Lt. Gov. Charles J. Fogarty will provide information in Spanish and English about campaign for governor on his campaign Web site.

The Spanish-language main page is www.charliefogarty.com/es.

The main page feature a welcome message from New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Richardson, the only Latino governor in the country and the chairman of the Democratic Governors' Association, visited Rhode Island in May to headline a fundraiser for Fogarty.

Fogarty will promote the site with appearances on Spanish- and English-language radio stations.

The addition of the Spanish-language pages is the latest move in Fogarty's effort to reach out to the Latino community, he said. He has also addressed the Latinos on the Hill forum at the State House, organized a statewide Latino Business Expo, and visited businesses on Broad Street in Providence on a tour to hear the concerns of Latino merchants.

"Rhode Island's diversity is one of its greatest strengths," Fogarty said. "The Latino community's culture, work ethic and civic pride have a remarkable influence on our great state."

De Ramel wins union endorsement Secretary of state candidate Guillaume de Ramel has won the endorsement of the local unit of a major health-care workers labor union, his campaign said. The New England Health Care Employees Union, District 1199 of the Service Employees' International Union, represents more than 20,000 health-care workers in Rhode Island, Connecticut and southeastern Massachusetts in hospitals, nursing homes, community health centers and facilities for people with developmental disabilities, including about 3,500 health-care workers in Rhode Island. De Ramel, a Democrat, faces a primary race against North Providence Mayor A. Ralph Mollis in November.

This is the second major health-care union to endorse de Ramel; the United Nurses and Allied Professionals did so earlier this month.

Stan Israel, executive vice president of District 1199, said his union endorsed de Ramel not because of health-care issues per se, but because union members feel de Ramel "has the character and integrity to fufill the responsibilities" of an office that "is critical in ensuring fair elections and encrouaging civic participation by the entire community."

Israel said nurses the union represents "could have used clearer information" regarding a bill that would have made it illegal for managers to force health-care workers to work overtime. That bill passed the House the final night of this year's legislative session, but the Senate never took it up.

"Mr. de Ramel has committed to make the legislative process, bill tracking and budget information more accessible to the average voter," Israel said.

egudrais@projo.com / (401) 277-7045