Cruz Bustamante

Cruz Bustamante, as Lieutenant Governor of California, was the first Hispanic to hold statewide office in California since 1878. He was born in Dinuba, CA, on January 4, 1953, and grew up in San Joaquin, CA. Having spent years going to school and working in the fields, a stint in Washington, DC, where he worked as a congressional intern, was a real eye-opener for Bustamante. He later was elected Assemblyman, Speaker of the Assembly and then California's Lieutenant Governor. The father of three children, Bustamante ran for governor of California when incumbent governor Gray Davis was recalled. He served as lieutenant governor from 1999-2007.

Last updated: December 15, 2008.