Catherine Cortez Masto

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Catherine Cortez Masto
Catherine Cortez Masto 115th Congress.jpg
United States Senator
from Nevada
Assumed office
January 3, 2017
Serving with Dean Heller
Preceded by Harry Reid
32nd Attorney General of Nevada
In office
January 1, 2007 – January 5, 2015
Governor Jim Gibbons
Brian Sandoval
Preceded by George Chanos
Succeeded by Adam Laxalt
Personal details
Born Catherine Marie Cortez
(1964-03-29) March 29, 1964 (age 60)
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Paul Masto
Residence Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Alma mater University of Nevada, Reno (BS)
Gonzaga University (JD)
Website Senate website

Catherine Marie Cortez Masto (born March 29, 1964) is an American attorney and politician who is the junior United States Senator from Nevada. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Cortez Masto graduated from University of Nevada, Reno and Gonzaga University School of Law. She worked four years as a civil attorney in Las Vegas and two years as a criminal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C. She was the Attorney General of Nevada from 2007 to 2015, elected to replace George Chanos. She was not eligible to run for a third term in 2014 due to lifetime term limits established by the Nevada Constitution.

Cortez Masto defeated Joe Heck in the U.S. Senate election in Nevada to replace outgoing Democratic senator Harry Reid, becoming the first woman elected to represent Nevada in the Senate and the first Latina elected to serve in the Senate.[1] She took office on January 3, 2017.

Early life

Cortez Masto was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, the daughter of Joanna (née Musso) and Manny Cortez.[2] Her father was the longtime head of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and also served as a Clark County Commissioner and as an attorney for the county.[3] Manny Cortez, now deceased, and Harry Reid had a longstanding friendship.[4] Her father is of Mexican descent and her mother is of Italian descent.[5] Her paternal grandfather, Edward Cortez, immigrated to Nevada from the Mexican state of Chihuahua.[6][7][8]

Education and law career

Cortez Masto earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree in finance from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1986 and a J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1990.[9]

She was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada in 1990, the U.S. District Court, District of Nevada in 1991 and the U.S. Court of Appeals, for the Ninth Circuit in 1994. She is married to Paul Masto, a former Special Agent in the United States Secret Service.[10]

Her career includes four years as a civil attorney in Las Vegas and two years as a criminal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C. She also served as former Nevada Democratic Governor Bob Miller’s chief of staff.[4]

In 2014, Cortez Masto was named executive vice chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education. The Board of Regents never voted on the hire and it was unclear if other candidates were considered.[11]

Nevada Attorney General

In 2009, Cortez Masto's office launched an investigation against Brian Krolicki, the Republican Lieutenant Governor of Nevada. Krolicki faced felony charges related to allegations that he mishandled the Nevada College Savings Trust Fund when he was state treasurer. During the investigation, the Las Vegas Review-Journal discovered that Cortez Masto's husband, Paul, planned to host a fundraising party for Robert S. Randazzo, a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, four days before the attorney general's office was scheduled to prosecute Krolicki. Cortez Masto said she was unaware of the fundraising party.[12] The charges against Krolicki were ultimately dismissed in Clark County District Court.[13] The dismissal of charges against Krolicki was regarded as a political setback for Cortez Masto, who, according to the Las Vegas Sun, "opened herself to charges of politicizing her office and prosecutorial misconduct."[14]

In 2010, Cortez Masto's office began investigating Bank of America, accusing the company of raising interest rates on troubled borrowers. Her office sought to end Nevada's participation in a loan modification settlement in order to sue the bank over alleged deceptive marketing and lending practices. Bank of America denied any wrongdoing.[15] The lawsuit was settled in 2012 for $750 million for lien reductions and short sales.[16]

Cortez Masto defended the state of Nevada's position in the lawsuit Sevcik v. Sandoval. The lawsuit challenged Nevada's denial of same-sex marriage as prohibited by the state's constitution and statutory law. After initially defending the state's same-sex marriage ban,[17] Cortez Masto and the state abandoned their defense of the ban in light of a ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.[18]

2016 U.S. Senate campaign

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Main article: United States Senate election in Nevada, 2016

Cortez Masto declined to run for Governor of Nevada in the 2014 election.[19] When U.S. Senator Harry Reid decided not to run for re-election in the 2016 election, he endorsed Cortez Masto as his successor.[4] Cortez Masto's campaign relied heavily on the political infrastructure Reid had assembled.[20] Her opponent was United States Representative Joe Heck.

Cortez Masto, who supports increased investments in renewable energy technology, was supported by the League of Conservation Voters.[21] Cortez Masto was also financially supported by End Citizens United, a political action committee seeking to overturn Citizens United v. FEC, and pro choice groups such as EMILY's List and Planned Parenthood.[22]

Cortez Masto won 47% of the vote (520,658 votes), with Joe Heck behind at 45% (494,427 votes).[1] She filled the seat of former Senator Harry Reid on 3 January 2017, becoming the first Latina in the United States Senate.[23]

U.S. Senate

Committee Assignments

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Las Vegas High School Alumni Association: "MANUEL J. CORTEZ (Class of 1956)"[permanent dead link] retrieved February 15, 2016
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ http://catherinecortezmasto.com/post/141037401209/catherine-cortez-masto-launches-spanish-language
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Legal offices
Preceded by Attorney General of Nevada
2007–2015		 Succeeded by
Adam Laxalt
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Nevada
(Class 3)
2016		 Most recent
United States Senate
Preceded by
Harry Reid
 United States Senator (Class 3) from Nevada
2017–present
Served alongside: Dean Heller		 Incumbent
United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States Senators by seniority
99th		 Succeeded by
Luther Strange
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