“Most people who run for Congress don’t come from a background like mine,” Rudy Soto says. He’s running for Congress to represent Idaho’s 1st Congressional district and would be the first-ever Latino to do so.
 

Today CHC BOLD PAC, the campaign arm of the Hispanic Caucus, endorsed Soto and Ben Sigel, who could also be the first Latino to represent Massachusetts in Congress.

Not only could they make history, but their potential wins would aid in furthering diversity in Congress.

Soto is the son of a Mexican immigrant and a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation.

He’s the first person in his family to graduate from college, and has triumphed over incredible challenges to get to where he is now.

Republican leadership, Soto says, continues to fail his state, so he launched a grassroots  campaign to put his people’s needs first. Those include healthcare costs, and increasing economic opportunities for workers and families.

Soto is a veteran of the U.S. National guard, which added to his understanding of sacrifice and selflessness, putting the needs of his community — his nation on top. 
 

Soto is leading a historic race during a particularly historic year.  All across the nation, candidates running for office are raising awareness virtually, in any way they can to spread their message. 

“Like so many people here, my family struggled. Life was hard. And Like a lot of kids living in poverty, I got into some trouble. Most people running for congress haven’t been to juvenile corrections, or had a chance to turn their life around, or serve their country in the military and go on to become the first person in their family to graduate from college,” Soto said in his campaign video.

“So sure, my story isn’t like most people who run for Congress, and that’s exactly why it matters so much.”

Ben Sigel is running for Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District. Like Soto, he could become the first Latino to represent his state in Congress.

The son of a Puerto Rican mother and a Jewish father, Sigel says he understands that diversity, representation, and inclusively are important. Perhaps now more than ever.

“We are living in a time when our country and our communities are more divided than ever, and where disparities in access to opportunities are wider than ever,” Sigel writes on his website.

“The very fabric of our country requires fresh leadership and a renewed commitment to shared values,” he continues.

“Ben Sigel is a community leader and lawyer who, as the proud son of a Puerto Rican mother and a father from Massachusetts, understands that diversity is our nation’s greatest strength,” wrote BOLD PAC chairman Rep. Tony Cárdenas.

From pushing to protect healthcare for people with pre-existing conditions, bettering the quality of education, and working for economic justice, Sigel’s historic race is centered on the needs of Massachusetts’ working families.