Colorado was well-represented Friday when presidential candidates spoke at a conference of Latino leaders in Miami.

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials was billed as the nation’s largest gathering of Latino political leaders.

Former Gov. John Hickenlooper — now running for president — answered questions on stage, and Colorado state Senate President Leroy Garcia of Pueblo was among the  NALEO board members who asked  questions to the eight presidential candidates who showed up.

Hickenlooper began by digging into President Donald Trump and fellow Democrats who seem to embrace the label of socialism.

“President Trump is fueling a crisis of division in this country that is moving this country backward, but socialism is not the answer,” Hickenlooper said. 

He spoke of gains Colorado made during his eight years as governor: A top economy, near-universal health care coverage, and affordable college for immigrants and their children. Hickenlooper said he worked “to provide opportunities and protection for immigrants.”

Under questioning, he said, “Everyone deserves a path to citizenship.”

NALEO board member John Vargas, a Republican and former board president for California’s El Camino Community College, asked Hickenlooper about health care. Latinos are more likely to be uninsured than most Americans, he said.

Hickenlooper said that in 10 or 15 years, America might have Medicare for All, but he expects it to be a evolutionary process “and not a revolution.”

The reality, he said, is that the 180 million people who are privately insured don’t want to give it up, Hickenlooper said.

“It’s unreasonable to think in this country we’re going to force them to give up the private insurance they’re happy with,” he said.

Hickenlooper was joined at the event by rival White House candidates Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro, Beto O’Rouke,  Sen. Bernie Sanders, Eric Swalwell and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Colorado’s U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet was among the 16 other Democratic candidates who didn’t attend. Nor was Trump on hand.

A week ahead of the first presidential debate in the same city,  the talks were livestreamed nationally and is available on YouTube by clicking here.

“All eyes of the country,  indeed all eyes of the world, are on us art this moment as we engage in this conversation between leaders of the Latino community and eight of the candidates for the nomination for the office of the presidency of the United States,” said Arturo Vargas, NALEO’s chief executive. “We invited every single declared candidate to be with us today.”

NALEO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that educates Latinos about “the American political process, from citizenship to public service,” it states on its website. 

Garcia asked Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, how he would include Latinos in the economy. Garcia said the wages for Latino workers are not rising and jobs in technology are elusive.

“And the situation for U.S. citizens and residents from Puerto Rico is even worse,” Garcia prefaced.

Buttigieg began with a shout-out to Colorado and Democratic control of the legislature and governor’s office.

“Thank you for your service to the country and to the people in Colorado, where you chamber and your state is doing remarkable work,” Buttigieg said.

His answer involved adapting to the gig economy, since people his age or younger are more likely to change careers more than their parents changed job titles. He said the government can work on portable, prorated benefits to benefit workers who cobble together several jobs or short-term gigs.

“But some of the solutions are abundantly simple, like people need to get paid more and that’s why we’ve got to raise the minimum wage to $15 as a beginning,” Buttigieg said in response to Garcia.