Catherine Cortez Masto

Catherine Cortez Masto
Born	Catherine Marie Cortez 29 3, 1964
Birthplace	Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Template:Hlist
Known for	First Latina U.S. Senator; senior U.S. Senator from Nevada
Education	Gonzaga University (JD)
Spouse(s)	Paul Masto
Website	[https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov Official site]

Catherine Marie Cortez Masto (born March 29, 1964) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Nevada since January 3, 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Cortez Masto made history in 2016 as the first woman elected to represent Nevada in the U.S. Senate and the first Latina elected to the upper chamber of Congress. Before entering the Senate, she served as the 32nd Attorney General of Nevada from 2007 to 2015, a tenure marked by her pursuit of major mortgage fraud settlements during the national foreclosure crisis. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Cortez Masto comes from a politically prominent Nevada family—her father, Manny Cortez, was a longtime leader of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. After narrowly winning her first Senate race in 2016 to succeed retiring Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, she was narrowly reelected in 2022, defeating Republican nominee Adam Laxalt. As of 2026, Cortez Masto has emerged as a prominent Democratic voice on immigration enforcement policy, tourism and economic issues affecting Nevada, and federal oversight matters.

Early Life

Catherine Marie Cortez was born on March 29, 1964, in Las Vegas, Nevada. She grew up in a family with deep roots in Nevada's civic and political life. Her father, Manny Cortez, was a prominent figure in Las Vegas who served as the longtime chairman of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, one of the most important economic institutions in the state. Manny Cortez died in June 2006 at the age of 67. The Cortez family's Mexican-American heritage would later become a significant part of Catherine's public identity, particularly when she became the first Latina elected to the United States Senate.

Cortez Masto's upbringing in Las Vegas placed her at the center of a rapidly growing metropolitan area in the American Southwest. Nevada's unique economy—dependent on tourism, gaming, and hospitality—shaped her understanding of the state's workforce and economic needs, themes that would recur throughout her political career. Her family background in public service and community leadership provided an early foundation for her own eventual entry into law and politics.

Education

Cortez Masto attended the University of Nevada, Reno, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree. She then pursued legal studies at Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Washington, where she earned her Juris Doctor degree. Her legal education at Gonzaga prepared her for a career that would span both civil and criminal law before she transitioned into public office. Gonzaga University has highlighted Cortez Masto as one of its notable alumni.

Career

Early Legal Career

After completing her law degree, Cortez Masto began her legal career as a civil attorney in Las Vegas, where she practiced for approximately four years. She then moved to Washington, D.C., where she spent two years working as a criminal prosecutor in the United States Attorney's Office. This combination of civil litigation experience in Nevada and federal criminal prosecution work in the nation's capital gave her a broad legal background that she would later draw upon as attorney general and senator.

Attorney General of Nevada (2007–2015)

Cortez Masto was elected Attorney General of Nevada in 2006, succeeding George Chanos. She took office on January 1, 2007, and served under governors Jim Gibbons and Brian Sandoval.

One of the defining issues of Cortez Masto's tenure as attorney general was the national mortgage and foreclosure crisis, which struck Nevada with particular severity. Nevada had among the highest foreclosure rates in the country during the Great Recession, and Cortez Masto positioned herself as an aggressive advocate for homeowners against major financial institutions.

In August 2011, Cortez Masto took action against Bank of America, accusing the bank of breaching a prior mortgage accord related to its servicing of home loans in Nevada. In February 2012, she reached a foreclosure and mortgage settlement with Bank of America that was part of a broader national effort to hold banks accountable for fraudulent and abusive lending practices during the housing boom. These actions raised her profile both within Nevada and nationally as an attorney general willing to take on major financial institutions.

Another notable episode during Cortez Masto's time as attorney general was the prosecution case involving Nevada Lieutenant Governor Brian Krolicki, who was indicted on charges related to his handling of state funds while he served as state treasurer. The case ultimately ended in December 2009 when a judge dismissed the charges against Krolicki. The dismissal drew criticism of Cortez Masto's office, with some observers suggesting the case had been poorly constructed or politically motivated.

On the issue of same-sex marriage, the Nevada attorney general's office initially defended the state's ban on same-sex marriage in court proceedings. However, in February 2014, Cortez Masto's office reversed course and abandoned the defense of the ban, a significant shift that aligned Nevada with a growing number of states moving toward legal recognition of same-sex unions.

Cortez Masto was reelected as attorney general in 2010 but was ineligible to seek a third term in 2014 due to lifetime term limits established by the Constitution of Nevada. She was succeeded as attorney general by Adam Laxalt, a Republican whom she would later face in her 2022 Senate reelection campaign.

Higher Education Role

After leaving the attorney general's office in January 2015, Cortez Masto was appointed to a position with the Nevada System of Higher Education. The Board of Regents approved her appointment as executive vice chancellor with a salary of $215,000. This role was relatively brief, as she soon turned her attention to a campaign for the United States Senate.

2016 U.S. Senate Campaign

In 2015, longtime Nevada senator and Democratic leader Harry Reid announced his retirement. Reid played a significant role in encouraging Cortez Masto to seek his seat, viewing her as a strong candidate who could hold Nevada for the Democratic Party. Cortez Masto had previously been considered a potential candidate for governor but had decided against running for that office in 2014. Reid's endorsement and support were seen as instrumental in establishing her as the leading Democratic candidate for the Senate seat.

