In a private but high-stakes vote Tuesday, BOLDPAC, the political arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus decided not to endorse Texas State Sen. Roland Gutierrez in his Democratic primary bid to face Sen. Ted Cruz, The Messenger has learned exclusively.
Gutierrez, who represents part of San Antonio and Uvalde, which suffered a mass school shooting tragedy that thrust him into media spotlight, is running against Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL player who is vastly outraising him.
But the decision by BOLDPAC not to come to Gutierrez's aid - as financial resources would follow an endorsement to help level the playing field - is being seen as a betrayal by some Latino Democrats, including members of the CHC itself who were part of the vote this week.
"If we can’t even support Latino candidates running in states with large Latino populations, why does BOLDPAC even exist?" one member asked.
BOLDPAC's decision to stay out of the race for now was influenced by a pressure campaign from senators and high-ranking Latino elected officials, The Messenger has learned according to multiple sources.
Among those who made calls either in support of Allred or against endorsing Gutierrez were Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer; Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, the first Latina elected to the U.S. Senate and Sen. Alex Padilla, the first Latino senator from California.
Cortez Masto, who sources said called at least two BOLDPAC members, confirmed the calls to The Messenger, endorsing Allred in a statement released by her office.
"Colin Allred has spent his career working across the aisle to deliver for the people of Texas and he’s running a strong campaign against Ted Cruz. Senator Cortez Masto is proud to support his campaign."
Schumer and Padilla did not respond to requests for comment.
The conversation around the vote burst into frustration and recriminations aimed at BOLDPAC among influential Hispanic lobbyists Tuesday night, according to members of the discussion who shared details of the conversation with The Messenger.
Among them was Dean Aguillen, named as one of the 40 most influential young lobbyists under 40 in 2011 by Washingtonian magazine, and described by fellow Democrats as an "old school veterano," "one of the most respected OG's," and a "consummate insider."
Upon Aguillen first sharing the news, Jose Borjon, the former chief of staff to Texas Rep. Vicente Gonzalez and an ally to Gutierrez, confirmed it and added "We got f**ked, a lot of people working against us."
Aguillen also echoed the CHC member, saying "You support credible Latinos, otherwise why do you exist?" Like others who spoke with The Messenger, Aguillen argued that the Congressional Black Caucus would always support fellow Black members and would not find itself in this position.
"I'm very disappointed in BOLDPAC's decision. The purpose of BOLDPAC is to elect credible Latinos to federal offices," he told The Messenger when reached for comment. "When we have an opportunity to gain a seat in the Senate or House, we would hope BOLDPAC supports the credible candidate, and in this case they passed, and it's very disappointing to those who support BOLDPAC."
With Gutierrez trailing Allred in fundraising $631,000 to $10.9 million — a 20-1 disadvantage — any support in helping to bridge that gap would be critical.
Abel Prado, the executive director of the progressive organization Cambio Texas, which backs Gutierrez, cited the 2018 Senate primary to note that even Beto O'Rourke's little-funded primary opponent Sema Hernandez received 24%, just because Latino candidates do well in Texas.
"Just a Latino name gets you 25%," he said. "If you were to draw a candidate to help flip Texas they would look like Roland Gutierrez. He's from Texas, speaks perfect Spanish, and has a higher-profile because a tragedy in Uvalde hit his community, highlighting the gun violence problem in the entire nation."
Still, while Gutierrez has long odds against him, the BOLDPAC decision not to help a Latino candidate, left a bad and perhaps lasting taste in the mouth of members and Hispanic Democrats.
One Hispanic lobbyist shared pointed comments expressing their frustration.
"I want names, I want to know who voted against Roland," the lobbyist said. "Cabrones always want my money and all we ask is we hire Latinos and support Latinos and those two things seem to be too much for them to do."