Badillo, Herman, 1929-2014

Herman Badillo (August 21, 1929 – December 3, 2014) was a trailblazing Puerto Rican politician. Initially a member of the Democratic Party, he served as borough president of The Bronx and U.S. Representative from New York's 21st and 22nd congressional districts. Badillo was the first Puerto Rican elected to these posts. An unsuccessful five-time candidate for the Democratic nomination for Mayor of New York City, he was the first Puerto Rican mayoral candidate in a major city in the continental United States. Towards the end of his political career, he became a member of the Republican Party, unsuccessfully running for the Republican nomination for Mayor of New York in 2001.

Born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, he moved to New York City with an aunt in 1941. After briefly living with other relatives in Chicago and California, he eventually graduated from Haaren High School in Manhattan before attending the City College of New York, where he earned a B.B.A., and Brooklyn Law School, where he earned an LL.B. In 1955, he was admitted to the New York State Bar. The following year, he also became a certified public accountant. After joining the Caribe Democratic Club in 1958, Badillo held various offices within the City and State, including Bronx Borough President in 1966. Prior to that he served as New York Commissioner of Housing Preservation and Development.

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