The general election contest pitted Cortez Masto against Republican congressman Joe Heck, who represented Nevada's 3rd congressional district. The race was one of the most competitive and expensive Senate contests in the 2016 election cycle. Outside spending groups invested millions of dollars in the Nevada race on both sides. Climate change emerged as a visible campaign issue in the race, reflecting Nevada's concerns about energy policy and environmental issues. Heck ran television advertisements throughout the general election campaign to build his profile statewide.

Cortez Masto narrowly won the election in November 2016, becoming the first woman elected to represent Nevada in the United States Senate and the first Latina elected to serve in the Senate. Her victory was one of the few bright spots for Democrats in an election cycle that saw Republicans gain the presidency and maintain control of the Senate.

U.S. Senate (2017–present)

Cortez Masto took office on January 3, 2017, succeeding Harry Reid. She became Nevada's senior senator in January 2019 following the departure of Republican Dean Heller, who had lost his 2018 reelection bid. She serves alongside junior senator Jacky Rosen, also a Democrat, who was elected in 2018.

Chair of the DSCC

From January 2019 to January 2021, Cortez Masto served as chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), the organization responsible for electing Democrats to the United States Senate. In this role, she worked under the leadership of Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to coordinate fundraising and strategy for the party's Senate candidates. She succeeded Senator Chris Van Hollen in the position and was succeeded by Senator Gary Peters.

2022 Reelection

Cortez Masto's 2022 reelection campaign was one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country. She faced Republican nominee Adam Laxalt, who had succeeded her as Nevada's attorney general. The race was considered a potential tipping point for control of the Senate. Cortez Masto narrowly won reelection, and her victory was instrumental in helping Democrats retain their Senate majority.

Immigration and ICE Reform Efforts (2026)

As of February 2026, Cortez Masto has taken a prominent role in Democratic opposition to the immigration enforcement policies of the Trump administration. She has called U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) "lawless" and demanded reforms before agreeing to vote on the agency's funding. In a widely discussed appearance on The New York Times podcast "The Daily," she was described as a moderate Democrat who has become one of the most vocal critics of ICE's enforcement practices, including blocking funding for the agency.

In February 2026, Cortez Masto held events with Las Vegas community leaders to call for guardrails on what she characterized as ICE abuses of power, particularly amid a reported surge of immigration arrests in Nevada. Her approach—seeking "common sense" immigration reforms while opposing what she views as enforcement overreach—has received mixed responses from advocacy groups, with some reform advocates welcoming her stance and others criticizing it.

In an interview with The Nevada Independent in February 2026, Cortez Masto called the Trump administration "racist" and hinted at future political plans beyond her current Senate term.

Economic and Tourism Issues

Cortez Masto has consistently focused on issues affecting Nevada's tourism-dependent economy. In February 2026, she highlighted the impact of federal policies on Nevada's small businesses by inviting a Nevada business owner to attend the State of the Union Address as a representative of the tourism industry's concerns about declining visitor numbers.

Trade and Tariff Policy

In February 2026, Cortez Masto commented on a Supreme Court ruling related to tariff policy, welcoming the court's decision in a case with implications for trade policy and federal executive authority.

Personal Life

Catherine Cortez married Paul Masto, and she is known professionally and politically by her married surname, Cortez Masto. The couple resides in Nevada. Cortez Masto's father, Manny Cortez, was a significant figure in Las Vegas civic life who served as head of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. He died in 2006, shortly before his daughter was first elected attorney general.

Cortez Masto's Mexican-American heritage has been a notable aspect of her public identity, particularly in the context of her historic election as the first Latina to serve in the United States Senate. She has frequently spoken about the influence of her family's background on her political priorities, including immigration policy, economic opportunity, and access to education.

Recognition

Cortez Masto's election to the United States Senate in 2016 was itself a milestone, as she became the first woman to represent Nevada in the Senate and the first Latina to serve in the U.S. Senate in its history. This achievement was covered extensively by national and international media and was recognized by Latino advocacy organizations and women's political groups as a significant moment in American political history.

Her alma mater, Gonzaga University School of Law, has recognized her as a distinguished alumna. Her profile is included in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

As of 2026, Cortez Masto has received national media attention for her role in the immigration policy debate, including being profiled on The New York Times podcast "The Daily" and in interviews with The Nevada Independent and other outlets. Britannica maintains an encyclopedic entry on Cortez Masto documenting her career and political biography.

Legacy

Catherine Cortez Masto's place in American political history is anchored by her status as the first Latina to serve in the United States Senate. Her 2016 election broke a barrier in a body that had not previously included a Latina member in its more than two centuries of existence. Her continued service and narrow reelection in 2022 demonstrated her ability to compete in a closely divided swing state that has become one of the most contested political battlegrounds in the country.

As attorney general of Nevada, Cortez Masto's actions during the mortgage and foreclosure crisis—particularly her pursuit of settlements with major banks—established a record of consumer protection advocacy that she has continued to reference in her Senate career. Her willingness to reverse the state's defense of its same-sex marriage ban in 2014 also marked a notable moment in Nevada's legal and political history.

In the Senate, Cortez Masto's focus on issues affecting Nevada's economy—particularly tourism, energy, and public lands—has placed her at the intersection of state-specific and national policy debates. Her role as chair of the DSCC from 2019 to 2021 gave her organizational influence within the Democratic Party beyond her own state. As of 2026, her prominent stance on immigration enforcement and ICE reform has further raised her national profile and drawn attention to the policy tensions within the Democratic Party on immigration.