Before Biden dropped out, there was no shortage of motivation for volunteers and organizers who were bent on denying Trump another term in the White House, said Brenda Lopez Romero, a former state lawmaker who chairs the Gwinnett County Democratic Party. “The energy of why people are committed to organizing and to turn out the vote really is that, at the end of the day, the alternative on the ballot is simply not a good choice for America,” Lopez Romero said Monday. But back-to-back high-stakes elections in Georgia had taken a toll, she said. Georgia famously helped put Biden in office in 2020 before sending Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock to the Senate in a nationally watched runoff election, only to come back in 2022 to find Georgia back in the national spotlight and Warnock again on the ballot in a race that also went to a runoff. “People were tired – voters were tired – of ‘Come out to vote one more time, one more time,’” Lopez Romero said. Lopez Romero said suddenly having Harris as the likely nominee has reenergized Democrats, who are quickly coalescing behind Harris, while putting to rest the distracting debate over whether Biden should remain on the ticket. With Biden’s endorsement and Harris’ role as half of the Biden-Harris administration, she felt like a “natural fit” for many Democrats, Lopez Romero sa

The Atlanta Regional Commission today announced that 53 leaders from metro Atlanta’s public, private, and nonprofit sectors have been selected to participate in the 2023 Regional Leadership Institute (RLI). The immersive program provides local leaders with the opportunity to explore key regional issues and potential solutions while building their leadership skills. This year’s RLI program will take place in two phases: Aug. 29-30 at ARC’s downtown Atlanta conference center; and Oct. 8-11 at the Legacy Lodge at Lake Lanier. The 2023 RLI class will look at issues including transportation planning, infrastructure investments, climate mitigation, workforce development, and place a special focus on housing affordability. “We are so excited to bring these talented leaders together and offer the opportunity to collaborate with peers from across metro Atlanta and tackle common challenges from a regional perspective,” said ARC Executive Director & CEO Anna Roach. “These are the decision-makers who will help move our region forward in the years to come.”

Before ordering a coffee and arepas at the food court, Brenda Lopez Romero, chair of the Gwinnett County Democrats, says the law must protect these increasingly multiracial communities, too. Lopez Romero says Black, Latino and Asian Americans voting together is what makes Gwinnett County a Democratic stronghold. But recently, the GOP has invested in peeling away some Latino and Asian American voters. That could make it harder for the courts to see these groups as "politically cohesive," potentially threatening their protections as a coalition under the Voting Rights Act.

Brenda Lopez Romero, chairwoman of the Gwinnett County Democratic Party, chalked Fosque’s loss up to redistricting. “This is a situation about sore losing,” Lopez Romero said. “You know that you no longer have the voter base in your county and you do everything possible to have a minor semblance of an ability to win an election.” Holtkamp and other Republicans said north Gwinnett is a distinct community that previous commission district maps carved up. Lopez Romero said Republicans drew those maps to split Black and Hispanic communities in southern and western Gwinnett, denying them representation until the county swung more Democratic overall.

Two of Gwinnett’s legislators shared the issues they’re focused on entering the 2020 Legislative Session at a media symposium on Friday in Atlanta. State Sen. P.K. Martin, R-Lawrenceville, is the Senate Education and Youth Committee Chairman and Brenda Lopez Romero, D-Norcross, is on the House Education Committee. Discussions prior to the 2020 Legislative Session, which began Monday, made it clear that limiting the ripple effects of budget and tax cuts are going to be this year’s primary focus. Gov. Brian Kemp last summer ordered most state agencies to reduce spending by 4% during the current fiscal year and by 6% during fiscal year 2021. As legislators on different committees battle to defend their funding, Martin reinforced the fact he’s confident that Quality Basic Education Funding will remain protected from this year’s cuts. That does not mean that tweaks to the QBE formula aren’t on the horizon, during this session or future ones. Both sides of the aisle seem to support modifying the out-dated QBE formula, which was designed in 1985. Georgia Schools Superintendent Richard Woods said on Friday it’s time for state legislators to consider modifying the formula to better address the needs of Georgia school districts. He also mentioned outside resources for supplemental funding. “I think one of the things that potentially we could look at would be some tweaks, not a general overhaul,” Woods said. “That may be an option, or repurposing some money. When we look at our budget, we have to make sure we’re prioritizing what really counts.” That’s more or less what Martin echoed on Friday. While he was not specific, he recognized some school districts rely on programs provided by the Department of Education, but he wants to take a closer look at all of the DOE’s programs to see if anything can be trimmed to make the budget leaner. “We don’t need to continue funding programs that aren’t successful, but we should double down on programs that are working,” Martin said. Lopez Romero’s concerns about QBE come from an equity perspective. She wants to see tweaks and modifications to the QBE formula to consider providing services and support on a more needs-based methodology. QBE currently determines funding for a variety of costs on a per-student basis.

