Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo
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Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo (December 7, 1859 – April 7, 1930) served as Governor and Senator from New Mexico. He was the first federal senator of Hispanic heritage.
Larrazolo was born in El Valle de San Bartolo (now Allende) in what is now the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, on December 7, 1859. A devoutly religious man, he moved to Tucson, Arizona, in 1870 to study under the bishop of Arizona. He studied theology and attended St. Michael's College at Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1875 and 1876. After returning to Tucson to teach in public schools for a brief time, and then moved to teach in El Paso County, Texas.
Shortly after moving to El Paso, Larrazolo was appointed clerk of the district court at El Paso and then clerk of the United States District and Circuit Courts for the Western District of Texas at El Paso. He was admitted to the bar in 1888 and was elected district attorney for the western district of Texas in 1890 and reelected in 1892.
Larrazolo moved to Las Vegas, New Mexico, in 1895 and resumed the practice of law. He was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for election as a Delegate to Congress from the New Mexico Territory in 1890, 1900, and 1908.
In 1911 Larrazolo changed political affiliations to the Republican when the State Convention of the Democratic Party had denied his request that one-half of all statewide nominees be Hispanic to represent the sixty percent of the population of New Mexico that was Hispanic. He was elected as the first Hispanic to serve as Governor of the State of New Mexico. After serving two years as Governor, he was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives in 1927 and 1928.
After the death of Senator Andrieus A. Jones in 1928, Larrazolo ran for and won the special election to the vacant seat. He only served six months (the remaining duration of Jones' term), and did not seek reelection due to illness. Nevertheless, Larrazolo was the first Hispanic elected to the United States Senate.
Larrazolo died on April 7, 1930 and is interred in Santa Barbara Cemetery in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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| Preceded by Washington E. Lindsey |
Governor of New Mexico 1919–1921 |
Succeeded by Merritt C. Mechem |
| Preceded by Bronson M. Cutting |
United States Senator (Class 1) from New Mexico 1929–1930 |
Succeeded by Bronson M. Cutting |
| Governors of New Mexico |
 |
|---|---|
| Territorial: Bent • Calhoun • Lane • Meriwether • Rencher • Connelly • Mitchell • Pile • Giddings • Axtell • Wallace • Sheldon • Ross • Prince • Thornton • Otero • Hagerman • Curry • Mills
McDonald • Baca • Lindsey • Larrazolo • M. Mechem • Hinkle • Hannett • Dillon • Seligman • Hockenhull • Tingley • Miles • Dempsey • Mabry • E. Mechem • Simms • E. Mechem • Burroughs • E. Mechem • Bolack • Campbell • Cargo • King • Apodaca • King • Anaya • Carruthers • King • Johnson • Richardson |
