Solomon P. Ortiz
Encyclopedia
Solomon Porfirio Ortiz is the former U.S. Representative
for , serving from 1983 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party
. The district is based in Corpus Christi
. In 2010, Ortiz was defeated by Republican challenger Blake Farenthold.
; his family had immigrated from Mexico
. As a boy, he held several odd jobs, including working as a shoeshiner
and an inker for The Robstown Record's letter press. Ortiz befriended, and became fascinated with, law enforcement officers. He attended Robstown High School
until the age of 16, when he dropped out after his father's death to help support his family.
Ortiz joined the United States Army
in 1960, serving two years and earning his GED
. He received basic training at Fort Hood, Texas and served a tour of duty in Verdun
and Vitry-le-François
, France
. Expressing his interest in law enforcement, Ortiz was reassigned to the 61st Military Police Company Criminal Investigation Office and received advanced military police training in n Fort Gordon
, Georgia
.
After returning to South Texas, Ortiz worked for three years as an insurance
agent.
and was elected in 1965, defeating the incumbent in a runoff election. He was elected to the County Commissioners Court of Nueces County in 1969, the first Hispanic to serve in that capacity. He remained in that position until 1976, when he was elected County Sheriff, another first for a Hispanic in Nueces County.
He won re-election thirteen times. He dipped below 60% only four times before 2010. His lowest winning percentage was in 1992, when he defeated attorney Jay Kimbrough 55%-43%.
2010
On election night (November 2) Ortiz appeared to have lost to Republican Blake Farenthold but Ortiz asked for a recount. After the recount, Ortiz conceded on November 22, 2010. Farenthold defeated him 47.8%-47.1%, a margin of just 770 votes. Ortiz won four of the district's six counties, losing only the northern most counties (Nueces and San Patricio).
Previous committees
In 1983, as a Freshman, he was assigned to the U.S. Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control. In 1993, Ortiz was named chairman of a House subcommittee that oversees the Gulf of Mexico
.
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...
for , serving from 1983 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. The district is based in Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
. In 2010, Ortiz was defeated by Republican challenger Blake Farenthold.
Early life, education, and business career
Solomon Ortiz was born in Robstown, Nueces County, TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
; his family had immigrated from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. As a boy, he held several odd jobs, including working as a shoeshiner
Shoeshiner
Shoeshiner or boot polisher is a profession in which a person polishes shoes with shoe polish. They are often known as shoeshine boys because the job is traditionally that of a male child. In the leather fetish communities, they are often called bootblacks...
and an inker for The Robstown Record's letter press. Ortiz befriended, and became fascinated with, law enforcement officers. He attended Robstown High School
Robstown High School
Robstown High School is an AAA secondary school located in the Corpus Christi suburb-city of Robstown, Texas. The school handles grades 9 through 12. RHS primarily serves the city, yet it enrolls students from nearby school districts such as Banquete, Calallen, and Tuloso-Midway. Robstown High...
until the age of 16, when he dropped out after his father's death to help support his family.
Ortiz joined the United States 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...
in 1960, serving two years and earning his GED
GED
General Educational Development tests are a group of five subject tests which, when passed, certify that the taker has American or Canadian high school-level academic skills...
. He received basic training at Fort Hood, Texas and served a tour of duty in Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
and Vitry-le-François
Vitry-le-François
Vitry-le-François is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. It is located on the Marne River and is the western terminus of the Marne-Rhine Canal.- History :In 1142, Louis VII invaded Champagne and seized Vitry-le-François...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Expressing his interest in law enforcement, Ortiz was reassigned to the 61st Military Police Company Criminal Investigation Office and received advanced military police training in n Fort Gordon
Fort Gordon
Fort Gordon, formerly known as Camp Gordon, is a United States Army installation established in 1917. It is the current home of the United States Army Signal Corps and Signal Center and was once the home of "The Provost Marshal General School" . The fort is located in Richmond, Jefferson, McDuffie,...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
After returning to South Texas, Ortiz worked for three years as an insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
agent.
Early political career
In 1964, he was urged on by friends to run for Nueces County ConstableTexas Constable
The Texas constable is enshrined in the Texas Constitution of 1876 , which provides for the election of a constable in each precinct of a county, and counties may have between one and eight precincts each depending on their population. The term of office for Texas constables is four years...
and was elected in 1965, defeating the incumbent in a runoff election. He was elected to the County Commissioners Court of Nueces County in 1969, the first Hispanic to serve in that capacity. He remained in that position until 1976, when he was elected County Sheriff, another first for a Hispanic in Nueces County.
Elections
When the 27th District was created in 1982, Ortiz ran for the seat on a platform of jobs incentives and attention to education. He won the Democratic primary run-off election with 52% of the vote, defeating State Representative Joe Salem. In the general election, he won with 64% of the vote.He won re-election thirteen times. He dipped below 60% only four times before 2010. His lowest winning percentage was in 1992, when he defeated attorney Jay Kimbrough 55%-43%.
2010
On election night (November 2) Ortiz appeared to have lost to Republican Blake Farenthold but Ortiz asked for a recount. After the recount, Ortiz conceded on November 22, 2010. Farenthold defeated him 47.8%-47.1%, a margin of just 770 votes. Ortiz won four of the district's six counties, losing only the northern most counties (Nueces and San Patricio).
Tenure
Ortiz is a moderate Democrat. He is somewhat conservative on social issues (for instance, he opposes abortion), but usually votes more with his party on economic issues.Committee assignments
111th Congress- Committee on Armed ServicesUnited States House Committee on Armed Servicesthumb|United States House Committee on Armed Services emblemThe U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives...
- Subcommittee on ReadinessUnited States House Armed Services Subcommittee on ReadinessHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:The Readiness Subcommittee exercises oversight and legislative jurisdiction over:...
(Chairman) - Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
- Subcommittee on Readiness
- Committee on Transportation and InfrastructureUnited States House Committee on Transportation and InfrastructureThe U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. John Mica currently chairs the committee.-History:...
- Subcommittee on AviationUnited States House Transportation Subcommittee on AviationThe Subcommittee on Aviation is a subcommittee within the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The Subcommittee has jurisdiction over civil aviation, including most aspects of the Federal Aviation Administration , the Transportation Security Administration, and the National...
- Subcommittee on Highways and TransitUnited States House Transportation Subcommittee on Highways and TransitThe House Transportation Subcommittee on Highways and Transit is a subcommittee within the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The subcommittee oversees highway, transit, and highway safety programs in the United States, as well as policy governing how highway and transit projects...
- Subcommittee on Water Resources and EnvironmentUnited States House Transportation Subcommittee on Water Resources and EnvironmentThe Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment is a subcommittee within the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over water conservation, pollution control, infrastructure, and hazardous waste cleanup, the civil works programs of the U.S. Army...
- Subcommittee on Aviation
Previous committees
In 1983, as a Freshman, he was assigned to the U.S. Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control. In 1993, Ortiz was named chairman of a House subcommittee that oversees the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
.
External links
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...