John Pinto (December 15, 1924 – May 24, 2019)[1][2] was an American politician.[3][4] He served as a Democratic member of the New Mexico Senate from 1977 until his death in 2019.

John Pinto
Member of the New Mexico Senate
from the 3rd district
In office
1977 – May 24, 2019
Succeeded byShannon Pinto
Personal details
Born(1924-12-15)December 15, 1924
Lupton, Arizona, U.S.
DiedMay 24, 2019(2019-05-24) (aged 94)
Gallup, New Mexico, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
RelationsShannon Pinto (granddaughter)
EducationUniversity of New Mexico (BS, MA)
Military service
Branch/service United States Marine Corps
Battles/warsWorld War II

Early life

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Pinto was born in Lupton, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation.[4] He earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degree from the University of New Mexico.[5]

Career

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Pinto served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II and was a Navajo code talker. After leaving the military, Pinto was a teacher and organizer for the National Education Association.[4] Elected to the New Mexico Senate in 1977, Pinto represented the 3rd district, which includes the Four Corners-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 and includes Shiprock, Sheep Springs, and part of Gallup. At 94, he was the longest-serving member in the Senate.

Personal life

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He died in office in Gallup, New Mexico, on May 24, 2019, at the age of 94.[6][7] He was succeeded in office by his granddaughter, Shannon Pinto.

References

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  1. ^ "Sen. John Pinto (D-NM)". CQRCengage.com. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  2. ^ "Sen. John Pinto (D-NM 3rd District)". Capwiz.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  3. ^ Linthicum, Leslie (February 25, 2007). "John Pinto Has Been a State Senator for 30 Years— and He Keeps Doing It Out of Love". Albuquerque Journal. Pinto is 82, born on the Navajo reservation in 1924
  4. ^ a b c Unterburger, Amy L.; Delgado, Jane L. (1994). Who's who Among Hispanic Americans. Gale Research. ISBN 9780810385504. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  5. ^ "John Pinto". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  6. ^ "New Mexico Senator John Pinto passes away". KQRE-LP. May 24, 2019. Archived from the original on May 24, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  7. ^ NM mourns long-time state senator John Pinto, The NM Political Report, Andy Lyman, May 24, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
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