Lionel Rivera is the Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 of Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...

, Colorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

. Elected in April 2003 and re-elected in 2007 on a mail ballot only election, he is the first Hispanic

Hispanic

Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...

 Vice Mayor and Mayor in the history of Colorado Springs.

Originally from El Paso, Texas

El Paso, Texas

El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...

, Rivera came to Colorado Springs in 1984 as an Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 Captain at Fort Carson. He has served on many community boards including being a founder and past president of the Colorado Springs Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, serving on the Colorado Springs Greater Chamber of Commerce Board and United Way Board of Trustees and Executive Committee and a co-chair of The Springs Community Action Plan. Rivera was first elected to an at large City Council

City council

A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...

 seat in April 1997 and re-elected again in April 1999. In April of 2001 he was elected by his City Council colleagues to serve as Vice Mayor for a two year term.

Rivera holds a Bachelor's Degree

Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...

 in Microbiology

Microbiology

Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...

 from Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...

 and a Master's Degree

Master's degree

A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

 in Business Administration from Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville State University is a regional public coeducational university located in Jacksonville, Alabama, USA. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in four academic units leading to Bachelor's, Master's, and Education Specialist degrees, in addition to continuing and...

.

He ran for U.S. Congress in Colorado's 5th congressional district

Colorado's 5th congressional district

Colorado's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. The district lies in the center of the state and mostly comprises Colorado Springs and its suburbs including Cimarron Hills and Fort Carson....

 in the United States House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 but lost in the Republican primary

Primary election

A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....

 to Doug Lamborn

Doug Lamborn

Doug Lamborn is the U.S. Representative for , in office since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in Colorado Springs.-Early life, education, and early career:Lamborn was born in Leavenworth, Kansas...

, on August 8, 2006.

External links

• Colorado Springs government website — Official biography
• Official campaign site