It would guarantee in-state tuition rates to all Georgia high school graduates who attend at least three years of high school in our state. ATLANTA — Georgia is one of only three states in the nation which ban undocumented students from enrolling in some of the state’s top public colleges - like the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech. Brenda Lopez Romero is one of several state representatives to introduce House Bill 896 to allow high school graduates in Georgia to receive in-state tuition regardless of their immigration status. Approximately 54,000 undocumented immigrants in Georgia are between the ages of 16 and 24. They aren’t able to attend colleges like UGA and Georgia Tech. And for the ones where they can attend, they would have to pay out-of-state tuition. Lopez Romero said this pushes them out of Georgia. She said that sends the wrong message. “What I have seen happen with many of these young folks, you know, top of their class, is that they’ll eventually go to another state to study and eventually stay there to work or they’ll go to a private university outside the state," Romero said. "So, we are investing in their K to 12 education but we are not getting our return on our investment.” According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, nineteen states have enacted similar laws to offer in-state tuition to students regardless of immigration status.

Today, Biden for President announced its Latino Leadership Committee, which includes a core group of Latino leaders who will work closely with campaign leadership to engage Latino voters and communicate how Joe Biden will fight for Latino families. The Committee will work closely with campaign leadership to recruit talent in battleground states, provide input on policy initiatives, engage community leaders, and provide input on Latino outreach. Los Angeles Supervisor and former Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and former Colorado United States Senator and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will serve as co-chairs of the Committee, which is composed of leaders from Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The Committee was established to reflect the diversity within the Latino community. “As the nation falls further into unrest, unemployment soars, and COVID-19 cases spike, we need a leader at the helm who has the experience, moral fortitude, and compassion to not only guide this nation out of this crisis, but help the country heal,” said former Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “With the Latino community being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 both economically and health-wise, it will be critical to have an ally in the White House. That ally is Joe Biden, and I’m honored to be leading the charge in mobilizing my Latino brothers and sisters to ensure that Donald Trump is a one term president.” “With 32 million Latinos eligible to vote, Latinos will be the largest non-white voting bloc in this upcoming election — and we are not taking that for granted. This campaign understands that the community is not a monolith and the necessity of having diverse voices in the conversations surrounding strategy and outreach ” said former Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar. “Joe Biden understands the Latino community is a keystone to our democracy and future prosperity of the United States. We are proud to stand with him to end the Trump Administration assault on the more than 60 million Latinos across the nation, and to usher in a more just and prosperous nation for all Americans.” “I am running to build an America that works for everyone, and giving Latinos a shot at the American dream is a core part of my vision for this nation,” said Vice President Joe Biden. “I am honored to have such a strong group of elected leaders on this committee— many who I have known for a very long time —that embody the diversity of the Latino community and I know that their insights will prove invaluable in supporting my campaign’s Latino outreach efforts across the United States. And with my good friends Hilda and Ken leading the charge, I know that the committee will ensure that Latinos have a voice on my campaign.” The announcement of the Latino Leadership Committee comes on the heels of the campaign’s $15 million, five-week TV, digital, radio, and print advertising investment in English and Spanish-language content in Florida and Arizona, two critical battlegrounds for mobilizing the Latino vote. These investments represent a significant move early in the general election that reflects the seriousness of the campaign’s outreach to the Latino community. Additionally, the campaign is continuing to host events, build community, and have conversations about the issues impacting Latino communities through the Todos con Biden network including the Charla con Dr. Jill Biden recently hosted with former Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis and labor activist Dolores Huerta. The full Latino Leadership Committee includes: Georgia- State Representative Brenda López Romero State Representative Pedro Marín

Two members of Gwinnett County’s legislative delegation have been chosen by Joe Biden to represent Georgia on this national Latino Leadership Committee. The committee is made up of Latino and Latina elected officials from about 18 states. For Georgia, the Biden campaign has tapped state Reps. Pedro Marin, D-Duluth, and Brenda Lopez Romero, D-Norcross, to sit on the committee. They are the only officials from Georgia selected to serve on the committee.

The Georgia House of Representatives voted 103 to 67 Tuesday to approve restrictions on the popular and increasingly expensive dual enrollment program, and now that both legislative chambers passed the measure, it heads to the governor’s desk for his signature. Some legislators, however, argue the cap is not crucial to the long-term viability of dual enrollment. Rep. Brenda Lopez Romero questioned Tuesday why some legislators are calling out dual enrollment for runaway costs when it accounts for less than 1% of state spending on k-12 and higher education.

