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PHOENIX -- A group of Latino Democratic legislators is launching a new Political Action Committee to help Latino candidates from their party get elected in the Southwest.

The Impacto Fund will support democratic Latinos running for state and local offices in Arizona, California, Texas, Nevada and Colorado.

"We are really addressing the under-representation of Latinos in elected office," said Lucy Flores, a Nevada state legislator who is among those starting the PAC. She says the goal is to create a pipeline to develop Latino elected officials.

"We feel like we are really missing out on quality candidates because they don't have either the experience or relationships to fundraise to properly launch and fund a campaign," Flores said.

Flores says equivalent PACs already exist for Republican-leaning Latinos.

Organizers had planned to announce the Impacto Fund at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina next month.

But the Las Vegas Sun publicized the new PAC's Secretary of State filings on Tuesday.