By Evelyn Oropeza –

Eira Corral stood in front of business owners, supporters and sponsors at Los Comales Restaurant while campaigning for elected office.

She is running for village clerk in Hanover Park, a suburb of Chicago.

Corral is one of a growing number of Latinas running for political office.  In 2007, 1,574 Latinas held elected office in the United States with 28 in Illinois, according to NALEO.

If elected on April 7, Corral would become the first Latina to hold office in that community that is almost 27 percent Latino.

“Hanover Park is a young, diverse, and vibrant community and it deserves to be represented by someone who reflects the interests of the village, engages community members and is invested in their leadership development,” Corral said.

Corral has lived in Hanover Park 18 years. She has been involved in local parishes and community organizations. She also worked with Centro de Información of Hanover Park, mentoring students.

She also is co-chair of the Cultural Inclusion and Diversity Committee for the Village of Hanover Park. She’s worked with leaders to coordinate community events.

She has set up local seminars to provide assistance for residents at risk of foreclosure, a consumer protection workshop with the Office of Attorney General Lisa Madigan, and property tax relief assistance, among other initiatives.

Corral graduated with a bachelor of arts from DePaul University in 2007 with a double major in political science and Latino & Latin American Studies and a double minor in community service studies and commercial Spanish. Corral studied abroad in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Mexico and examined their history, democracy  and economy. She also was a Steans Center Community Service Scholar and recognized as a McCormick Tribune Scholar in her senior year.

During the week, Corral works at The United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI), a national non-profit and non-partisan organization dedicated to voter registration.

At USHLI, she is a field and media coordinator and works with interns and college students. She trains student leaders to do voter registration campaigns.

Isabel Reyes, 26, USHLI’s Midwest field coordinator, has known Corral for three years.

“I was excited when she told me that she was going to run for village clerk. We need more Latinos elected to work for the city government and need more leadership,” she said. “Hanover Park is very diverse. And even though she’s young, she has a lot of support (in the) community. It’s a good start for her. She’s been ready for a while.”

Ricardo Lopez, 24, a friend and co-worker of Corral, offered her advice.

“I will advise her to maintain her perseverance throughout this challenging journey, to know her district and understand the needs of the district’s community. Those needs need to become important issues to the campaign,” he said.

On the weekends, Corral has done door-to-door campaigning. She found that a majority of Hanover Park residents want public safety, to increase the number of police officers and to invest in energy alternatives.

“When I heard there was going to be a vacant seat, I knew there was a need,” she said. “It’s about people and being a public servant and a leader to create a vision in public policy.”