This new leader of the Beaufort County Democrats is blazing a trail. Here’s why

The Beaufort County Democratic Party elected its first chairwoman of Latin American ancestry on Saturday.

Mayra Rivera Vazquez of Bluffton replaces longtime leader Blaine Lotz, according to a news release from the county organization.

The vote, at the annual county convention held at Penn Center on St. Helena Island, was unanimous, the news release said.

“Our main goal will be to engage voters to ensure that Beaufort County elects more Democrats. ... This upcoming election is about the leadership we need to bring our people together,” Rivera Vazquez told nearly 200 attendees, the largest turnout in more than 10 years, according to the release.

“What we do in the coming months will define South Carolina for years to come,” she said.

Rivera Vazquez, who was born in Puerto Rico, is a legal assistant at Deverall Immigration Law and is on the board of directors of the Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity, the release said.

The state Democratic convention is April 21 in Columbia.

This story was originally published February 27, 2018 at 9:19 AM with the headline "This new leader of the Beaufort County Democrats is blazing a trail. Here’s why."