Cruz M. Bustamante: 1953—: Lieutenant Governor, Politician Biography

Cruz M. Bustamante is a Democrat who became the first Latino to hold a statewide office in California in over 100 years when he was elected lieutenant governor in 1998. Prior to that position, Bustamante served as a California assemblyman and he was the first Latino speaker of the state assembly. Throughout his career Bustamante has supported the agricultural and immigrant communities of California, particularly in his home district of Fresno. He has promoted better education, environmental responsibility, and racial tolerance and diversity during his two terms as lieutenant governor. He is a low-profile politician who has earned a reputation as someone who works hard and who is not afraid to address controversial issues.