Loretta Sánchez
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Loretta Lorna Sanchez (born January 7, 1960) is an American politician who served in 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from 1997 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she was first elected in 1996, when she defeated long-serving
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 ...
U.S. Representative
Bob Dornan Robert Kenneth Dornan (born April 3, 1933) is an American politician and actor from California. A Republican, Dornan served in the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1983 and from 1985 to 1997. He has become well known for public ...
by fewer than 1,000 votes. Sanchez represented
California's 46th congressional district California's 46th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. It has been represented by Democrat Lou Correa since 2017, when he succeeded Loretta Sanchez, who retired to run for the U.S. Senate. Th ...
from 1997 to 2003 and again from 2013 until 2017, as well as its 47th congressional district from 2003 to 2013. The district lies in central
Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...
. During her time in the House of Representatives, Sanchez was a member of the Democratic
moderate Moderate is an ideological category which designates a rejection of radical or extreme views, especially in regard to politics and religion. A moderate is considered someone occupying any mainstream position avoiding extreme views. In American ...
/
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
Blue Dog Coalition The Blue Dog Coalition (commonly known as the Blue Dogs or Blue Dog Democrats) is a caucus in the United States House of Representatives comprising centrist members from the Democratic Party. The caucus was founded as a group of conservative De ...
. Sanchez chose not to run for re-election to the House in
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, instead opting to run in the
U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
race in California. She was defeated in the general election by fellow Democrat,
California Attorney General The attorney general of California is the state attorney general of the Government of California. The officer's duty is to ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced" (Constitution of California, Article V, Section ...
and future U.S. Vice President
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
, 61.6% to 38.4%. She is the sister of
Linda Sánchez Linda Teresa Sánchez (born January 28, 1969) is an American politician and former labor lawyer serving as the U.S. representative for . A member of the Democratic Party, Sánchez was first elected to Congress in 2002. She serves on the Ways ...
, who currently represents California's 38th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.


Early life and education

Sanchez was born in
Lynwood, California Lynwood is a city in Los Angeles County, California. At the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 69,772, down from 69,845 at the 2000 census. Lynwood is located near South Gate and Compton in the central portion of the Los Angeles ...
, and graduated from
Katella High School Katella High School is a public high school in Anaheim, California, located in the Southeast Anaheim region of the city and is part of the Anaheim Union High School District. It serves 2,700 students in grades nine through twelve. The school's mas ...
in Anaheim in 1978. Her father was a unionized machinist, and her mother worked as a secretary. Her Mexican-immigrant parents had seven children, one of whom—
Linda Sánchez Linda Teresa Sánchez (born January 28, 1969) is an American politician and former labor lawyer serving as the U.S. representative for . A member of the Democratic Party, Sánchez was first elected to Congress in 2002. She serves on the Ways ...
—also served in Congress, making them the first (and, , the only) sisters to serve simultaneously in Congress. Loretta Sanchez joined the
United Food and Commercial Workers The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) is a labor union representing approximately 1.3 million workers in the United States and Canada in industries including retail; meatpacking, food processing and manufacturing; hosp ...
when she worked as an ice cream server in high school and received a union scholarship to college. She received her
undergraduate degree An undergraduate degree (also called first degree or simply degree) is a colloquial term for an academic degree earned by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. In the United States, it is usually offered at an institution of higher e ...
in
economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analyzes ...
from
Chapman College Chapman University is a private research university in Orange, California. It encompasses ten schools and colleges, including Fowler School of Engineering, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Fowler School of Law, and Schmid College of Scien ...
in
Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...
in 1982, obtained her
MBA A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...
from American University in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
in 1984, and was a financial analyst for defense contractor
Booz Allen Hamilton Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation (informally Booz Allen) is the parent of Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., an American management and information technology consulting firm, headquartered in McLean, Virginia, in Greater Washington, D.C., with 8 ...
until entering the House. Sanchez describes herself as growing up a "shy, quiet girl" who did not speak English. She credits government with much of her success in public life.Sanchez, Loretta. (2005). In ''CQ's Politics in America 2006''. The 109th Congress; retrieved January 14, 2007 from CQ Electronic Library, CQ Congress Collection


