Notable Hispanics: Octaviano Larrazolo

Octaviano Larrazolo was the first Hispanic to serve in the United States Senate. A native of Allende in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, Larrazolo was taken to the United States in 1870 by J.B. Salpoint, a French-born bishop who instructed the young Larrazolo in theology in Tucson, Arizona.

Larrazolo followed Salpoint to New Mexico, where he would continue and eventually complete his studies at St. Michael's College in Santa Fe in 1877 at the age of 18. Upon completion of his studies, Larrazolo became an educator, returning to Tucson to teach for a year before moving to San Elizaro, Texas, where he worked as a school principal for seven years.

While employed as a principal, Larrazolo's growing interest in politics led him to become active in the Democratic Party. In 1885, he was appointed clerk of the U.S. District and Circuit Courts at El Paso, and the following year he was elected as clerk of the 34th District Court at El Paso, winning his reelection campaign two years later in 1888.

With two political victories under his belt, Larrazolo found even more success in 1890, when he was elected state attorney for Texas' Western District. He would serve two terms in that position.

Larrazolo would experience his first taste of political defeat after leaving Texas for Las Vegas, New Mexico, where he would lose all three of his bids to be elected to the position of Territorial Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. Despite those defeats, his influence was considerable, as he was instrumental in writing strong provisions that guaranteed protection of Spanish-speaking voters from disenfranchisement and discrimination into New Mexico's constitution.

Larrazolo left the Democratic Party shortly thereafter, and in 1918, was elected Governor of New Mexico and spent his term supporting several progressive causes, including women's suffrage. His bold stances on such issues lost him support within his own party, and Larrazolo did not receive the Republican nomination for governor in 1922.

That lack of support did not end Larrazolo's political career, however. In 1928, the former governor was elected to fill the unexpired term of Democratic Senator Andieus A. Jones, who had died in office. Larrazolo's term, however, would prove brief, as Larrazolo was forced to confront his own failing health and could only serve six months before returning to Albuquerque, where he passed away on April 7, 1930.