LAS VEGAS — The former political director of Nevada’s largest labor union will become the first Latina to serve in the state Senate after Clark County commissioners selected her to fill the unexpired term of Democratic U.S. Rep.-elect Ruben Kihuen.
The commission voted Tuesday to appoint Yvanna Cancela to the Senate District 10 seat in Las Vegas.
Cancela, 29, is the ex-political director of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 who now serves as executive director of the Immigrant Workers Citizenship Project. She also worked as a field organizer for Sen. Harry Reid’s re-election campaign in 2010.
Kihuen defeated freshman Republican Rep. Cresent Hardy in the 4th Congressional District in November to become Nevada’s first Latino member of the U.S. House. He said in a statement Tuesday he “can’t think of anyone better” than Cancela to replace him in the legislature.