Dean Gaining Support Among Latino Leaders

Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean is quietly reaping endorsements from high-ranking Latino officials, a development that bodes well for him in Southwestern states.

In recent days, four members of Congress from Southern California have announced their backing of Dean. Rep. Hilda L. Solis (D-El Monte) became the latest to support him Tuesday, following Reps. Loretta Sanchez (D-Anaheim), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-East Los Angeles) and Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles).

Six of the 20 members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have endorsed the former Vermont governor, giving Dean a lift in a crucial party constituency. His other Latino backers in Congress are Reps. Raul M. Grijalva of Arizona and Nydia M. Velazquez of New York.

Among his eight Democratic rivals, Rep. Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri has collected two such endorsements, while Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and the Rev. Al Sharpton of New York have one apiece. The rest have none.

In Arizona and New Mexico, states with sizable Latino populations, Democrats choose delegates to their national convention Feb. 3. California’s presidential primary is March 2.

Most Democratic candidates have been targeting Latino voters and officials all year, but none more than Dean. On Monday, after giving a foreign policy speech in Los Angeles, he received an enthusiastic reception from about 20 Latino elected officials at the Beverly Hilton hotel.

“He’s connected well on some of the more relevant issues to the Latino community,” said Becerra, who was at the meeting.

Becerra cited Dean’s support for a policy of “earned legalization” to enable undocumented immigrants in the United States to emerge from the underground economy. He also praised Dean for criticizing President Bush’s alternating warm-and-cold approach to relations with Mexico. And he predicted that Dean’s opposition to Bush’s tax cuts for wealthy Americans would play well with Latino voters who have seen little benefit from them.

Like Dean, other Democratic contenders have criticized Bush policies on immigration, taxes and Latin America, and have gained support from prominent Latinos.

Gephardt was endorsed by Reps. Ed Pastor of Arizona and Silvestre Reyes of Texas, both former chairmen of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Lieberman is backed by Rep. Dennis A. Cardoza (D-Atwater) and by California Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante. Sharpton was endorsed by Rep. Jose E. Serrano of New York.

In another development, Associated Press reported that Gov. James E. McGreevey of New Jersey was preparing to endorse Dean this week. He would be the third Democratic governor to take sides in the race and the first by someone other than a home-state colleague. Missouri Gov. Bob Holden is backing Gephardt and North Carolina Gov. Michael F. Easley has endorsed Sen. John Edwards, also from North Carolina.

The New Jersey governor was planning a joint appearance with Dean on Friday.