Dennis Chavez 1888–1962
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H former members 1898–1945 H Dennis Chavez 1888–1962 UNITED StATES REPRESENTATIVE 1931–1935 UNITED StATES SENATOR 1935–1962 DEMOCRAT FROM NEW MEXICO he first Hispanic Democrat elected to the U.S. Highland Grocery, creating a minor scandal in 1903 when Senate, Dennis Chavez changed the face of New he refused to serve a group of railroad workers who had Mexican and national politics. Over his 31- been hired to break a labor strike. Three years later, Chavez Tyear career, Chavez never strayed far from the New Deal began working as an engineer for the city of Albuquerque, liberalism that first won him election to national office. eventually rising to assistant city engineer.5 In 1911 Chavez Through ambitious public works legislation, Chavez married Imelda Espinosa. The couple had three children: modernized the country’s infrastructure and national Dennis, Jr., and daughters, Gloria and Ymelda. defense systems. But it is perhaps his civil rights agenda, As a youngster, Chavez became a Democrat because which broadened the idea of American citizenship, that he blamed Republicans for the low standard of living in Chavez is best remembered for. As Representative Henry B. the American Southwest. “Republicans were in control González of Texas said, “the fact that a man with a surname of everything,” he later remembered, “and under them, such as Chavez was able to contribute as magnificently English-speaking communities had schools, Spanish- as the Senator did will forever be an inspiration to those speaking communities had none.”6 “My relatives and of us who cannot escape our names.”1 everyone I knew were Republicans,” he said in 1948, The third of eight children, Dionisio (Dennis) Chavez “but I became a Democrat before I could vote because I was born in early April of 1887 or 1888 to David Chavez disapproved of the inequalities condoned by the Republican and Paz Sanchez Chavez in Los Chavez, Valencia County, Party.”7 At the time, Chavez’s political leanings tended New Mexico.2 Chavez’s father maintained a small farm in to cut against the grain, as many Hispanos—including the Rio Grande Valley and worked for neighboring ranches Octaviano Larrazolo, who became the first Hispanic U.S. when the need arose. As there was no school in town, the Senator—were leaving the Democratic Party. Although younger Chavez tended the family’s sheep and cattle with his Anglo Democrats had begun taking steps to limit Hispano father. David Chavez had been appointed the Republican political involvement, Chavez, as his campaign literature Party’s precinct chairman and was also a justice of the peace.3 later said, “saw in the Democratic party a political During Chavez’s childhood the railroad came to central philosophy that placed human rights above property rights.”8 New Mexico, forever transforming the territory by bringing Shortly into his tenure with the city of Albuquerque, new people, ideas, and jobs to the region. In 1895, seeking Chavez became active in state politics. In 1908 he spoke new opportunities and an education for their children, in support of then-Democrat Octaviano Larrazolo, an Chavez’s parents moved the family to a section of south unsuccessful candidate for Territorial Delegate, and two Albuquerque known as Barelas. Chavez’s father took a years later he worked as a translator for Democrat William job with the railroad and enrolled Dennis in the nearby McDonald, a successful gubernatorial candidate.9 In 1916 Presbyterian Mission School, where he learned English. Chavez ran for the clerkship of Bernalillo County while he Dennis later transferred to St. Mary’s Elementary School rallied support for other Democratic nominees across the and then attended Albuquerque’s public schools.4 state. Though Chavez lost, Democrat Ezequiel C. de Baca In the seventh grade Chavez withdrew from school to won the governorship, and Democrat Andreius A. Jones help support his family. He worked as a delivery boy for was elected to the U.S. Senate. In appreciation, de Baca 270 H HISPANIC AMERicans IN CONGRESS Image courtesy of the Library of Congress Dennis Chavez 1888–1962 UNITED StATES REPRESENTATIVE 1931–1935 UNITED StATES SENATOR 1935–1962 DEMOCRAT FROM NEW MEXICO H dennis chavez H appointed Chavez state game warden, but Chavez lost the Club politico independiente de Nuevo Mexico.15 His patronage job when the governor died a few months later. Republican opponent, incumbent Representative Albert For the next year, Chavez worked as an editor, a court G. Simms, spoke widely on the tariff and Prohibition, interpreter, and a partner in an engineering firm until but failed to court the numerous swing votes of the he was offered a legislative clerkship in Senator Jones’s state’s Independent-leaning Republicans.16 On Election Washington office. In 1917 Chavez moved his young Day, Chavez won, with nearly 56 percent of the vote; family to Washington, D.C., and enrolled in night classes nationally, Democrats won control of the House of at Georgetown University Law