page_title: Hispanic and Latino conservatism in the United States
section_title: Timeline of events
hierarchical_section_title: Hispanic and Latino conservatism in the United States / Timeline of events
caption_attribution_description: U.S. Senator Mel Martinez, of Florida.
context_page_description: Hispanic and Latino Americans make up an increasing share of the United States electorate. A record 29 million Latinos were eligible to vote in the 2018 midterm elections, accounting for 12.8% of all eligible voters, a new high. Latinos made up an estimated 11% of all voters nationwide on Election Day, nearly matching their share of the U.S. eligible voter population.
context_section_description: This is a timeline of significant events in Hispanic history which have shaped the conservative movement in the United States.
  1860s
  1863 - Romualdo Pacheco elected as California State Treasurer
  Francisco Perea (New Mexico Territory) elected to U.S. Congress (non voting delegate)
  1865 - José Francisco Chaves (New Mexico Territory) elected to U.S. Congress (non voting delegate)
  1870s
  1871 - Romualdo Pacheco elected as Lieutenant Governor of California
  1875 - Romualdo Pacheco appointed as Governor of California
  1877 - Romualdo Pacheco (CA) elected to U.S. Congress and Trinidad Romero (New Mexico Territory) elected to U.S. Congress (non voting delegate)
  1879 - Mariano S. Otero (New Mexico Territory) elected to U.S. Congress (non voting delegate)
  1880s
  1881 - Tranquilino Luna (New Mexico Territory) elected to U.S. Congress (non voting delegate)
  1890s
  1897 - Miguel Antonio Otero elected as Governor of New Mexico Territory
  1899 - Pedro Perea (New Mexico Territory) elected to U.S. Congress (non voting delegate)
  1900s
  1901 - Federico Degetau elected to U.S. Congress (1st Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico)
  1905 - Tulio Larrínaga elected to U.S. Congress (1st Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico)
  1910s
  1911 - Luis Muñoz Rivera elected to U.S. Congress (1st Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico)
  1917 - Félix Córdova Dávila (Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico) and Benigno C. Hernández (NM) elected to U.S. Congress
  1919 - Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo elected as Governor of New Mexico
  1920s
  1921 - Néstor Montoya (NM) elected to U.S. Congress
  1928 - Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo elected as United States Senator from New Mexico
  1960s
  1967 - Ben Fernandez creates the Republican National Hispanic Assembly
  1969 - Luis A. Ferré elected as Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
  Jorge Luis Córdova (Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico) and Manuel Lujan, Jr. (NM) elected to U.S. Congress
  1970s
  1971 - President Richard M. Nixon appoints Romana Acosta Bañuelos as Treasurer of the United States
  1973 - President Richard M. Nixon appoints Ben Fernandez as Ambassador to Paraguay
  1977 - Baltasar Corrada del Río elected to U.S. Congress (Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico)
  1979 - Mike Curb elected as Lieutenant Governor of California
  1980s
  1981 - President Ronald Reagan appoints John Gavin as United States Ambassador to Mexico
  1983 - President Ronald Reagan appoints Katherine D. Ortega as Treasurer of the United States
  Barbara Vucanovich (NV) is elected to U.S. Congress
  Patricia Dillon Cafferata is elected Nevada State Treasurer
  1985 - President Ronald Reagan appoints Linda Chavez as Assistant to the President for Public Liaison
  1987 - Bob Martinez elected as Governor of Florida
  1989 - President George H. W. Bush appoints Manuel Lujan, Jr. as United States Secretary of the Interior
  Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL) is elected to U.S. Congress
  1990s
  1990 - President George H. W. Bush appoints Vice Admiral Dr. Antonia Novello as Surgeon General of the United States
  1991 - President George H. W. Bush appoints Bob Martínez as Director of the National Drug Control Policy
  1993 - Henry Bonilla (TX) and Lincoln Díaz-Balart (FL) elected to U.S. Congress
  1995 - Tony Garza appointed Texas Secretary of State
  1997 - John E. Sununu (NH) is elected to U.S. Congress
  Alberto Gonzales appointed Texas Secretary of State
  1999 - Alberto Gonzales elected as Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court
  2000s
  2000 - Matthew G. Martinez (CA) Democratic Congressman joins GOP
  2001 - President George W. Bush appoints the following:
  Hector Barreto as Administrator of the Small Business Administration
  Rosario Marin as Treasurer of the United States
  Mel Martínez as United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
  Alberto Gonzales as White House Counsel
  Elsa Murano as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety
  Leslie Sanchez as Executive Director, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans
  Cari M. Dominguez as Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
  Major General William A. Navas, Jr. as Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower
caption: Mel Martínez
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