From a baker born in Mexico to the first Latina elected to the U.S. Senate

Hi there – and welcome to my Substack!

I’m starting this in order to talk more directly with my supporters, and so you can get to know me better.

Did you know just two generations separate a baker born in Mexico (my grandfather) and the first Latina elected to the U.S. Senate? Let me tell you a little bit about how that happened.

My family’s story is like so many others in Nevada and across the country. My grandparents came here looking to build a better life for their kids. Back then, dreams, hard work and determination were enough to build a good life. Things are a lot tougher today.

Both of my grandfathers, one from Mexico and the other from Italy, proudly served in the U.S. military. My dad followed in their footsteps, enlisting in the Army and serving in Korea before coming back to Las Vegas and marrying my mom.

We didn’t come from money. Neither of my parents graduated from college, but they worked hard so my sister and I would have every opportunity in life. They were also incredibly active in our community, which taught us the value of serving something bigger than ourselves.

Growing up, my sister and I were what was called latchkey kids. She carried around her neck the key to our front door because both our parents worked. After the school bus dropped us off, we’d let ourselves in, do our homework and get dinner started so we could all eat together when they got home.

The one thing my parents wanted for us both was to get an education. They knew that education opens doors, gives you choices and creates opportunity. With their help, we became the first generation in our family to graduate college (shout-out to the UNR Wolf Pack!).

After that, I went to law school, where I quickly fell in love with the way the law could be used to help others. I worked behind the scenes for a while – first as a law clerk, then an attorney and eventually in our governor’s office – before deciding to run for attorney general because I thought I could make more of an impact if I was the one deciding what fights to take on.

I was elected just as the 2008 financial crisis wreaked havoc on America’s middle-class families and our economy, so my first order of business was taking on Big Banks and securing $1.9 billion in relief for Nevada homeowners. My mission as attorney general was to protect Nevada’s most vulnerable people, including children, seniors and victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence.

After two terms, I knew I wasn’t done fighting for Nevada families, so I decided to run for the U.S. Senate. During the campaign, I knew that if I won, I would be Nevada’s first female senator, but I actually didn’t realize I would also be the first Latina senator in the entire country until someone else brought it up.

Of course, neither of those things are the point, which is to help as many Nevada families as I can. But I know how important it is not just to break down barriers, but to reach back and help the next person through. To leave the world better and more inclusive than we found it.

Because that’s what America is all about. If you work hard and play by the rules, you should have a chance to succeed. And when you do, you share that success with others.

And that’s what I get to do now in the Senate. My job is to help people, to listen and to improve the lives of Nevada families in every way I can. I absolutely love it.

I know our state and the country are facing a lot of challenges right now. But I believe in the promise of our Constitution and values our nation is built on. I believe freedom and democracy will prevail because we will fight for them.

Thanks for reading a bit about my history and what motivates me. If any of that resonates with you or you have your own story to share, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

¡La lucha sigue! The fight continues!

Catherine

A personal note from Catherine Cortez Masto:

I am the product of my parents’ American dream: the granddaughter of Mexican and Italian immigrants, the first generation in my family to graduate college, the first woman elected senator in Nevada and first Latina senator in the entire country.

I have always believed that if you’re willing to work hard and play by the rules, you should have every opportunity to succeed.

But that’s gotten harder and harder. Thanks to Donald Trump and the GOP majorities in Congress, we are paying more for less. Critical programs our families rely on, like Medicare and Social Security, are at risk. Our fundamental rights are under attack and so are many of our communities.

I’m not giving up. I never will, and I hope you won’t either. This fall, we have a chance to win a Senate majority for Democrats and finally gain the power to block Donald Trump’s harmful agenda. I know we can do it, but I also know it’ll take ALL of us working together.

So please, if you’re with me, will you chip in now to help flip the Senate?

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