The Dignity Museum & Love Beyond Walls founder, Terence Lester was also recently recognized with a Proclamation from the City of College Park and House Resolution presented by Rep. Brenda Lopez-Romero (D-GA, District 99) of the Georgia House of Representatives. The interactive, tech-driven museum creates a unique social learning integration of virtual reality, QR codes and its own app to view the world through the lens of a person experiencing homelessness and brings immersive storytelling to life. Housed inside a transformed shipping container, attendees explore the exhibit in a 3-part journey to confront stereotypes, create empathy in viewing actual stories from real people and inspire action to provoke change in their communities.

Women from various backgrounds who inspire and lead will be celebrated through speakers and other events on the schedule at the University of North Georgia (UNG) for the second half of Women's History Month. Sarah Riggs Amico, Beauty P. Baldwin and Brenda Lopez Romero will speak at the Women's History Month breakfast from 9-11 a.m. March 27 in the Robinson Ballroom of the Student Center on UNG's Gainesville Campus. "We are excited about exposing our students to these remarkable women who have achieved and exhibited a great deal of leadership throughout their careers," said Dr. Robert L. Robinson, UNG's director of Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA). "It can help these students learn and grow as future leaders of America."

There’s still about a year before voters will select the Republican and Democratic candidates to replace Rep. Rob Woodall in Georgia’s 7th Congressional District, and over the weekend, the local Democratic Party heard from one candidate who has already made her intentions for the seat known. On Saturday, the Forsyth County Democratic Party heard from District 99 state Rep. Brenda Lopez Romero in a morning meeting at Post Road Library. She is one of several candidates to announce her candidacy following the announcement that incumbent Woodall, a Republican, would not seek re-election next year. “This primary election cycle is about flipping the 7th, and it is about strengthening the U.S. House for the majority that we won last election cycle,” Lopez Romero said. “That’s what this primary is really about. It’s not, quite frankly, not about much of anything else because, particularly on the Democratic candidate side, many of us have very similar [positions].” Though the race between Woodall and his Democratic challenger Carolyn Bourdeaux, who is running again in 2020, was decided by 419 votes, Lopez Romero said she felt the seat should have flipped in the last election. Lopez Romero said Democrats are making inroads in the community. “I believe … we have far more Democratic voters than we think, given an option, as we already saw in the 2018 election cycle,” she said. “But I will tell you something, I participated a lot with the 6th District task force just to volunteer in both the 2016 special election and 2018 cycle. We would have lots of people sort of whisper, ‘Add me to your newsletter.’ “I think that is something very similar [here,] and that is my point about why it is important to have a holistic approach to engage all voters and touch all voters that we can.” Attendees at the meeting also had a chance to ask the candidate their own questions, including one on new voting machines that will roll out ahead of the 2020 election. Lopez Romero said select municipalities could use the machines this year. “There’s not enough time to be able to put them in all municipal elections, so the plan is that they’re going to have, basically, test sites where there are some counties that are going to receive some of the machines during the municipal cycle in the election this November so they can get all the kinks out,” she said. “That’s what happens with all new technology. We’ve all been with an employer that changes technology, even upgrades software, you’re always going to have those initial bugs and kinks.” Lopez Romero is the principal attorney with The Lopez Firm in Norcross and has held the District 99 seat since 2017. If elected, she will be the first American Latina to represent the state in Congress. The race is expected to get the attention of the national Democratic and Republican parties, and several other candidates have announced their intentions to run. Harrison Floyd, Joe Profit and Lynne Homrich recently announced they would run for the Republican nomination, and Democrats Nabliah Islam, Marqus Cole, John Eaves and Carolyn Bourdeaux, who ran against Woodall in 2018, have announced they would run for the seat. Parties will select their candidates in primaries next May before the November election.

Brenda Lopez Romero was about 12 years old when she and her father stopped at a diner just north of Helen. As they walked in, several white men stood up from their table.“Are you lost?” they said. “Did you just cross the river?”Then that phrase: “You need to go back where you came from.”A native of Mexico, Lopez Romero remembers the sting of those racist taunts. Lopez Romero, now a 36-year-old immigration attorney, state representative from Gwinnett County and candidate for U.S. Congress, says she never thought she would hear similar language coming from the President of the United States. Gwinnett is a community where a full quarter of its nearly 1 million residents are foreign-born and about two-thirds are black, Latino or Asian — and where a longtime Republican foothold is quickly diminishing, meaning comments like Trump’s tweets could have an enormous effect during a 2020 election season that’s sure to be volatile and racially charged.

“By choosing D.A. King as its official spokesperson, the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office has blatantly shown that it operates on a platform of racism and complete disregard of any immigrant rights,” said the Atlanta chapter of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice in a press release. State Rep. Brenda Lopez Romero, also on the panel, questioned King’s presence and made reference to his gambling conviction. “That is my deep concern that the Sheriff’s Department would invite someone who would speak on their behalf an individual that on this panel to my personal knowledge is the only one that’s a convicted felon,” she said.

