{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Fabian Chavez |birth_date = {{birth date|1924|8|31}} |birth_place = [[Wagon Mound, New Mexico|Wagon Mound]], [[New Mexico]],<br>U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age|2013|1|20|1924|8|31}} |death_place = [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]], [[New Mexico]], U.S. |party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] |spouse = {{marriage|Coral Rustenbach|1952|2006}} |children = 1 |education = [[Santa Fe University of Art and Design|Santa Fe University]] (attended)<br>[[University of New Mexico|University of New Mexico,<br>Albuquerque]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]]) }} '''Fabian Chavez Jr.''' (August 31, 1924 – January 20, 2013) was an American politician in the state of [[New Mexico]] and Majority Leader of the [[New Mexico Senate]].
==Biography== Chavez was born in 1924 in [[Wagon Mound, New Mexico]], one of 10 children. He graduated from [[Santa Fe High School (New Mexico)|Santa Fe High School]] and served in [[World War II]]. Chavez later attended [[Santa Fe University of Art and Design|St. Michael's College]] and the [[University of New Mexico]].<ref name=Roybal2008>{{cite book|author=David Roybal|title=Taking on Giants: Fabián Chávez, Jr. and New Mexico Politics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qSfBTe6GWLgC&pg=PR9|year=2008|publisher=UNM Press|isbn=978-0-8263-4436-6}}</ref><ref name=legacy>{{cite news|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/santafenewmexican/obituary.aspx?pid=162596293|title=Fabian Chavez Obituary|newspaper=[[The Santa Fe New Mexican]]|accessdate=December 17, 2016}}</ref><ref name=McCord2009/> Chavez was elected as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] to the [[New Mexico House of Representatives]] in 1950 and to the [[New Mexico Senate]] in 1956, becoming Majority Leader in 1961 and serving until 1965.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nmsenate.com/2013/01/21/senate-mourns-passing-of-fabian-chavez-jr/|title=Senate Mourns Passing of Fabian Chavez, Jr.|publisher=[[New Mexico Senate]]|date=January 21, 2013|accessdate=December 17, 2016|archive-date=December 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220175741/http://www.nmsenate.com/2013/01/21/senate-mourns-passing-of-fabian-chavez-jr/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Chavez was the Democratic nominee for [[Governor of New Mexico]] in the [[New Mexico gubernatorial election, 1968|1968 election]], losing to incumbent [[David Cargo]] by 3,000 votes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://roundhouseroundup.blogspot.com/2013/01/rip-fabian-chavez.html?spref=fb|title=R.I.P. Fabian Chavez|author=Terrell, Steve|publisher=Roundhouse Roundup|date=January 20, 2013|accessdate=December 17, 2016}}</ref> He also mounted unsuccessful campaigns for U.S. Congress in 1964 and 1970 and Governor in [[New Mexico gubernatorial election, 1982|1982]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=13839|title=Chavez, Jr., Fabian|publisher=Our Campaigns|accessdate=December 17, 2016}}</ref> After his defeat, he served as New Mexico Director of Tourism from 1971–75 and Director of Development from 1975–77.<ref name=McCord2009>{{cite book|author=Richard McCord|title=Santa Fe Living Treasures: Our Elders, Our Hearts|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7cM-bMFblxAC&pg=PA56|year=2009|publisher=Sunstone Press|isbn=978-0-86534-720-5|pages=56}}</ref> Chavez served as United States Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Tourism under President [[Jimmy Carter]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=7353|title=Department of Commerce Nomination of Fabian Chavez, ]r., To Be an Assistant Secretary|publisher=American Presidency Project|date=April 14, 1977|accessdate=December 17, 2016}}</ref>
Chavez died on January 20, 2013, at the age of 88, after a short illness.<ref name=legacy/>
==Personal life== Chavez and his wife, Coral Jeanne Rustenbach, were married 54 years before her death in 2006.<ref name=McCord2009/> They had one child, Christine J. Chavez Barrett, two grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren<ref name=legacy/>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=[[Gene Lusk]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[Governor of New Mexico]]|years=[[1968 New Mexico gubernatorial election|1968]]}} {{s-aft|after=[[Bruce King]]}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chavez, Fabian}} [[Category:1924 births]] [[Category:2013 deaths]] [[Category:Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in New Mexico]] [[Category:Democratic Party members of the New Mexico House of Representatives]] [[Category:Democratic Party New Mexico state senators]] [[Category:People from Mora County, New Mexico]] [[Category:Politicians from Santa Fe, New Mexico]] [[Category:University of New Mexico alumni]] [[Category:Candidates in the 1970 United States elections]] [[Category:Candidates in the 1982 United States elections]] [[Category:20th-century members of the New Mexico Legislature]]