alongside Rep. Juan Candelaria (CT) for the 2025-2027 period.

Rep. Juan Candelaria (CT) will serve as the Caucus’ President, alongside a newly elected leadership that includes:

Sen. Cristina Castro (IL) as President-Elect
Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk (MD) as Vice President for Public Policy
Rep. Ramón Romero (TX) as Vice President for Membership
Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Pérez (NJ) as Secretary
Rep. José Pérez Cordero as Treasurer
Rep. Carlos González (MA) as East Region Chair
Sen. Leo Jaramillo (NM) as West Region Chair
Sen. Michael Brooks-Jiménez (OK) as South Region Chair
Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado as Midwest Region Chair

After being sworn in, Rep. Candelaria (CT) delivered remarks where he expressed his appreciation for the work Rep. Angela Romero (UT) did during her tenure as leader of the Caucus. He shared his intention to lead the Caucus with collaboration, mutual respect, and an unwavering focus on the realities and needs of Hispanic communities across the Nation.

Rep. Juan Candelaria has served New Haven’s 95th District since 2002. At the start of the 2017 General Assembly session, Rep. Candelaria was named to the leadership role of Deputy Speaker, the first Latino to hold the position. He is also a member of the Appropriations and Education committees. During his tenure in the General Assembly, Rep. Candelaria has been a strong supporter of education issues and has led efforts to empower youth and Latinos statewide to get involved in the democratic process through voter registration drives and education.

Please visit nhcsl.org/about/leadership/ to learn more about Rep. Candelaria (CT) and NHCSL’s Leadership.

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The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) is the premier national association of Hispanic state legislators working to design and implement policies and procedures that will improve the quality of life for Hispanics throughout the country. NHCSL was founded in 1989 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with the mission to be the most effective voice for the more than 480 Hispanic legislators. For more information visit www.nhcsl.org.