Bustamante, Albert G. (Albert Garza), 1935-
Biographical notes:
Albert Garza Bustamante (born April 8, 1935) is an American teacher, legislative aide, and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 23rd district from 1985 to 1993. Bustamante was a one-time Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Born and raised in Asherton, Texas, he began school at the age of nine, unable to read or speak English. Hampered by this late start, Bustamante struggled academically, but managed to graduate from Asherton High School in 1954. He joined the U.S. Army that same year, serving as a paratrooper until 1956. Bustamante attended San Antonio College from 1956 to 1958 before transferring to Sul Ross State College in Alpine, Texas. Financing his final semester of education with a $250 loan from a school janitor, he graduated with a degree in secondary education in 1961. Bustamante taught at Cooper Junior High School in San Antonio and coached football and basketball for seven years. In 1968 Bustamante got his start in politics as a constituent aide in the San Antonio-based district office of U.S. Representative Henry González. He worked there for three years. In his first run for elective office in 1972, Bustamante was elected as a Bexar County, Texas, Commissioner. He then was elected as a county judge in 1978 and served on the state's Jail Standard Commission.
Bustamante challenged nine-term incumbent Abraham Kazen in the Democratic primary for Texas's 23rd congressional district. No Republican had filed in the heavily Democratic, Hispanic-majority district. He defeated Kazen in an upset, all but assuring his election in November. He was reelected three times. Bustamante’s position as a moderate Democrat often defined his congressional career, and he sought to balance the needs of his Anglo and Hispanic constituents. He was an active member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, eventually serving as chairman in the 100th Congress (1987–1989). While in Congress, he served on the Armed Services Committee. He served on the Procurement and Military Nuclear Systems Subcommittee, the Subcommittee on Energy, and the Natural Resources Subcommittee. He was also a member of the House Task Force on Drugs and Crime, in which he advocated for tighter border controls to keep out illegal drugs from Mexico. Bustamante called for deficit reduction, but also believed that more money should be spent on education and health care.
In 1992, Bustamante filed for reelection even as he was investigated for fraud and racketeering. His reelection chances were further hampered by redistricting after the 1990 United States Census, which carved the 28th district out of most of Bustamante's territory and left a heavily Republican section of western San Antonio in the 23rd. Although Bill Clinton carried the district, Bustamante lost to Republican Henry Bonilla by a 21-point margin, the largest margin of defeat for an incumbent that year.
Bustamante was later convicted of accepting bribes and racketeering in 1993 and sentenced to 42 months in prison. Since his release, Bustamante has faded from politics. He currently lives in San Antonio with his wife, Rebecca.
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Subjects:
- Advertising, political
- Apportionment (Election law)
- Bribery
- Campaign funds
- Campaign literature
- Political campaigns
- Counterrevolutionaries
- County government
- County government
- County hospitals
- County officials and employees
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- Mexican Americans
- Mexican Americans
- Mexican Americans
- Mexican Americans
Occupations:
- Teachers
- Judges
- Laborers
- Legislative assistants
- Representatives, U.S. Congress
Places:
- TX, US
- TX, US
- TX, US
- Texas--San Antonio (as recorded)
- Nicaragua (as recorded)
- United States (as recorded)
- Bexar County (Tex.) (as recorded)
- Texas--San Patricio County (as recorded)
- Central America (as recorded)
- Dimmit County (Tex.) (as recorded)
- San Antonio (Tex.) (as recorded)
- Texas--Bexar County (as recorded)
- Texas (as recorded)
- United States (as recorded)
- Texas, South (as recorded)
- Honduras (as recorded)
- Arkansas--Mena (as recorded)
- Texas--San Antonio (as recorded)
- Texas (as recorded)
- Portland (Or.) (as recorded)
- Washington (D.C.) (as recorded)
- Oregon (as recorded)
- HemisFair Park (San Antonio, Tex.) (as recorded)
- Texas--Nueces County (as recorded)
- Texas--Bexar County (as recorded)