U.S. House of Representatives


Committee assignments

* Committee on Armed Services ** Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations ** Subcommittee on Strategic Forces (Ranking Member) ** Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities * Committee on Homeland Security ** Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security ** Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence


Caucus memberships

*Congressional Hispanic Caucus *Congressional Human Rights Caucus * International Conservation Caucus *Sportsmen's Caucus


Congressional Hispanic Caucus

In February 2006, Sanchez withdrew from 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 ...
's political action committee, along with five other members, because the caucus chairman,
Joe Baca Joseph Natalio Baca Sr. (born January 23, 1947) is an American Democratic politician who served as the U.S. representative for southwestern San Bernardino County (including Fontana, Rialto, Ontario and parts of the city of San Bernardino) from ...
, authorized political contributions to members of his family who were running for state and local offices in California."Sanchez Accuses Democrat of Calling Her a 'Whore', Resigns from Hispanic Group"
''The Politico''. February 2, 2007; retrieved February 7, 2007.
Sanchez and other CHC members also claim that Baca was improperly elected chairman of the caucus in November 2006 because the vote failed to use secret ballots, as required in the group's bylaws. On January 31, 2007, Sanchez quit the CHC because she claimed that Baca repeatedly treated the group's female members with disrespect. Other female lawmakers have made the same complaint about Baca. In the election for caucus chairman, only one female member of the 23-member caucus voted to support Baca's candidacy. According to Sanchez, as well as
Linda Sánchez Linda Teresa Sánchez (born January 28, 1969) is an American politician and former labor lawyer serving as the U.S. representative for . A member of the Democratic Party, Sánchez was first elected to Congress in 2002. She serves on the Ways ...
(her sister), and
Hilda Solis Hilda Lucia Solis (; born October 20, 1957) is an American politician and a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the 1st district. Solis previously served as the 25th United States Secretary of Labor from 2009 to 2013, as par ...
, Baca called Loretta Sanchez "a whore" while speaking to other lawmakers. Baca denied the charge. Politico reported that Sanchez claimed California Assembly Speaker
Fabian Núñez Fabian Núñez (also transcribed variously as Fabián Núñez, Fabian Nuñez and Fabian Nunez; born December 27, 1966) is an American politician and labor union adviser. A member of the Democratic Party, he served three two-year terms as a mem ...
heard the comment from Baca and repeated it to Sanchez, yet Núñez claimed not to recall any such comment. Sanchez, however, claimed after the article was published that she had never mentioned Núñez to Politico.


Political positions

Sanchez has stated she is a "moderate" Democrat, but in 2009, Sanchez had a 'zero' approval rating from the
American Conservative Union The American Conservative Union (ACU) is an American political organization that advocates for conservative policies, ranks politicians based on their level of conservatism, and organizes the Conservative Political Action Conference. Founded on ...
. She represented a district in Orange County, long a bastion of suburban conservatism, and is a member of the
Blue Dog Coalition The Blue Dog Coalition (commonly known as the Blue Dogs or Blue Dog Democrats) is a caucus in the United States House of Representatives comprising centrist members from the Democratic Party. The caucus was founded as a group of conservative De ...
and the
New Democrat Coalition The New Democrat Coalition is a caucus in the House of Representatives of the United States Congress made up of Democrats, primarily centrists, who take a pro-business stance and a moderate-to-conservative approach to fiscal matters. As of ...
; she reportedly voted with Nancy Pelosi 97.8% of the time during the
111th Congress The 111th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011. It began during the last weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with th ...
. Sanchez is known for her interests in education, crime, economic development, and protections for senior citizens. '' National Journal'' rated her votes in 2006 in three areas: Economic, Social, and Foreign. The ratings are: Economic = 71 liberal/28 conservative; Social = 80 liberal/19 conservative; Foreign = 70 liberal/28 conservative.


Education

Sanchez staunchly opposed the
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 ...
s' Head Start program overhaul in the
108th Congress The 108th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 2003 to January 3, 2005, during ...
, invoking her experience growing up poor and challenged by a speech impediment. During debate on the bill, she said:
I know about these kids, because I am one of those kids ... It hurts to hear you talk about how we are not successful, or how we are losers. But we are very successful. We have had a lot of successes with Head Start.
Sanchez has asserted that conservative Republicans are not committed to improving public education.Sanchez, Loretta (2003-02-02). "The Real State of the Union is Not Healthy", ''Los Angeles Times''. February 2, 2003, p. B19. When President Bush's 2003 budget proposal threatened to cut education grants, she responded:
If he can run deficits for the military, then he can run deficits to educate our children.


Armed services, social issues, and labor

Sanchez was the second-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee and a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, and the most senior woman on that committee. Loretta has fought to reform both the law and culture of the U.S. military relating to investigation of sexual crimes, prosecution of sex offenders and care of sexual assault victims. Her leadership contributed to a decision to examine the problem of sexual assault at the military service academies, which revealed that the problem was much more prevalent than previously thought. As a result, she led the fight to change sexual assault provisions of the
Uniform Code of Military Justice The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. §§ 801–946 is the foundation of military law in the United States. It was established by the United States Congress in accordance with the authority given by the United States Constitutio ...
. In early 2011, Sanchez introduced a bill requiring the
United States Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries. Its stated missions involve anti-terr ...
to issue rules governing searches and seizures of the laptops,
cellphone A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whi ...
s, and other electronic devices of American citizens returning to the U.S. from abroad. Sanchez is regarded as a liberal on social issues. She voted against a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and supports abortion rights. She also sought to reverse the ban on abortions at overseas military bases and installations. In August 2000, Sanchez refused to relocate a political fundraiser she had planned at the
Playboy Mansion The Playboy Mansion, also known as the Playboy Mansion West, is the former home of ''Playboy'' magazine founder Hugh Hefner who lived there from 1974 until his death in 2017. Barbi Benton convinced Hefner to buy the home located in Holmby Hill ...
in California. As a result, Democratic National Committee chairman Joe Andrew cancelled her scheduled speaking role at the Democratic National Convention. Sanchez's address was reinstated just before the convention, when she agreed to relocate her fundraiser to
Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
.


Foreign policy

According to ''Congressional Quarterly'', "In 2002, Sanchez voted against reviving fast-track procedures for congressional action on trade deals. And, coming from a district with one of the largest ethnically
Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia ** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam. * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overse ...
communities outside Vietnam, she voted against a trade agreement with Vietnam, saying that political and human rights conditions in that country needed improvement. Her outspokenness led the Hanoi regime to refuse to allow her into the country late in 2004 when she applied for an entry visa to meet with dissidents." By April 2006, Sanchez had been denied a visa to visit Vietnam four times by the country's officials. In honor of International
Human Rights Day Human Rights Day is celebrated annually around the world on 10 December every year. The date was chosen to honor the United Nations General Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Right ...
, she joined a bipartisan group of 11 House Members that issued a letter to Vietnamese Prime Minister
Nguyen Tan Dung Nguyễn () is the most common Vietnamese surname. Outside of Vietnam, the surname is commonly rendered without diacritics as Nguyen. Nguyên (元)is a different word and surname. By some estimates 39 percent of Vietnamese people bear this ...
calling for the release of two U.S. citizens arrested by the
government of Vietnam The Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (), also known as the Vietnamese Government or the Government of Vietnam (), is the executive branch and body of the State administration of Vietnam. The members of the Government are appoi ...
. On October 10, 2002, Sanchez was among the 133 members of the House who voted against authorizing the
invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...
, but she has voted in favor of every appropriation bill for the
war in Iraq This is a list of wars involving the Republic of Iraq and its predecessor states. Other armed conflicts involving Iraq * Wars during Mandatory Iraq ** Ikhwan raid on South Iraq 1921 * Smaller conflicts, revolutions, coups and periphery confli ...
. She opposed the troop surge in February 2007. On March 7, 2007, Sanchez led a female congressional delegation to visit troops in Iraq. This was her third visit to Iraq. Sanchez has a strong record on supporting human rights and is a member of the bipartisan Congressional Human Rights Caucus. Two major votes include voting yes in 2001 to keep the Cuba travel ban until political prisoners are released, but later voting in 2009 to lift the travel ban unilaterally, and yes to acknowledge the Armenian genocide of the early 1900s. She voted to implement the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act of 2007. Sanchez has stated that she was briefly denied access to a United Airlines flight in October 2006 because her name appeared on a no-fly list set up after the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
. Sanchez said she was instructed to check in with a United employee, who told her she was on the terrorist watch list. The employee asked her for identification. In a December 2015 interview with
Larry King Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger; November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021) was an American television and radio host, whose awards included 2 Peabodys, an Emmy and 10 Cable ACE Awards. Over his career, he hosted over 50,000 interviews. ...
, in response to his question about the threat of extremist groups within Islam, Sanchez suggested some experts estimate that "anywhere between 5 and 20 percent" of Muslims worldwide supported the creation of a
Caliphate A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...
to overthrow the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. Sanchez's comments, which came on the heels of both the recent Islamist terror attack in San Bernardino and
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
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 ...
presidential candidate
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
's call to temporarily ban Muslim immigration to the United States, were criticized as contributing to Anti-Muslim sentiment. Sanchez explained that she was merely echoing President Obama's remarks in his December 6, 2015 Oval Office Address wherein he stated: "Extremist ideology has spread within some Muslim communities. This is a real problem that Muslims must confront, without excuse." She further noted that she has a well-known record of defending the civil liberties of Muslim groups and that she believed most Muslims "are actually with us" in fighting Islamic extremism.


Homeland and cyber security

On September 13, 2016, the House Committee on Homeland Security unanimously approved two
amendment An amendment is a formal or official change made to a law, contract, constitution, or other legal document. It is based on the verb to amend, which means to change for better. Amendments can add, remove, or update parts of these agreements. The ...
s authored by Sanchez to strengthen counterterrorism and
cybersecurity Computer security, cybersecurity (cyber security), or information technology security (IT security) is the protection of computer systems and networks from attack by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, t ...
programs. The first bill, the Community Counterterrorism Preparedness Act, H.R. 5859, "establishes a grant program to help major metropolitan areas prepare for and respond to terror attacks that include active shooters." Sanchez's amendment requires that "unclassified threat information" be provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to grant applicants. According to Sanchez, "With this change, we not only provide needed funds to help regions prepare for attacks, we also give them critical tips and best practices to help them respond." The second bill, the Cyber Preparedness Act of 2016, H.R. 5459, "clarifies that DHS grants for states and urban areas can be used for similar statewide initiatives." Sanchez's new amendment will increase the use of DHS grants in focusing on identifying threats and improving "cybersecurity sharing dissemination." According to Sanchez, "Given our increased reliance on cyber technology for commerce and critical infrastructure, and given the increasing sophistication of hackers who would do us harm, we must improve our efforts to identify, neutralize, and prevent cyberattacks."


Water policy

In 2009, Loretta Sanchez secured $49.7 million in federal funding for critical water projects in Orange County, including local dam building, water treatment, and conservation projects: $49,310,000 for the continuing construction of the Santa Ana River Mainstem Project, including the Prado Dam. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers labeled the Santa Ana River the worst flood threat west of the Mississippi River. Federal funding allowed for the construction of a new dam to help mitigate this threat, as well as the potential environmental impact imposed by the dam. $2.870,000 for the Upper Newport Bay Ecosystem Restoration – Funding for this initiative helped manage sedimentation in the Upper Newport Bay by increasing the capacity of sediment basins, restoring and enhancing estuarine habitats, and improving educational and recreational opportunities. $426,000 for the Westminster-East Garden Grove Watershed Study in Santa Ana to help the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers undertake a comprehensive study of the Westminster Watershed, to develop a rehabilitation plan for flood control, ecosystem restoration, recreation, and water quality solutions, including the East Garden Grove-Wintersburg Channel and the Bolsa Chica Flood Control Channel. This study helped bolster flood control efforts currently in place, and assisted with ecosystem restoration and overall water quality standards. Both projects were consistent with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' flood control and environmental restoration missions in Southern California. $558,000 for the Orange Country Regional Water Reclamation Project – Also known as the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS), this project was a water supply initiative designed to reuse approximately 140,000 acre-feet of treated and recycled waste water every year. $860,000 for the Westminster/East Garden Grove Watershed Study – Funding helped the Army Corps of Engineers continue its comprehensive study of the Westminster Watershed $546,000 for the Surfside-Sunset and Newport Beaches – Funding helped mitigate damage along 17 miles of the Orange County coastline that was caused by the construction of federal navigation and flood control works in Long Beach and Anaheim Bay. $369,000 for a Feasibility Study on the Aliso Creek Mainstem Project – Funding for the project helped to develop a plan to create stable flood plain areas and regenerate native riparian habitats, which resulted in cooler water and improved fish health.


Political campaigns


1994

Sanchez changed her party affiliation from Republican to Democratic in 1992, ahead of a 1994 campaign for Anaheim City Council. She ran under her married name Loretta Sanchez Brixey, but later dropped her married name because she believed that she and her seven brothers and sisters were better known in the community as the Sanchez family.


1996

In 1996, Sanchez ran for the
US House 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
in California's 46th District against six-term Republican incumbent
Bob Dornan Robert Kenneth Dornan (born April 3, 1933) is an American politician and actor from California. A Republican, Dornan served in the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1983 and from 1985 to 1997. He has become well known for public ...
. The bitterly fought race saw Sanchez charge that Dornan was out of touch with his constituency, especially after a distracting run for the 1996 Republican presidential nomination. The 46th and its predecessors had always had a Democratic tilt, but became even more Democratic after the 1990 census when it absorbed a considerably larger number of
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
s than had previously been in the district. Sanchez won by 984 votes, and Dornan contested the election, alleging that many votes were cast by people who were not American citizens. A 16-month Congressional investigation found some evidence that 624 votes were indeed cast illegally (of which 84 votes were cast by newly naturalized citizens on the actual date of the election who had registered before their naturalization, which is not allowed under California law). An additional 124 flawed absentee votes had already been thrown out by California officials. In consultation with the INS, the House investigative panel began with an INS name-matching list of 4,329 individuals with entries in INS computer records, compared to the voter rolls in the 46th Congressional District; and proceeded to use other government records, including claims of non-citizenship to be excused from jury duty, ultimately arriving at a list of 7,841 "suspicious" votes. California's Secretary of State and the Orange County District Attorney also investigated a voter-registration group, Hermandad Mexicana Nacional and other alleged voter fraud in Orange County. Local investigators, and eventually the Los Angeles Times, confirmed that Hermandad, an immigration and naturalization service still very active today in both Texas and California, had helped 172 register to vote before their naturalization, under the erroneous belief by some of its employees that as long as someone was naturalized before the date of the election, this was lawful. The Orange County D.A. attempted to indict two employees of the organization, but when a grand jury declined to go along, the local investigation was dropped. In February 1998 the House Committee on Oversight voted 8–1 to dismiss the matter, ending its investigation. As Federal law required a proportional reduction of vote totals for each candidate, there being no means of determining just which candidate an illegal (or suspected illegal) voter had actually voted for, it was clear the result of the disputed election would not change even if the probe had continued. The acrimonious disputes between Republicans and Democrats throughout the investigation and a desire not to alienate voters of Hispanic/Latin descent in the forthcoming congressional elections by GOP leaders also seem to have played a role, along with former Rep. Dornan's rather abrasive personal style, which the House in general had grown tired of. Indeed, the supposed total of 624 'illegal' votes was bitterly disputed by the Democratic minority, which argued that the investigation had never actually proved that many of the identified voters were in fact non-citizens; indeed asserting that between one quarter to even one half of "illegal" voters "were U.S. citizens at the time they voted in the 1996 election," although they registered to vote in advance of being sworn in as U.S. Citizens. And that in fact the Oversight Committee's suspected illegal voter list still "contain da significant number of names whose Orange County Voter Records indicate that they were born in the United States...." Despite the lengthy investigation, definitive proof of citizen or non-citizen status, and proof that the actual person still on the suspect voter list was actually the same individual whose name appeared in INS records was lacking for many of the 540 remaining voters, once those determined to have registered too early, before naturalization, were subtracted. Sanchez became the first member of Congress of Mexican heritage to represent
Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...
and was re-elected. To this day, Dornan continues to assert that illegal voter registration of non-citizens was decisive in Sanchez's victory.


1998–2008

In a 1998 rematch, she easily defeated Dornan and would not face another serious contest in a congressional election. Her district was made even safer after the 2000 census, when it was renumbered as the 47th District and reconfigured as a Latino-majority district. During that redistricting process, Sanchez hired
lobbyist In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, which ...
Michael S. Berman, brother of California Democratic Congressman
Howard Berman Howard Lawrence Berman (born April 15, 1941) is an American attorney and retired politician who served as a U.S. representative from California from 1983 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented the state's 26th congressional ...
, for "redistricting consulting" on her behalf. She paid Berman $20,000 for his work.Haberman, Maggie (2011-03-03
Lobbyists join redistricting in N.Y.
, ''
Politico ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...
''
In 2006, she defeated Tan D. Nguyen ( R) with 62% of the vote.


2003 gubernatorial recall election

During California's 2003 gubernatorial recall election, Sanchez was one of the first Democrats to break from
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Gray Davis and state that a Democrat should run to succeed Davis in case the recall measure passed. Though she recommended that the Democratic candidate be California's
senior Senator United States senators are conventionally ranked by the length of their tenure in the Senate. The senator in each U.S. state with the longer time in office is known as the ''senior senator''; the other is the ''junior senator''. This convention ...
Dianne Feinstein Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein ( ; born Dianne Emiel Goldman; June 22, 1933) is an American politician who serves as the senior United States senator from California, a seat she has held since 1992. A member of the Democratic Party, she wa ...
, Sanchez stated that if no other serious Democratic contender stepped forward, she would be willing to run herself. Many California Democrats ultimately adopted Sanchez's position, paving the way for Lieutenant Governor
Cruz Bustamante Cruz Miguel Bustamante (born January 4, 1953) is an American politician. He previously served as the 45th lieutenant governor of California from 1999 to 2007, serving under governors Gray Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. A member of the Democra ...
to enter the race.


2008

Sanchez won against Republican nominee Rosemarie Avila and American Independent Robert Lauten.


2010

Sanchez considered running for governor and for the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
, but declined to enter the gubernatorial race after former governor
Jerry Brown Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected Secretary of ...
declared his candidacy and deferred to incumbent senator Barbara Boxer, who ran for re-election. Sanchez was challenged by Republican nominee Van Tran and independent candidate Ceci Iglesias. According to ''Roll Call'', Sanchez considered running for governor or for the U.S. Senate in 2010. In November 2005, she opened an
exploratory committee In the election politics of the United States, an exploratory committee is an organization established to help determine whether a potential candidate should run for an elected office. They are most often cited in reference to candidates for pre ...
called People for Loretta 2010. However, in June 2009, she announced she would run for reelection to the House. In September 2010, Loretta Sanchez appeared on the Spanish language network,
Univisión Univision () is an American Spanish-language free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the Latino public and includes ...
and said that "the Vietnamese and the Republicans are – with an intensity – trying to take away 'our' seat", referring to her Vietnamese-born opponent, Van Tran.(9/24/10
Hispanic Congresswoman Says Vietnamese Are Trying to Take Her Seat
FoxNews.com Retrieved September 25, 2010.
Sanchez also described Tran as "anti-immigrant".


