The headline warmed Polly Baca’s heart: “Latino influence is growing at the Colorado Capitol.”

“The 72nd Colorado General Assembly has the largest Latino Caucus in its history,” The Denver Post reported on Jan. 13.

Baca has the distinction of being the first Latina elected to the Colorado Senate, in 1978, after she had served two terms in the state House.

Over the years, the Post, the Rocky Mountain News and other publications tracked the status of state lawmakers whose ethnicity was variously described as Spanish, Hispanic, Chicano, Latino and Mexican-American. Their numbers rose, fell and are rising again.

Baca’s sentiments often were sought out, and that happened when the topic was tackled again, this time by The Post’s Saja Hindi.

“I am so excited and encouraged by the number of Latino legislators that we currently have, and I’m particularly excited about this group of young Hispanic women or Latinas,” Baca told the newspaper.

Of the 100 state lawmakers, 14 are Latino.

Those numbers would have been hard to envision after the 2006 primary election, a low point in recent history for Hispanic activists.

Colorado Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera, the sole Hispanic in the crowded open race for Congressional District 5, came in fourth in the GOP primary. State Sen. Doug Lamborn, who came in first, still holds the seat.

Four Latino statehouse candidates also lost their primary bids. Among them was Rep. Val Vigil, a Democrat from Thornton who blamed his defeat in his Senate bid on racism and fears about illegal immigration. Other losing candidates downplayed the issue of ethnicity, but agreed the lack of Hispanic lawmakers in a state where Hispanics at the time comprised about 20 percent of the population was concerning.

Fast forward to 2010, when Paula Sandoval of Denver and Angela Giron of Pueblo were appointed to vacancies in the state Senate, marking the first time in history there was more than one Latina in that body. Then that December, another Latina, Irene Aguilar of Denver, was appointed to a vacancy.

“Three Latinas in the Senate,” Baca told The Denver Post at the time. “This is just so historic that it’s amazing.”

A few days later, the 2011 Legislature opened with eight Latinos, double the number elected in 2008.

In the current Legislature, 13 of the 14 Latinos are Democrats, including Senate President Leroy Garcia, the first Latino to hold that post. Eight of the Latinos were first elected in 2018.

They learned the ropes last year and now have “ambitious” plans for this session, according to The Post.

“The members, who represent both rural and urban areas, passed legislation in areas of immigration, criminal justice and the economy,” the newspaper reported. “This year, they plan to tackle both traditional ‘Latino issues’ and ones that will affect all Coloradans — particularly middle- and low-income families.”

The lone Republican Latino is Rep. Dave Williams of Colorado Springs, whose mother is Latino. He is often at odds with his Democratic colleagues and believes President Trump is on the right track when it comes to immigration.

As for Baca, she grew up in Weld County, the daughter of José Manuel Baca and Leda Sierra Baca, descendants of the original families that in the 1600s traveled north from Mexico to what eventually became northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.

Her ancestors helped settle Trinidad and one served in Colorado’s territorial Legislature.

Baca’s foray into legislative politics occurred as Latinos were flexing their political muscle over issues ranging from bilingual education to police brutality to affirmative action.

“I worked for the Democratic National Committee in 1971 and 1972, and my job was to encourage what we then called Hispanics to run for office,” she said. “We were just beginning to get elected.”

Baca also was involved in the feminist movement, and had gone to meetings at the home of women’s rights activist Betty Friedan.

Among Baca’s many firsts: She was the first Latina nationally to be elected to both the House, first in 1974, and the Senate, first in 1978. In Colorado, she still holds the distinction of being the only Latina elected to both chambers.

“All these years later,” she said. “Can you believe it?”

She told The Post she won’t rest until the number of Latino lawmakers more closely resembles the state’s ethnic makeup.

Baca, who turns 79 next month, better get busy. 

The latest U.S. Census numbers estimate that 21.7 percent of Colorado’s population is Latino or Hispanic, and that number is likely higher, given residents who are undocumented. That means she’s looking at 21 or so Latino lawmakers.

Lynn Bartels can be reached at againlynn@gmail.com