The theme for the 2019 event is “Women Will Unite to Stand Up, Speak Up, and Show Up.” This can’t-miss event will feature a delicious brunch, and a meaningful program, followed by an opportunity to peruse and bid on silent auction items and themed baskets. The featured speaker for the signature event is political activist Jon Ossoff, who will lead a panel of progressive women leaders in a conversation about the history and future for women committed to be the voices of change. Panelists include Georgia Senators Jen Jordan and Valencia Seay, and Georgia Representative Brenda Lopez Romero.

The honorees were celebrated at an event on Sept. 4 at the Infiniti Club at SunTrust Park, 755 Battery Avenue in the Cumberland area. Members of the list come from a variety of sectors, including government, media, business and nonprofits. Among them were Bob Jimenez, senior vice president of corporate affairs at Cox Enterprises; Eduardo Martinez, president of UPS Foundation and chief diversity/inclusion officer at UPS; Ender Inciarte, Atlanta Braves outfielder; Rep. Brenda Lopez Romero, D-Norcross; Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King; state Judge Dax Lopez; Norberto Sanchez, CEO of Norsan Group; Jerry Gonzalez, executive director of GALEO; and Ozzie Areu, CEO of Areu Bros. Studios.

Atlanta Business Chronicle has named our 2019 Women Who Mean Business honorees. The women will be celebrated at an awards event Oct. 17 at the Atlanta History Center. Here’s a Q&A with one of the honorees, Brenda Lopez Romero, attorney and state representative for Georgia House District 99: Q: You’ve been named one of Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Women Who Mean Business 2019. How can other women leaders win similar accolades for their achievements? A: Even when you are uncertain about a decision, make one, work hard to accomplish it, win or try again. MEMBER WEBINAR: DOWNTOWNS REDEFINED Leadership Strategies for Urban Modernization in a Hybrid Era Expert Panelists | Live Q&A Session | Exclusive Insights SAVE MY SPOT Q: What does leadership mean to you? A: I define service as an individual in a position of privilege or influence that ensures the doors of opportunity are opened, remain open, and are opened wider, in other words, to democratize access, resources, and knowledge. It is one of the best principles of the American character to open doors to all the next generations and that is the definition of service we should aspire. But it is a principle that is not freely given, but rather, it must be intentionally provided. Q: Please give some details about one of your top accomplishments of the past year that you are most proud of. A: In 2016, I ran for office and was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives becoming the first Latina elected to the General Assembly. Being elected has been especially meaningful to me, because my back story to a successful election has been the mentorship and guidance of many individuals that have opened the door of opportunity and access for me. However, serving in the General Assembly has been most meaningful and of impact, because I was proud to have eight diverse legislative aides who impressed all at the Capitol and required no supervision. All share three characteristics — they are academically talented, have a strong work ethic, and are heavily involved in community service. It is no surprise that they excel and are gifted, and it is my honor to have the opportunity to open the doors of the Gold Dome, our Capitol building, to these young folks that will be the next elected officials. They are, in fact, my role models, and serving them is especially meaningful for me. I am proud of the now 24 legislative aides and their bright futures. Q: What past challenge has most shaped your current thinking? A: I came to the United States at the age of five and became a citizen in 2008. I had the opportunity to regularize my immigration status solely because the operation of the law permitted my father, through the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act signed by President Ronald Reagan, to become a permanent resident and eventually petition for me. In my personal immigration path, I had to wait a backlog of 12 years before I became a permanent resident and eventually a citizen. Citizenship is a civic duty I seized wholeheartedly as it has given me the ability and privilege to serve all Georgians. I also have worked for over 10 years around immigrant rights interrelated with constitutional rights, human rights, civil rights, racial justice and international push and pull factors of migration patterns. Q: Who is a favorite leader you admire, and why? A: Ruth Bader Ginsberg is one of my favorite leaders. She inspires me as a leader beyond her time that ultimately has given me the opportunity to be an attorney and legislator. She gave me and all women access to fight for equity under the law regardless of sex. Q: What are you currently reading? A: Running for Congress is 24/7 job; I’ll catch up on my reading after we flip GA7! Q: How do you motivate and inspire teams to achieve big goals? A: As Steve Jobs stated, “it doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” My campaign team included an expert on field work and campaign strategy, public relations/communication, and marketing skills. All my team members are also owners of small businesses, and have extensive networks to seek resources and access. We won my election against my opponent that had the support of the county party members and the outgoing state representative, and she additionally had the endorsement of unions, the county elected officials, and former Gov. Roy Barnes. All whom also fundraised for her. We were a successful team, because we had an open communication policy, trusted and respected each other’s ideas, and had personal accountability that tasks assigned would be performed. We also worked without official titles or duties, but rather relied on our expertise and the tasks to dictate how and who completed them. Most importantly, individually we were collaborators, and we shared the common goal to work as hard as necessary to win. Q: Where do you find inspiration? A: I find inspiration from my father. He continues to work hard every day. He has taught all important life lessons and gives me no justification to not ever work for my goals.

State Representatives Pedro Marin and Brenda Lopez, both Democrats from Gwinnett County, have donated their legislative papers to the University of Georgia: the papers will be housed in UGA’s Richard Russell Library for Political Research and Studies. “This partnership marks a milestone in meeting the library’s commitment to collect materials that comprehensively document the full spectrum of political life and public policy in Georgia,” Russell Library director Sheryl Vogt said in a statement. “Our project also helps fulfill the university’s mission to serve all the people of this state. Historical materials and memories from the Latino and Hispanic communities will be invaluable testimony to the achievements of these Georgians.”

Representative Brenda Lopez Romero (center, in pink) visited VSU and gave students a motivational lecture on Nov. 8. Brenda Lopez Romero, the first Latina lawmaker in the Georgia Legislature, knows what it takes to stay driven and keep up your reputation while in school. In 2016, Romero became the first Latina elected to the Georgia General Assembly and now represents House District 99 in Gwinnett County. Her focus is on education, retirement, state planning and community affairs committees. VSU’s MESA and ACS organizations held an educational opportunities and success event with Romero as a guest speaker on Nov.8 in the Student Union theatre. As the only bilingual person in her community, Romero served as an interpreter for family, friends and teachers at the age of seven. “I do remember since I was young, I didn’t like to be told what to do,” said Romero. “I especially did not like things not being right in whatever my understanding of right was at 10 years of age. Sometimes I thought things were not right, people weren’t treated right and that always bothered me. The only thing I knew as a seven-year-old kid was how to speak English. That was what gave me privilege that other adults did not have. It became a responsibility to translate.” Romero said her sense of responsibility became a duty to help others. This path led her into dealing with legal work where she focused on international law, national security and comparative politics. Romero graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology and graduated law school shortly after. “So that’s what you have to find,” said Romero. “What is your passion? Do you just want to cure this one thing? Do you just want to solve this one issue? It’s those things that drive you, but you need to have something. It doesn’t have to be a specific thing. I just know I liked helping people.” Romero reassured VSU students and said she has changed her mind about what path she wanted to take while in school, and have known others to do the same. At first, her only goal was to become an attorney. “You don’t have to have a specific direction, you just have to want to do something with your life,” said Romero. “If you know you want to do something with your life it’s okay to try and be a person that kind of tries different things until eventually something clicks.” Romero was asked about the financial hardships that many students face and how to successfully balance both school and work.

A few hours before Trump’s tweet, state Rep. Brenda Lopez Romero blasted out an email to supporters with information about how to prepare for the raids, including Spanish and English instructions about what to do if agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement show up at your door. "Right now the best option this to be informed," she wrote in the email, which included links to websites from groups like the ACLU and Latino Community Fund Georgia. "Prepare yourself to protect yourself and family. Share this information with your networks." Lopez Romero is an immigration attorney who moved to the U.S. from Mexico at age 5. She's also one of a half-dozen Democrats vying for their party's nomination in the Gwinnett and Forsyth-based 7th Congressional District. (She announced her bid for Congress this spring but is formally kicking off her campaign Friday evening with an event at the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse.)

Monday’s mentors included Rep. Brenda Lopez Romero, who made history in 2016 when she became the first Latina elected to the Georgia General Assembly, representing House District 99 in Gwinnett County. She also practices immigration law at her own firm. She urged the students to explore careers that push them beyond what they think they are capable of. “I came to this country at five,” she said. “I met a man who was an attorney and I told myself, ‘That’s what I want to do.’ ” Even though she wasn’t quite sure what an attorney did, that positive role model stuck with her.

State Rep. Brenda Lopez Romero (D-Norcross) is running for Congress in Georgia’s 7th district—which, last year, was the tightest House race in the country—and keynoted the event. “We can’t just mobilize in rallies,” she said. “What we really need to do is to be at the Capitol . . . and support the nonprofit organizations that are providing pro-bono and low-bono legal representation for those [who need it.]” Born in Mexico, Lopez Romero moved to the United States when she was five, graduated from Cross Keys High School, and became an immigration attorney. In 2016, she became the first Latina to be elected to the state Legislature. For her, the ICE raids are personal: She referenced journalist Julia Le Duc’s now-infamous photo of a drowned father and nearly two-year-old daughter crossing the Rio Grande last month: “If I hadn’t gotten the opportunity to become a citizen . . . I could have been one of those children.”

