Jacob Candelaria, born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the first openly gay man to serve in the New Mexico State Legislature. He won 69% of the vote during the Democratic primary election in June 2012. He then ran unopposed in the 2012 November election.
Sidney McNeill Gutierrez is an astronaut born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which makes him the first Hispanic astronaut born in the U.S.A.! The previous Hispanic astronauts had been born elsewhere and some of them immigrated to the U.S., becoming naturalized citizens before going into space.
He has a degree in aeronautical engineering from the Air Force Academy and was a member of their Parachute Team with over 550 jumps. He became an astronaut for NASA in 1985 and has flown on two Space Shuttle missions.
His first trip into space was as pilot for Columbia (STS-40) in June 1991. It was also the first mission dedicated completely to life sciences and the first to carry 3 women crew members.
His second mission was as commander on the Endeavour (STS-59) in April 1994. The mission's objective was to study the Earth and her atmosphere.
