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Senate Years of Service: 1964-1977 Party: Democrat
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MONTOYA, Joseph Manuel, a Representative and a Senator from New Mexico; born in Penablanca, Sandoval
County, N.Mex., September 24, 1915; attended Regis College, Denver, Colo.; graduated from
Georgetown University Law School, Washington, D.C., in 1938; admitted to the bar in 1939 and
commenced the practice of law in Santa Fe, N.Mex.; elected to the State house of representatives in
1936, reelected in 1938, and was majority leader in 1939 and 1940; member, State senate
1940-1946, and served as majority whip; lieutenant governor 1947-1951; unsuccessful candidate for
election in 1950 to the Eighty-second Congress; member, State senate 1953-1954; lieutenant
governor 1955-1957; elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-fifth Congress, April 9, 1957, by special
election, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Antonio M. Fernandez; reelected to the three
succeeding Congresses and served from April 9, 1957, until his resignation November 3, 1964, having
been elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate, November 3, 1964, to complete the
unexpired term of Dennis Chavez for the term ending January 3, 1965, and at the same time elected
for the six-year term ending January 3, 1971; reelected in 1970 and served from November 4, 1964,
until January 3, 1977; unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1976; died in Washington, D.C., June
5, 1978; interment in Rosario Cemetery, Santa Fe, N.Mex.
BibliographyAmerican National Biography; Vigil,
Maurilio, and Roy Lujan. Parallels in the Career of Two Hispanic U.S. Senators. Journal of
Ethnic Studies 13 (Winter 1986): 1-20.
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