Ortiz, Solomon P. (Solomon Porfirio), 1938-

Solomon Porfirio Ortiz (born June 3, 1937) is an American politcian. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 27th congressional district, based in Corpus Christi, from 1983 until 2011.

Born in Robstown, Texas, he left Robstown Public High School to work as a printer’s aide at the Robstown Record. In 1960 he enlisted in the U.S. Army and earned his general equivalency degree. The military sent Ortiz to France, where he learned the language and worked with the military police. After leaving the Army, Ortiz ran for the office of county constable back in Nueces, Texas, and won in an upset. After three years in the constable’s office, Ortiz won election as Nueces County commissioner, becoming the first Hispanic American to sit on the county board. He remained in the commissioner’s office until 1976, when he was elected the first Hispanic sheriff in county history.

When Texas' 27th Congressional District was created in 1982, Ortiz ran for the seat on a platform of jobs incentives and attention to education. He won the Democratic primary run-off election with 52% of the vote and the general election with 64% of the vote. The junior Member from Texas quickly earned a reputation as a centrist, a “Democratic fence-sitter,” according to the Wall Street Journal. He often went out on a limb for his district, appealing to foreign governments and businesses to protect the interests of his constituents, especially those in the shrimp industry. Ortiz’s primary concern was the interests of his district. By 1993, Ortiz had accrued enough seniority to be named chairman of the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee’s Subcommittee on Oceanography, Gulf of Mexico, and the Outer Continental Shelf. Ortiz had always looked out for the military personnel in his district, but veterans’ issues and the state of America’s armed forces became major priorities toward the end of his House career. He fought for better health care, support, training, equipment, and services for the military.

In 2010, Ortiz lost his re-election bid to Corpus Christi Republican Blake Farenthold. Ortiz ran on the strength of his productivity in the House, but the struggling economy and anti-incumbent sentiment sweeping the country that year made for a grueling campaign and Ortiz ultimately lost by only 800 votes. After leaving the House, Ortiz returned to South Texas.