Bill Richardson: 1947—: Politician

After receiving his master's degree in international affairs in 1971, Richardson moved to Washington, D.C., and secured a position as a staff member for the U.S. House of Representatives. During 1972 Richardson married Barbara Flavin, an antiques restorer he had known since his teenage years. In 1973 he took a job as a staffer in the Congressional Affairs Office of the U.S. State Department. Three years later he joined the staff of the foreign relations subcommittee of the U.S. Senate, which was under the leadership of Sen. Humphrey.

By 1978 Richardson was eyeing his own political future. His problem, however, was that, although he was born in the United States, he had been raised in Mexico and had no real home base from which to establish himself. To remedy this, Richardson moved to New Mexico in 1978, where he worked for a time as a trade consultant and quickly got involved in local Democratic politics. He became a member of the Bernalillo County Democratic Commission and, before long, was asked by the Arizona governor to assume the duties as executive director of the New Mexico State Democratic Commission.

Richardson's first foray into elective politics was his unsuccessful bid for the second congressional district seat in 1980. On the announcement of his candidacy, Richardson was pelted with charges of carpetbagging. However, he responded that his dual heritage made him a perfect fit for New Mexico's diverse culture, which includes large populations of Anglos, Hispanics, and Native Americans. Richardson won the primary, but faced stiff competition from Rep. Manuel Lujan, Jr., a well-established Republican incumbent, in the general election.