John Pinto (December 15, 1924 – May 24, 2019) was an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
politician.
He served as a
Democratic member of the
New Mexico Senate
The New Mexico Senate ( es, Senado de Nuevo México) is the upper house of the New Mexico State Legislature. The Senate consists of 42 members, with each senator representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts across the state ...
from 1977 until his death in 2019.
Early life
Pinto was born in
Lupton, Arizona
Lupton ( nv, ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States. Lupton is located along Interstate 40 at the New Mexico border, southwest of Gallup, New Mexico. Lupton has a post offic ...
, on the Navajo Nation.
He earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degree from the
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...
.
Career
Pinto served in the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and was a Navajo
code talker
A code talker was a person employed by the military during wartime to use a little-known language as a means of secret communication. The term is now usually associated with United States service members during the world wars who used their k ...
. After leaving the military, Pinto was a teacher and organizer for the
National Education Association
The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest labor union in the United States. It represents public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college stude ...
.
Elected to the
New Mexico Senate
The New Mexico Senate ( es, Senado de Nuevo México) is the upper house of the New Mexico State Legislature. The Senate consists of 42 members, with each senator representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts across the state ...
in 1977, Pinto represented the 3rd district, which includes the
Four Corners
The Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico. The Four Corners area ...
-area and spans much of western
San Juan County, as well as a portion of western
McKinley County. Much of the district is made up of the
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native American reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah; at roughly , the ...
and includes
Shiprock
Shiprock ( nv, , "rock with wings" or "winged rock") is a monadnock rising nearly above the high-desert plain of the Navajo Nation in San Juan County, New Mexico, San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. Its peak elevation is above sea le ...
,
Sheep Springs, and part of
Gallup. At 94, he was the longest-serving member in the Senate.
Personal life
He died in office in
Gallup, New Mexico
Zuni: ''Kalabwaki''
, settlement_type = City
, nickname = "Indian Capital of the World"
, motto =
, image_skyline = Gallup, New Mexico.jpg
, imagesize = 250px
, image_caption ...
, on May 24, 2019 at the age of 94.
NM mourns long-time state senator John Pinto
''The NM Political Report'', Andy Lyman, May 24, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2019. He was succeeded in office by his granddaughter, Shannon Pinto
Shannon D. Pinto is an American politician serving as a member of the New Mexico Senate. A member of the Democratic Party, Pinto represents the 3rd district, which includes Shiprock, New Mexico and part of Navajo Nation.
Early life and educati ...
.
References
External links
John Pinto
at Vote Smart
Vote Smart, formerly called Project Vote Smart, is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States. It covers candidates and elected officials in si ...
* ''Follow the Money'' – John Pinto
*
2008200620042002200019961992
campaign contributions
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pinto, John
1924 births
2019 deaths
Navajo Nation politicians
Native American state legislators in New Mexico
Democratic Party New Mexico state senators
People from McKinley County, New Mexico
21st-century American politicians
People from Apache County, Arizona
Military personnel from Arizona
Navajo code talkers
University of New Mexico alumni
20th-century American politicians
United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II
20th-century Native Americans
21st-century Native Americans