John McCain and Barack Obama to Address Nation's Latino Political Leadership

WASHINGTON, June 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of
Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) announced today that Senators
John McCainandBarack Obama, the presumptive Republican and Democratic
presidential nominees, will address the nation's Latino leadership at the
organization's 25th Annual Conference next Saturday, June 28, in Washington,
D.C.

"We're delighted that Senators McCain and Obama will meet directly with Latino
officials who represent millions of Americans across the country," said Adolfo
Carrion, Jr., NALEO President and Bronx Borough President. "Latino voters are
going to play a decisive role in the general election and the community is
ready to hear both candidates make their case. This is the first step in a
necessary process of getting to know each other better."

The format of the appearances is being finalized with the campaigns.

The appearances will take place during a four-day convention of nearly 1,000
Latino public officials working at all levels of government in communities
across the nation. Conference participants will join political and policy
leaders for panel discussions on education, mental health, affordable energy,
the growing economic crisis, community investment and the growing clout of
Latino voters on American politics.

The conference comes at a moment when the Latino community is poised to
exercise extraordinary influence in the November elections. Unprecedented
numbers of Latinos - now nearly nine percent of all eligible voters - have
turned out in Democratic and Republican primaries, supplying the margin of
victory in several contests.

NALEO leaders will hold a kick-off press conference on the morning of June 26
to present new data on Latino voters and unveil plans for a major voter
turnout effort in November, made possible in part by a major gift from State
Farm Insurance Companies.

That afternoon, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid,
Sen. Robert Menendez and Sen. Ken Salazar will participate in a national
leadership luncheon with conference attendees. Other conference dignitaries
include U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, United States Treasurer Anna
Escobedo Cabraland Former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros.

That evening, the group will also honor New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson
with its Edward R. Roybal Award for Outstanding Public Service.

For a full conference agenda and registration information, please visit
http://www.naleo.org/annualconference.

What: NALEO 25th Annual Conference

Who: NALEO, the nation's membership organization of Latino elected
officials, and NALEO Educational Fund, the leading organization that
empowers Latinos to participate in the American political process,
will host nearly 1,000 elected and appointed officials and their
supporters at the nation's Latino political convention.

When: June 25 - 28, 2008

HIGHLIGHTS:

NALEO Kick-Off Press Conference on Thursday, June 26 at 11:00 a.m. at the
Auditorium, Meeting Room Level

National Leadership Luncheon on Thursday, June 26 at 12:00 p.m. in Grand
Ballroom, Ballroom Level featuring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid, Senator Robert Menendez, Senator Ken Salazar and Rep.
Xavier Becerra

Appearance by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) on Saturday, June 28 at 11:00 a.m.

Appearance by Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) on Saturday, June 28 at 12:00 p.m.
Details and logistics to follow.

The Edward R. Roybal Legacy Gala honoring Governor Bill Richardsonon Thursday,
June 26 at 7:00 p.m. at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, 1301 Constitution
Avenue, NW, in Washington, D.C.

Where:The Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel
999 Ninth Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001

MEDIA REGISTRATION:

Advance registration is required. To access the media registration page
please log on to our website at http://www.naleo.org/DC/news.html. You can
register by contacting Eric Wagner at ewagner@naleo.org or by phone at (213)
747-7606, ext. 127.

SOURCE National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials

Mark Glaze, +1-202-271-0982, mglaze@ragengroup.com; Eric Wagner,
+1-323-683-9295, ewagner@naleo.org; or Estuardo Rodriquez (Spanish),
+1-202-631-2892, erodriguez@rabengroup.com