Seven Brazilian Democrats were elected or reelected to state legislatures in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Nevada, and Florida during the midterm elections. (Foto: Instagram)
At least seven Brazilian Democrats were elected or reelected to state legislatures in the United States during the midterm elections: Felipe Sousa, Priscila Sousa, Rita Mendes, Lorena Betts, Farley Santos, Danillo Sena and Elaine Marzola. They will serve in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Nevada and Florida. Massachusetts elected four of the group, including three incumbents and one newcomer.
Massachusetts is home to about 112,446 Brazilians, according to the American Community Survey, and has the nation’s second-largest Brazilian community, after Florida. Priscila Sousa, Rita Mendes and Danillo Sena won reelection there, while Lorena Betts was elected to her first term. Sousa, who was born in Ipatinga, in the state of Minas Gerais, moved to the United States at age 7. She represents the 6th Middlesex District, in the Framingham area. Before joining the state legislature, she became the first immigrant elected president of the Framingham City Council.
Mendes was also born in Ipatinga and moved to the United States at age 12. Before entering politics, she worked as a house cleaner and waitress. She later became the first Brazilian to serve on the Brockton City Council. Betts, who is from the state of Mato Grosso, will represent the 16th Middlesex District in the Massachusetts House. She became known locally for organizing forums and debates with federal immigration judges to help Brazilian and Latino residents learn about their rights in the United States.
Sena, from Timbaúba in the state of Pernambuco, arrived in the United States at age 14 and won reelection to represent the 37th Middlesex District. Before becoming a state representative, he spent years working as a legislative aide at the Massachusetts State House in Boston. Farley Santos was reelected to represent Connecticut’s 109th District, which includes Danbury, where he completed high school and studied business administration. He built a career in finance as vice president of community development at Savings Bank of Danbury before entering politics, with a focus on social programs for young people in underserved communities.
Elaine Marzola, who was born in Rio de Janeiro, moved to the United States when she was young and lives in the Las Vegas-Henderson area. She began her career working directly with clients at SafeNest, one of Nevada’s largest shelters for domestic violence victims. Marzola was reelected to a third consecutive term representing the 21st District in the Nevada Assembly. She serves as speaker pro tempore and chairs the chamber’s Democratic caucus.
In Florida, 40-year-old Democrat Felipe Sousa, also identified as Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet, won his first election in what was described as a difficult race in a state that has traditionally been a Republican stronghold. He became the first Brazilian elected to Florida’s state legislature. Sousa is from Duque de Caxias, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and lived in the United States without legal status for years after immigrating as a teenager. His victory also made him the first openly gay immigrant to win a seat in the Florida legislature.
