Barack Obama and John McCain will both address the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) on Saturday. From the NALEO press release:
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) announced today that Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, the presumptive Republican and Democratic presidential nominees, will address the nation's Latino leadership at the organization's 25th Annual Conference next Saturday, June 28, in Washington, D.C."We're delighted that Senators McCain and Obama will meet directly with Latino officials who represent millions of Americans across the country," said Adolfo Carrión, Jr., NALEO President and Bronx Borough President. "Latino voters are going to play a decisive role in the general election and the community is ready to hear both candidates make their case. This is the first step in a necessary process of getting to know each other better."
The format of the appearances is being finalized with the campaigns.
The appearances will take place during a four-day convention of nearly 1,000 Latino public officials working at all levels of government in communities across the nation. Conference participants will join political and policy leaders for panel discussions on education, mental health, affordable energy, the growing economic crisis, community investment and the growing clout of Latino voters on American politics.
The conference comes at a moment when the Latino community is poised to exercise extraordinary influence in the November elections. Unprecedented numbers of Latinos - now nearly nine percent of all eligible voters - have turned out in Democratic and Republican primaries, supplying the margin of victory in several contests.
NALEO leaders will hold a kick-off press conference on the morning of June 26 to present new data on Latino voters and unveil plans for a major voter turnout effort in November, made possible in part by a major gift from State Farm Insurance Companies.
That afternoon, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Sen. Robert Menendez and Sen. Ken Salazar will participate in a national leadership luncheon with conference attendees. Other conference dignitaries include U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, United States Treasurer Anna Escobedo Cabral and Former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros.