Martin O’Malley Hires Director Of Hispanic Media.

Jose Aristimuño joins the campaign after spending time as a volunteer, BuzzFeed News has learned.

Aristimuño, a Venezuelan immigrant, who began with the campaign as a volunteer, said his priority is to engage Latino press regionally and nationally, a major challenge for O’Malley who is not yet well known in the Hispanic community, despite an early focus on Latino issues.

“There’s no question that the governor is not as known among the other candidates in the race,” Aristimuño said. “But when they get to know him and understand his record and what he stands for, people start reevaluating who they want to vote for.”

Gabriela Domenzain, the director of public engagement and highest-ranking Latina in the campaign said Aristimuño’s passion and persistence when it came to O’Malley got her attention “but his dedication and effectiveness in informing the Latino community about the governor’s record on Latino issues” earned him the role. She said he will play an integral role in the campaign’s efforts to engage Hispanics in a “culturally and linguistically sensitive” way.

Most recently, Aristimuño was getting out the word that O’Malley was one of only two candidates, along with Lincoln Chafee, who accepted an invitation to a Des Moines Register Iowa immigration forum featuring immigration activists and faith leaders on Saturday. Candidates of both parties were invited to the event.

Aristimuño, who also started the aspirational Hispanic issues site Latino Giant, said he was drawn to O’Malley after he saw the way he “stood against those wanting to deport unaccompanied children at the border last year” and instead welcomed the largest amount of children per capita to Maryland.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo/martin-omalley-hires-director-of-hispanic-media#.vgb4ARW8gL