2012

In September, 2011 Sanchez's campaign treasurer, Kinde Durkee, was arrested on suspicion of mail fraud. Sanchez and several others of Durkee's clients found their campaign funds wiped out. Sanchez's chief of staff, Adrienne Elrod, remarked that "Kinde was someone whose services and counsel we trusted for many years. These charges if true are disheartening and a betrayal by a long time Democratic treasurer for many candidates and committees."


2013

After the 2010 census, Sanchez' district was renumbered as the 46th district. She was reelected handily, taking 63.9 percent of the vote.


2016

On May 16, 2015, when talking to a group of
Indian Americans Indian Americans or Indo-Americans are citizens of the United States with ancestry from India. The United States Census Bureau uses the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Native Americans, who have also historically been referred to ...
, Sanchez made a gesture mocking Native Americans by making a "war cry" that is stereotypically attributed to them. She described her confusion between Native Americans and Indian Americans prior to a meeting with an Indian-American, saying "I am going to his office, thinking that I am going to meet with a 'woo woo woo woo' (stereotypical Indian war cry) — Right? ... because he said Indian American." Many in the audience were shocked at the gesture, finding it offensive. After initially running away from a reporter who tried to question her about the slur, she apologized for it on May 17, saying "in this crazy and exciting rush of meetings yesterday, I said something offensive and for that, I sincerely apologize." Due to Barbara Boxer's impending retirement, the 2016 Senate election in California had the first open seat Senate election in California in 24 years. On May 14, 2015, Loretta Sanchez announced her bid for this Senate seat. She competed against
Attorney General of California The attorney general of California is the state attorney general of the Government of California. The officer's duty is to ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced" ( Constitution of California, Article V, Secti ...
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
and thirty two other candidates in California's top-two primary. On June 7, 2016, Sanchez finished second in the Open Primary and faced fellow Democrat Harris in the general election. In the June 2016 primary, with results detailed at the county level, Loretta Sanchez won six counties: Fresno, Imperial, Kings, Madera, Orange, and Tulare counties. With the exception of Orange County, these are all counties with a plurality Hispanic population. Of these six counties, the highest vote percentage was Imperial County at 35.4%. On November 8, 2016, Sanchez lost the U.S. Senate race to Harris. She carried four counties: Fresno, Glenn, Imperial and Madera. She lost her home county, Orange, by seven points. In her concession speech, she stated that "Although we don't know what our future will be, I can tell you that this is not the last that people will see of me". Despite losing Orange County overall, Sanchez easily won Garden Grove by a 67%-33% margin, her widest margin of victory for a city in Orange County.https://www.ocvote.com/fileadmin/live/gen2016/sov.pdf In January 2017, Sanchez donated her congressional papers to her alma mater, Chapman University in
Orange, California Orange is a city located in North Orange County, California. It is approximately north of the county seat, Santa Ana. Orange is unusual in this region because many of the homes in its Old Town District were built before 1920. While many other ...
. It encompasses twenty-five boxes of files, papers and committee work which will be available for public view at a later date. Sanchez has been a trustee and regular lecturer at the university.


2019

In December 2018, Sanchez announced that she was running for 3rd district Orange County supervisor, in a special election to fill a seat left vacant by
Todd Spitzer Todd Spitzer (born November 26, 1960) is an American attorney and politician serving as the district attorney of Orange County, California. Spitzer successfully ran for Orange County district attorney in 2018 against incumbent Tony Rackauckas. ...
after his election as the county's new district attorney. The election was held on March 12, 2019. Sanchez lost to Irvine mayor Donald P. Wagner but expressed interest in another run for the same seat in the next regular election, in 2020.