“My name is Brenda Lopez Romero and I'm running for Georgia's 7th Congressional District. We have many concerns and issues here but one very broad one and that is the divisive rhetoric that we've seen under this administration that is affecting all fellow Americans. And we have also seen this implemented in its policies. Through the family separations at the border, the inhumane conditions we have seen at the detention centers and even for our national security concerns. We have seen the removal of foreign aid to Central Americans that actually causes a detriment to our position and our standing in our own country. But also, we have seen that experience translate locally to Georgia and to the 7th. Through 287(g) agreements, which are collaborations between municipalities and I.C.E. that do not provide safety to the residents that live in these municipalities. And most recently we had a resident of Gwinnett that was harassed and threatened as she was leaving a shopping center because of the political stickers that she had on her car. But there are fixes. We can work in a bipartisan fashion for sensible comprehensive immigration reform. We can as Congress keep our constitutional duty to ensure that we have oversight over the executive departments. And also, we can continue to work instead, focusing on making our country prosperous by ensuring that we have affordable quality health care access and that we work to ensure that we have the best public education schools.”

Georgia state Rep. Brenda Lopez Romero is calling for an end to 287 (g) in her district — Gwinnett County. She also spoke to Rayam. Lopez Romero says she is discouraging other jurisdictions from implementing the program, which allows the sheriff’s office to hold immigrants they’ve arrested for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. Lopez Romero calls the 287 (g) program a scare tactic that intentionally deters naturalization

State Rep. Brenda Lopez Romero entered the race Wednesday for Georgia’s 7th District with a plan to win by leveraging the same sort of grassroots appeal that helped make her the first Latina elected to the state General Assembly. In an interview, the Gwinnett Democrat said she would focus her campaign for one of the nation’s most competitive U.S. House seats on improving workforce development and easing student debt while trying to avoid more “Washington dysfunction.” Lopez Romero said she planned to emerge from the crowded field by recruiting more first-time voters who often skip primaries. The district, which spans parts of Gwinnett and Forsyth counties, is home to one of the nation’s more diverse electorates. “The district should have already flipped – it’s trended Democratic for years,” said Lopez Romero. “We didn’t do well in 2018 to reach out to those potential first-time voters. We need Democrats that have been disenchanted or haven’t been reached, and if we do we can flip the 7th.” She becomes the first elected official to enter the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall, who is retiring after narrowly winning a fifth term last year. But she's far from the only prominent name in the field. Carolyn Bourdeaux, who lost to Woodall by less than 500 votes, is running again. Other Democrats include attorney Marqus Cole, former Fulton Commission chair John Eaves and party organizer Nabilah Islam. The Republican side is fast taking shape as well. Lynne Homrich, a former Home Depot executive who can partly self-finance her campaign, entered the race last week. Former NFL player Joe Profit is also running, and state Sen. Renee Unterman is likely to soon join A Big Field The growing crowd is somewhat out of the norm. The last time Georgia’s 7th District seat was open in 2010, no fewer than eight Republicans jostled to represent the seat, which hasn’t elected a Democrat since the mid-1990s. Back then, Doug Heckman was the only Democrat to run. Now, Democrats see the open seat as one of the most vulnerable in the nation. It was the tightest U.S. House race in the nation last year, and Democrats hope to squeeze even more votes from the district in 2020 with a presidential race on the ballot. Lopez Romero, an attorney who was born in Mexico, defeated a well-connected party activist in 2016 to become the first Latina elected to the state Legislature. She emerged as a party go-to on immigration and voting rights issues, and a staunch opponent of GOP-backed restrictions on abortions and expansion of gun rights. Her entrance to the race, long expected by party officials and local politicos, heightens the possibility of a contentious primary fight between well-funded adversaries. Bourdeaux reported raising $370,000 in the seven weeks since announcing her comeback bid – a haul that exceeds just about every other congressional challenger in the nation. She also retains the endorsement of many of the leading Georgia Democrats who backed her campaign last year. Lopez Romero has her own well of support that includes House Minority Leader Bob Trammell and state Rep. Pedro Marin, one of the first Latinos elected to the House. She also will rely on the network of activists who helped her underdog bid for the House three years ago. “The thing that gives me the most comfort, despite the fact that I’m announcing later than most, is that I’ve been on the ground doing the advocacy work for a decade in Gwinnett County and I have an extensive network in Forsyth,” she said. “I won’t have to introduce myself to voters.”

