Ezequiel Cabeza de Baca

Ezequiel Cabeza de Baca ( born November 1, 1864 in Las Vegas, New Mexico, † February 18, 1917 in Santa Fe, New Mexico ) was an American politician and in 1917, the second Governor of the State of New Mexico.

Life

De Baca was educated at parochial schools in his homeland. Later he attended the Las Vegas College. He then worked as a teacher and postal worker. He was also a journalist and worked for a Spanish-language newspaper.

De Baca was a member of the Democratic Party. He received his first public appointment as deputy clerk of the District Court in San Miguel County. In July 1900 he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Kansas City. Between 1912 and 1917 he was the first deputy governor of the resultant in the 1912 State of New Mexico. On 7 November 1916 he was elected with 49:47 percent of the vote to Republican Holm O. Bursum for governor of his state. A few weeks after his inauguration on January 1, 1917, the governor fell ill and died on 18 February of the same year, after only 49 days in office. Together with his wife Margarita he had nine children.