Edward Lopez Pastor (; June 28, 1943 – November 27, 2018) was an
American politician
The politics of the United States function within a framework of a constitutional federal republic and presidential system, with three distinct branches that share powers. These are: the U.S. Congress which forms the legislative branch, a bic ...
who served as a member of the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
from
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
from 1991 to 2015. A member of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, he represented
Arizona's 2nd congressional district
Arizona's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of Arizona. For election purposes, it is now located in the northeast corner of the state. For representational purposes until January 2023, it is located ...
from 1991 to 2003, its
4th district from 2003 to 2013, and its
7th district from 2013 to 2015, all of which were anchored in downtown
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
.
Early life
Pastor was born in
Claypool, Arizona
Claypool ( apw, Goshtłʼish Tú) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Gila County, Arizona, Gila County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,538 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, down from 1,794 at the 2000 United States Ce ...
, as the oldest of three children. After high school, he earned his
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree in chemistry from
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
(ASU). He became a chemistry teacher at North High School in Phoenix and later went on to work as deputy director of the community service group Guadalupe Organization Inc.
After returning to ASU to earn a
J.D. degree, he became an assistant to Arizona Governor
Raúl Héctor Castro
Raúl Héctor Castro (; June 12, 1916 – April 10, 2015) was a Mexican American politician, diplomat and judge. In 1964, Castro was selected to be U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador, a position he held until 1968 when he was appointed U.S. Ambass ...
. In 1976, Pastor was elected to the
Maricopa County
Maricopa County is in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,420,568, making it the state's most populous county, and the fourth-most populous in the United States. It contains about 6 ...
Board of Supervisors, and he served three terms in that role as a county executive.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
In 1991, Pastor entered a special election to succeed retiring 28-year incumbent Democrat
Mo Udall
Morris King "Mo" Udall (June 15, 1922 – December 12, 1998) was an American attorney and Democratic politician who served as a U.S. representative from Arizona from May 2, 1961, to May 4, 1991. He was a leading contender for the 1976 Democ ...
in the 2nd District, which then comprised the southwestern part of Arizona, including half of Tucson and portions of southern Phoenix.
Pastor won a narrow victory in the four-way Democratic primary, defeating his closest challenger, Tucson mayor
Tom Volgy
Thomas John Volgy (born March 19, 1946) is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Arizona, where he has been on faculty since 1971. He is also the Executive Director (since 1995) of the International Studies Association.
He is a f ...
, by 1,800 votes.
[Race detail of 1991 special election primary]
/ref> He was the only major candidate from the Phoenix share of the district.
He then won the special election a month later with 55 percent of the vote to become the first Latino to represent Arizona in Congress.[ He was reelected four times without substantive ]Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
opposition, never dropping below 60% of the vote.
Pastor's former territory was renumbered as the 7th District following the 2000 census, but his home in Phoenix was drawn into the newly created 4th District. Rather than move to the Phoenix portion of the reconfigured 7th, he opted to run in the 4th.[ The newly created district was heavily Democratic and majority-Latino, with Democrats having a nearly 2-to-1 advantage in registration, similar to his old district. He was reelected six times against nominal Republican opposition.
]
Tenure
Pastor was one of the nine Chief Deputy Whips for the Democratic Caucus. Following in Udall's footsteps, his voting record was decidedly liberal; for most of his tenure, he was the most liberal member of the Arizona congressional delegation. He was well-respected by members of both parties, and had a reputation for bipartisanship.[
He was a founding member of the ]Congressional Progressive Caucus
The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is a congressional caucus affiliated with the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the United States Congress. The CPC represents the most Left-wing politics, left-leaning faction of the ...
, was pro-choice, and in 2006 supported the interests of the Planned Parenthood 100 percent, according to their records. In 2006, NARAL Pro-Choice America-Endorsements endorsed Representative Pastor. He voted against the 2002 Iraq Resolution
The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002,[Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...](_blank)
.
In 2011, Pastor voted against the National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011. He also voted against several bills that would encourage trade between countries such as Panama. Furthermore, he voted to encourage the display of "In God We Trust" in public buildings and schools.
In 2009-2010, Pastor was backed by the National Farmers Union. However, he was not supported by the National Council of Agricultural Employers.
Pastor was supported by the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund,[ which works to protect native wildlife and wild areas.]
Around the mid-1990s, Pastor was backed by the Americans for the Arts Action Fund. However, since then, their support has dwindled somewhat.
Pastor had a strong stance on civil rights regarding sexual orientation and race. For example, in 2007, he voted to prohibit job discrimination based on sexual orientation and, in 2006, he voted against defining marriage as one man-one woman. Finally, in 2004, he voted against a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. In 2002, the ACLU rated Pastor at 93% for a pro-civil rights voting record.
In February 2014, Pastor announced that he would not seek reelection and would instead retire upon the completion of his term.
Committee assignments
*Committee on Appropriations
The United States House Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives that is responsible for passing appropriation bills along with its Senate counterpart. The bills passed by the Appropriations Commi ...
** Subcommittee of Energy and Water Development
** Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
** Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (Ranking Member)
*Source:
Caucuses
*Congressional Progressive Caucus
The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is a congressional caucus affiliated with the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the United States Congress. The CPC represents the most Left-wing politics, left-leaning faction of the ...
*Congressional Hispanic Caucus
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) is an organization of 38 Democratic members of the United States Congress of Hispanic and Latino descent. The Caucus focuses on issues affecting Hispanics and Latinos in the United States. The CHC was fou ...
* International Conservation Caucus
*Source:[
]
Legacy
Multiple schools, parks and other institutions including the Ed Pastor Center for Politics and Public Service have been established in his honor. A section of Loop 202
Arizona State Route 202 (SR 202) or Loop 202 is a semi-beltway circling the eastern and southern areas of the Phoenix metropolitan area in central Arizona. It traverses the eastern end and the southern end of the city of Phoenix, ...
in the Phoenix area was named in his honor.
Pastor has been credited with inspiring multiple generations of people dedicated to public service including Arizona State House Democratic Leader Charlene Fernandez
Charlene Fernandez (Birth name, ''née'' Ramos; born February 24, 1955) is an American politician who was the Democratic leader of the Arizona House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021. She was first elected to the state House in 2014 and represe ...
.
Personal life
Pastor was married to Verma Mendez for 53 years and had two daughters, Yvonne and Laura. He died on November 27, 2018 following a heart attack in Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
at the age of 75.
Electoral history
*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1990, write-ins received 44 votes. In 1992, write-ins received 5 votes.
See also
*
References
External links
*
*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pastor, Ed
1943 births
2018 deaths
21st-century American politicians
American politicians of Mexican descent
Arizona lawyers
Arizona State University alumni
County supervisors in Arizona
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Arizona
Schoolteachers from Arizona
Hispanic and Latino American members of the United States Congress
Hispanic and Latino American people in Arizona politics
People from Gila County, Arizona
Politicians from Phoenix, Arizona
20th-century American politicians
20th-century American educators
20th-century American lawyers