Post-congressional career

In September 2017, it was announced that Sanchez would be the executive producer of a new political drama show called ''Accidental Candidate'', which appeared on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
. Since leaving the House, she has run unsuccessfully for two local offices in California, the
Orange County Board of Supervisors The Orange County Board of Supervisors is the five-member governing body of Orange County, California along with being the executive of the county. Membership The Board consists of five Supervisors elected by districts to four-year terms by the ...
and the
Rancho Santiago Community College District The Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD), one of four community college districts located in Orange County, California, offers associate degrees and adult education certificates through its two colleges: Santa Ana College in Santa ...
as a college trustee.


Electoral history


Personal life

Sanchez was married for 14 years to stock broker Stephen Brixey before he filed for divorce on January 15, 2004. In November 2010, ''
Roll Call ''Roll Call'' is a newspaper and website published in Washington, D.C., United States, when the United States Congress is in session, reporting news of legislative and political maneuverings on Capitol Hill, as well as political coverage of ...
'' and the '' Orange County Register'' reported Loretta's engagement to retired Army Colonel Jack Einwechter. Einwechter is currently a lawyer practicing in Washington, D.C. The couple were married on July 16, 2011, in a private ceremony in Santa Ana, California. Loretta's father, Ignacio ("Nacho"), suffered from Alzheimer's disease since 2001, eventually causing his death in 2018. She appears briefly in the HBO
documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...
, ''The Alzheimer's Project: Caregivers''.


In popular culture

The Hispanic Caucus Controversy (see above) was parodied on ''
The Colbert Report ''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show fo ...
'' on February 7, 2007. Loretta Sanchez appeared as herself in the September 10, 2007 episode of ''
The Closer ''The Closer'' is an American television police procedural starring Kyra Sedgwick as Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief. A CIA-trained interrogator originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Brenda has a reputation as a c ...
'' entitled "Til Death Do Us Part, Part II". Within the fictional narrative of the show, she was briefly seen on the program ''
Larry King Live ''Larry King Live'' was an American television talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was the channel's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly. Mainly aired from CNN's Los Angeles ...
'' being interviewed about a criminal legal case.


Holiday cards

While serving as a member of Congress, Sanchez was known for her annual tradition of sending constituents "wacky" "elaborately staged" holiday cards "featuring herself, her family members and her beloved pets." The cards have "cult status in the world of politics." She started in 1998 and continued the tradition through at least 2015. Over 500,000 cards were sent in 2014.


See also

*
List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress This is a list of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress, Hispanic and Latino Americans who have served in the United States Congress. Persons included are identified as having a lineage from Spain or Latin America, a definiti ...
* ''
Final Report of the Task Force on Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel ''Final Report of the Task Force on Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel'' is a report about counterterrorism and foreign fighters in the Syrian and Iraqi Civil Wars by a bipartisan task force of the United States House Committee on Ho ...
'' *
Women in the United States House of Representatives Women have served in the United States House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber, since the 1916 election of Republican Jeannette Rankin from Montana, the first woman in Con ...


References


External links

* * *
Profile
at
SourceWatch The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) is a progressive nonprofit watchdog and advocacy organization based in Madison, Wisconsin. CMD publishes ExposedbyCMD.org, SourceWatch.org, and ALECexposed.org. History CMD was founded in 1993 by prog ...
* , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Sanchez, Loretta 1960 births 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians American politicians of Mexican descent Chapman University alumni Female members of the United States House of Representatives Hispanic and Latino American members of the United States Congress Hispanic and Latino American women in politics Kogod School of Business alumni Living people Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California People from Anaheim, California People from Garden Grove, California People from Lynwood, California Women in California politics Catholics from California Candidates in the 2016 United States Senate elections