A Representative from California. Born in Brownsville, Cameron County, Tex. , December 4, 1936. Graduated from Brownsville High School, Brownsville, Tex. , 1954. Attended Cerritos College, Norwalk, Calif. Attended Texas Southmost College, Brownsville, Tex. Member of the Norwalk, Calif. , city council, 1986. Mayor of Norwalk, Calif. , 1989-1990. Member of the California state assembly, 1992-1998. Elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Sixth and to the twelve succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1999-January 3, 2025). Was not a candidate for reelection to the One Hundred Nineteenth Congress in 2024.