- Data shows 41% of office staff identified as non-white
- Highest percentage since Democrats began collecting data
Senate Democrats’ staff are more diverse than they have been
at any time since Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.)
took the reins of the caucus.
De acuerdo a new data compiled by the caucus, 41% of senators’
personal staff and 34% of Democrats’ committee aides identified as non-white.
Senate Democrats have released annual studies of their staff diversity since
2017.
Latinos made up the greatest portion of Democrats’ non-white
office staff, while Asian or Pacific Islander staff made up the largest
minority demographic in their committees.
“It’s encouraging to see Senate Democrats continue to show
transparency in disclosing the percentage of top staff of color in their
offices and the increase of staff diversity in 35 offices,” said LaShonda
Brenson, senior fellow for diversity and inclusion at the Joint Center for
Political and Economic Studies.
Brenson in particular applauded Sens. Alex Padilla (D-California), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawái),
y Cory
Booker (D-N.J.), who have hired staff that are more than two-thirds
non-white.
Senador jeff merkley’s
(D-Ore.) staff diversified the most since last year, according to a Joint Center analysis. The same analysis found the office
of Sen. Ben
Ray Luján
(D-N.M.) had the greatest loss of diversity.
“There is still room for growth for senators who have
retained fewer people of color on their staff since last year, particularly the
Senate committees,” Brenson said.
The Senate Indian Affairs Committee has the largest
proportion of non-white staff — 88% — followed by the Judiciary panel at 58%,
according to the caucus.
With assistance from Seemeen Hashem
To contact the reporter on this story: Zach C.
Cohen in Washington at zcohen@bloombergindustry.com
To contact the editors responsible for this
story: Giuseppe Macri at gmacri@bgov.com; Loren
Duggan at lduggan@bgov.com
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