School. After graduating in Representatives by a narrow margin.17 1920, he returned home to Albuquerque, where he began In the 72nd Congress (1931–1933), Chavez had a practicing law.10 heavy workload for a first-term Member, serving on Chavez was successful in defending organized labor and committees that fit with his interests: Public Lands, as a defense counsel in high-profile murder cases, and he Irrigation and Reclamation; World War Veterans’ used his popularity as a springboard into elected office. Legislation; Public Buildings and Grounds; Indian Affairs; Two years out of law school, Chavez won a seat in the and War Claims.18 Exhausted, Chavez wrote to a friend, state house of representatives in 1922. Though Chavez “If you think that being a Congressman is a sinch [sic], served only one term, his progressive agenda made him a please get over it.… I have to work long hours everyday; rising star in the Democratic Party.11 Frequent speaking sometimes at night and even on Sundays.”19 During his engagements kept his name in the public arena, and in first term Chavez allocated much of his time to constituent 1930 Chavez formally filed as a candidate for the U.S. services, filing for pensions and introducing private relief House of Representatives. During the campaign, Chavez bills. Although Chavez was instrumental in acquiring kept his platforms simple and in line with the Democratic property for schools in the state, his biographers consider agenda: He supported a higher tariff, advocated more- his most ambitious achievement to be the modification aggressive veterans’ legislation, called for federal aid for of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC), a transportation, and sought state ownership of public federal program that made loans to banks to bolster failing lands.12 In a crowded Democratic field at the nominating businesses and municipal treasuries.20 Under Chavez’s convention (New Mexico had no direct primary at the direction, the RFC refinanced its loans to a number of time), Chavez won his party’s nod on the second ballot.13 Southwestern irrigation projects. Chavez later augmented His candidacy was well-timed. State Republicans his agenda for agricultural relief by sponsoring a freeze on were reeling from internal divisions, and the onset of payments for government loans to fund irrigation projects.21 the Great Depression had undercut the GOP’s national Chavez’s legislative interests complemented the agenda.14 New Mexico’s At-Large seat in the U.S. House increasingly popular notion that the federal government of Representatives required a statewide campaign, and was responsible for the country’s financial health and Chavez stumped in both English and Spanish from its general quality of life. Federal initiatives had begun the traditionally Democratic, heavily Anglo counties to strengthen New Mexico’s economy, and as Chavez of eastern New Mexico to the predominantly Hispano prepared for his re-election campaign, he linked his and Republican jurisdictions of north and central New fortunes with those of presidential candidate Franklin D. Mexico. He spoke about water and labor rights and Roosevelt and his running mate, Speaker of the House chastised Republicans for their inability to raise wages, John Nance Garner of Texas, one of Chavez’s allies.22 lower unemployment, and direct relief to the state. Still widely popular, Chavez received an additional boost Chavez garnered crucial endorsements from pro-labor in the 1932 campaign when New Mexico’s Progressive groups and major newspapers and from the influential Party fused with the statewide Democratic ticket.23 With 272 H HISPANIC AMERicans IN CONGRESS H dennis chavez H nominal opposition, Chavez captured 29 of New Mexico’s Chavez and Cutting were popular among Hispanic voters, 31 counties, winning by nearly 42,000 votes.24 and the two ran on similar platforms, touting their New The national Democratic tide that swept the 1932 Deal successes and the federal money directed to the election made Chavez an influential Member of a large state.31 Observers called the race “topsy-turvy” because House majority. With his new seniority, Chavez assumed Cutting, a Republican, often seemed more liberal than greater responsibility in his preferred policy areas. Chavez, who was a Democrat.32 Chavez lost “the most During the 73rd Congress (1933–1935), Chavez sat sharply contested election in New Mexico’s history,” as on the Public Lands Committee and the Indian Affairs it was later characterized, by only 1,284 votes.33 Chavez Committee and chaired the Committee on Irrigation challenged the election results, citing widespread voter and Reclamation.25 As the son of a rancher, Chavez knew fraud, and petitioned the Senate for a recount.34 Cutting firsthand the difficulties of farming the arid Southwest, and returned to New Mexico to prepare his defense, but on he used his chairmanship to address water-use legislation, his way back to Washington, he was killed in a plane crash refusing to tackle new bills until the committee finished over Missouri.