1.   And aided by voter turnout in runoffs for district offices involving Hispanic candidates in South Texas, he won the Senate nomination in his first race for statewide office.

2.   And one way to to that is to field more Hispanic candidates for statewide office.

3.   At the same time, a seat in the State Assembly became open and the Bronx Democrats endorsed a Hispanic candidate, Pedro Gautier Espada.

4.   According to Garcia, the Democrats and Republicans were willing to back Hispanic candidates in overwhelmingly Hispanic districts but were reluctant to support them for wider offices.

5.   All groups, however, often come together to elect Hispanic candidates regardless of party affiliation, the experts said.

6.   Dedicated fund-raising and knowledge of the issues are requirements for Hispanic female candidates to get and stay in political office, according to a South Texas Hispanic woman senator.

7.   Democrats have a fresh new class of Hispanic candidates this year, he added.

8.   Finally, when he switched to a new district that was drawn to favor a Hispanic candidate, he lost in a crowded Democratic primary to Nydia M. Velazquez.

9.   Gov. Gray Davis is endorsing one of two Hispanic candidates, Antonio Villaraigosa.

10.   He contends that in the past the party has paid little more than lip service to recruitment of Hispanic candidates and has lost much Hispanic support as a result.