The first Latina elected to the Georgia General Assembly is now aiming to be the first Hispanic member of the state’s Congressional Delegation. State Rep. Brenda Lopez Romero, D-Norcross, announced Wednesday morning she will run for the 7th Congressional District seat that will be open in next year’s election cycle. “We have a unique opportunity to elect someone who reflects the values and the rich diversity of our district,” Lopez Romero said in a statement. “I know that I am the right person for the job.” The immigration attorney joins a growing field of Democratic candidates including Georgia State University professor Carolyn Bourdeaux, former Hillary Clinton presidential campaign official Nabilah Islam, former Fulton County Commission chairman John Eaves and Snellville-based attorney Marqus Cole.

Preventing Displacement Residents in the area surrounding the potential transit hub have expressed concerns about future affordability and possibly being priced out of the area, said both Gwinnett County Commissioner Ben Ku and state Rep. Brenda Lopez Romero, Democrats whose districts both include the Jimmy Carter Boulevard corridor. “We have to make sure that’s always at top of mind, not only affordable housing but also not displacing the current residents and current businesses that are living and operating up the Buford Highway-Jimmy Carter area,” Lopez said. “We have to focus on smart development to ensure affordability and not displacing business owners.” Lopez cited the Fruitvale Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station in Oakland, California, as a model Norcross could follow. A “transit-oriented development” including affordable housing units, a library, retail space and a charter high school was built with the station as its centerpiece in 2004. A 2018 study by the University of California - Los Angeles a found that the development “increased the socio-economic well-being of residents in the immediate neighborhood” while preserving racial and ethnic diversity in the historically Latino neighborhood while other parts of the region experienced gentrification.

But Rep. Brenda Lopez Romero (D. - Norcross) said the existing licenses - which have "limited term" printed on them, are good enough. Lopez Romero said the bill would also outlaw Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) - or Dreamers from getting any kind of license. She's hoping the legislature disregards the bill as the general assembly slowly rolls toward adjournment in early April.

The national nonpartisan organization, which has six college chapters in Georgia, encourages women to engage in politics and run for office. On February 9, IGNITE will host their 2019 Young Women Run Atlanta conference at Agnes Scott College. Congresswoman Lucy McBath, of Georgia’s 6th congressional district, will be the keynote speaker at the half-day event, along with guest speakers and state House Representatives Brenda Lopez and Park Cannon.

This year's theme is "Leadership: You are the Difference!" In keeping with the theme, this year, there were four grand marshals which included: City of Lawrenceville Mayor Judy Jordan Johnson City of Norcross Mayor Craig Newton The parade ended at Moore Middle School, where event goers were welcomed in. Inside, they got an opportunity to discover over 30 organizations in the county. The President of the United Ebony Society, Marlene Taylor-Crawford, said the purpose is to show the youth they can become leaders as well. "We ensure that students are apart of whatever we do, because they have to continue on the legacy," Crawford said.

Gwinnett County visionary and founder of Greater Atlanta Christian School, Jesse Long (1932-2014), will be honored at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 18 with the official naming of I-85 at Indian Trail Road, Exit 101, as the Jesse Long Interchange. Jesse Long broke ground in the rural part of southern Gwinnett in the early 60’s and then worked to build his dream, Greater Atlanta Christian School, a ½ mile from the interchange. Today, the Greater Atlanta Christian School educational community consists of 1,600 pre-K-12th students on 88 acres with 34 buildings. The ceremony will take place at the office complex grounds for Representative Clay Cox, located near the interchange at 1770 Indian Trail Road in Norcross, and is co-hosted by Representative Chuck Efstration, Representative Brenda Lopez, and the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Gender equity advocates are excited about the prospect of a record number of women running for office. But Erin Vilardi, founder of VoteRunLead, says running isn't good enough. Today on the show we’re chatting with Erin Vilardi, the founder of VoteRunLead. The organization has trained note-worthy women like Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American lawmaker in the U.S, and Brenda Lopez, the first Latina elected to the Georgia state assembly.

There's a new cause for bipartisanship in some state capitols - the effort to lure Amazon's second headquarters. But the peace might not last. In Georgia, some conservatives worry that new businesses coming into the state just speeds up demographic and political changes. And they do not worry about turning away corporations. From member station WABE, Johnny Kauffman reports. JOHNNY KAUFFMAN, BYLINE: It's the middle of Georgia's annual legislative session. And the halls inside the state House are packed with lobbyists and lawmakers. Most are older white men. State Representative Brenda Lopez is not. Last year, she became the first Latina elected to the Georgia legislature.

