Lena Guerrero
Lena Guerrero Aguirre (November 27, 1957 – April 24, 2008) was a Texas political figure who served in the Texas House of Representatives, and was later the first woman and first non-white member of the Texas Railroad Commission,[1] which regulates the oil and natural gas industry. Her political career ended in 1992 over a falsified résumé scandal.
Lena Guerrero | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Texas State Representative for Travis County (District 51) | |
| In office 1985–1991 | |
| Preceded by | Gonzalo Barrientos |
| Succeeded by | Glen Maxey |
| Member of the Texas Railroad Commission | |
| In office 1991–1992 | |
| Governor | Ann Richards |
| Preceded by | John Sharp |
| Succeeded by | Jim Wallace (temporary); Barry Williamson (full term) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 27, 1957 Mission, Hidalgo County, Texas, USA |
| Died | April 24, 2008 (aged 50) Austin, Texas |
| Resting place | Texas State Cemetery in Austin, Texas |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Lionel "Leo" Aguirre of Austin (married 1983 – her death) |
| Children | Leo G. Aguirre (born 1987) |
| Residence(s) | Austin, Travis County, Texas |
| Occupation | Lobbyist |
In the 1960s, Guerrero and her siblings were migrant workers.[2] She attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she was president of the Young Democrats of Texas.[3][2] She was elected to the Texas House, and appointed to a vacant seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, but when she ran for reelection to the seat it was discovered that she had falsely claimed to have graduated from UT.[3][4]
She died of brain cancer at the age of fifty.[3]
References
- http://www.hermana.org/organization/lasprim.htm MANA History
- Lena Guerrero: Texas Monthly September 2001
- Lena Guerrero, once a rising star in Texas politics, dies after battling cancer Archived 2008-04-30 at the Wayback Machine
- "Lie by Texas Politician Puts Twist in Campaign (Published 1992)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2023-07-22.