Jose Romualdo Pacheco, born in Santa Barbara, California October 31, 1831, became the first Hispanic governor in the United States when he was served as governor of California in February 1875. He is also the only Hispanic to server as Governor of California and the first Latino to represent a state in the US Congress.
After serving as an apprentice on a trading vessel during the Mexican-American War, he entered politics in 1850. With prominent family connections, he sought the position of judge in San Luis Obispo and won at the age of 22. He was elected to the state senate in 1857 and was re-elected twice.
When the Civil War broke out, he was appointed the rank of brigadier general by Governor Leland Stanford to disarm military companies in Los Angeles that weren't loyal to the Union.
Pacheco served as state treasurer of California from 1863-1867, then became Lieutenant Governor of California under Newton Booth. When Booth was elected to the US Senate in 1875, Pacheco served as governor from February to December 1875.
He ran for a seat in the US House of Representatives and defeated the incumbent Peter Wigginton by one vote. Wigginton contested the election and managed to overturn Pacheco's victory in 1878. Pacheco went into business until winning a House seat in September 1879 and was re-elected in 1880.
After leaving Congress and living on a cattle ranch in northern Mexico until he was appointed as US Minister to various countries in Central America in 1890.
Pacheco returned to California in 1893 and died in 1899.
No comments:
Post a Comment