State Rep. Brenda Lopez, D-Norcross, has been chosen to serve as one of the Truman National Security Project’s Political Partners for this year. The Truman National Security Project has more than 1,500 members, including civilians, policy experts, post-9/11 veterans and political professionals who believe the U.S. should use diplomacy, defense, development and the promotion of democracy to address national security issues. It’s Political Partners program brings together progressive public officials and political operatives to come up with “tough, smart national security solutions,”

Lopez is an immigration lawyer. She was born in Mexico and grew up undocumented outside Atlanta, before getting a green card in high school. She's also the first Latina ever elected to the Georgia legislature, representing a district that includes part of Gwinnett County. When we sat down at her office a block from the gold dome of the state capital, Lopez said what's happened in Georgia is a "natural response" in a conservative place. "I would say our state is most definitely a difficult state to live in," she said. "But there's a lot of great things, and that's why people continue to move here to Georgia." Lopez says the city of Atlanta, and some of its more diverse suburbs, are already becoming more welcoming toward immigrants. She hopes that eventually the rest of the region will, too. In the meantime, Lopez said, undocumented immigrants who do live here should know they'll have to make "tough choices." Some of the toughest in the country.

On an electronic board at the Georgia House of Representatives, a new name recently appeared on the list of state representatives — one that is a first for the state. With her left hand on the Bible and her right hand raised, Brenda López officially became the first Latina woman in the Georgia General Assembly. For the 33-year-old Mexican native, the day marked more than just a culmination of hard work and goals, it was the beginning of a new chapter in her life. “It’s an honor having received so much support, in particular the support of those people who voted for me, and that always comes with the responsibility to do the best job possible under the circumstances that we have here in the General Assembly,” said López, upon being sworn in. In the community When López was campaigning for the State House District 99 seat, Mundo Hispánico accompanied the lawyer on the campaign trail. Those who answered the knock on their door were not surprised to see López, as she is a familiar face for many in the community. For almost a year, López and her team visited her district where, in addition to seeking votes, they made an effort to educate Latinos about the importance of civic participation. On March 1, when López won the primary, the celebration reflected the reward of months of hard work and dedication. In November, López’s victory was made official, as she ran without an opponent. Last week, she sat for the first time in the chair that she will occupy during the next 40 days of the legislative session, a space where decisions will affect the residents of Georgia, for good or for bad. “One of the things we are interested in doing, especially this first year, is to unite our communities and our government, doing things within the district and in Gwinnett, above all regarding development and education with the people who live within and outside of my district,” explained López Historic celebration State Representative Pedro Marín, who, together with State Representative David Casas, made history in 2003, by becoming the first Hispanics elected to the House of Representatives joined in López’s swearing in celebration. That same year, Sam Zamarripa was sworn in as the first Latino senator in Georgia. “It’s a tremendous honor having Brenda López in the Georgia General Assembly, marking a historic moment as the first Latina on our team. Brenda knows that she has my complete cooperation on the different bills that, in one way or another, affect our community,” assured Marín.

“Last December, I was invited to meet with a group of lawyers, doctors, and business owners who shared the same concerns with me,” Szabo said. “They described several instances where people received legal services from non-lawyers. In many of these cases, the victims suffered irreparable damage to their rights or their legal claims.” Local attorney and candidate for Congress Ethan Pham called that meeting, which also prominently featured attorney and State Rep. Brenda Lopez. Together with other officials, the group created a video-taped public service announcement that warns Gwinnett residents about illegal attorney scams in five different languages including English, Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese.

Between February and April, Gwinnett County saw an uptick in the number of immigrants referred to ICE following traffic stops. An all-white panel of commissioners voted unanimously in June to continue Gwinnett County’s 287(g) partnership with ICE. Community members were incensed by what they saw as a major disconnect between the commission’s actions and the diversity of its residents, said Brenda Lopez, a former immigration attorney in Gwinnett County whose recent election into the Georgia legislature was an exception to the achievement gap for women and minorities — in November, she became the first Latina voted into the state General Assembly, even as Georgia has the 10th largest Latino population in the country.

Democrat Brenda Lopez is poised to become the first Latina elected to the Georgia General Assembly. An attorney and immigrant, she’s running unopposed in Tuesday’s election to represent House District 99, which includes the Norcross area of Gwinnett County. Georgia House District 99 candidate Brenda Lopez (D) says demographic shifts don't always change an area's politics: "It requires a lot more effort and a lot more work to engage and include these growing populations into every aspect of society, but particularly civic engagement and the political process." We talk with Lopez about her groundbreaking candidacy and her vision for the district and Georgia as a whole.

In Georgia, as in many states, the demographics are changing. Since the 1990’s, the state’s Latino population has exploded from about 100,000 to almost one million people. Latinos now make up almost a tenth of the population there, but in the state’s capital, they make up less than one percent. But that too may be changing. Brenda Lopez, an immigration attorney, is poised to make history in Georgia as the first Latina to enter the state legislature. Her hope, she says, is to help connect Georgia’s growing immigrant communities to the people in power in her state.