Catherine Cortez Masto : Net Worth, Family, Husband, Education, Children, Age, Biography and Political Carrer

Catherine Marie Cortez Masto is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Nevada since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the 32nd attorney general of Nevada from 2007 to 2015.

Cortez Masto graduated from University of Nevada, Reno, and Gonzaga University School of Law. She worked four years as a civil attorney in Las Vegas and two years as a criminal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorneys Office in Washington, D.C., before being elected Nevada attorney general in 2006, replacing George Chanos. Reelected in 2010, she was not eligible to run for a third term in 2014 because of lifetime term limits established by the Constitution of Nevada.

Cortez Masto narrowly defeated Republican Joe Heck in the U.S. Senate election in Nevada to replace outgoing Democratic senator Harry Reid, becoming the first woman elected to represent Nevada in the Senate and the first Latina elected to serve in the upper chamber. She took office on January 3, 2017, and became Nevadas senior senator in January 2019, when Dean Heller left the Senate following his defeat.

Catherine Cortez Masto Net Worth

Catherine Cortez Masto Net Worth is $ 17 Million in 2021.

Catherine Cortez Masto Family

Cortez Masto was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, the daughter of Joanna and Manny Cortez. Her father was the longtime head of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and served as a Clark County Commissioner and as an attorney for the county. Now deceased, Manny Cortez had a longstanding friendship with Harry Reid. Her father is of Mexican descent, and her mother is of Italian ancestry. Her paternal grandfather, Eduardo Cortez, immigrated to Nevada from Chihuahua, Mexico.

Catherine Cortez Masto Husband and Children

Catherine Cortez Masto married with Paul Masto.

Catherine Cortez Masto Career and Achievement

Cortez Masto earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in finance from the University of Nevada, Reno, in 1986 and a J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1990.

She was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada in 1990, the U.S. District Court, District of Nevada in 1991, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 1994. She is married to Paul Masto, a former Special Agent in the United States Secret Service.

Cortez Mastos career includes four years as a civil attorney in Las Vegas and two as a criminal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorneys Office in Washington, D.C. She also served as former Nevada Governor Bob Millers chief of staff.

In November 2003, Cortez Masto was named executive vice chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education. There was some controversy because she was hired directly by the chancellor, not the university systems board of regents; the chancellor said the regents had recommended that he hire an assistant, and in December the board voted unanimously to approve her annual salary of $215,000.

Nevada Attorney General

Cortez Masto was the Democratic nominee for state attorney general in 2006 and defeated Republican nominee Don Chairez 59% to 36%, with 5% for "None of these". She was reelected in 2010, defeating Republican Travis Barrick 52% to 36%, with 8% for Independent American candidate Joel F. Hansen and 4% for "None of these".

In 2009, Cortez Mastos office launched an investigation into Brian Krolicki, then Nevadas Republican lieutenant governor. Krolicki faced felony charges related to allegations that he mishandled the Nevada College Savings Trust Fund when he was state treasurer. During the investigation, the Las Vegas Review-Journal discovered that Cortez Mastos husband, Paul, planned to host a fundraising party for Robert S. Randazzo, a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, four days before the attorney generals office was scheduled to prosecute Krolicki. Cortez Masto said she was unaware of the fundraising party. The charges against Krolicki were ultimately dismissed in Clark County District Court. The dismissal of charges against Krolicki was regarded as a political setback for Cortez Masto, who, according to the Las Vegas Sun, "opened herself to charges of politicizing her office and prosecutorial misconduct."

In 2010, Cortez Mastos office began investigating Bank of America, accusing the company of raising interest rates on troubled borrowers. Her office sought to end Nevadas participation in a loan modification settlement in order to sue the bank over deceptive marketing and lending practices. Bank of America denied any wrongdoing. The lawsuit was settled in 2012 for $750 million for lien reductions and short sales.

Cortez Masto defended the state of Nevada in the lawsuit Sevcik v. Sandoval. The suit challenged Nevadas denial of same-sex marriage as prohibited by the states constitution and statutory law. After initially defending the same-sex marriage ban, Cortez Masto and the state abandoned their defense in light of a ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

U.S. Senate

Elections

2016

Cortez Masto declined to run for governor of Nevada in the 2014 election. When U.S. Senator Harry Reid decided not to run for reelection in the 2016 election, he endorsed her as his successor. Cortez Mastos campaign relied heavily on the political infrastructure Reid had assembled. Her Republican opponent was U.S. Representative Joe Heck.

Cortez Masto, who supports increased investments in renewable energy technology, was supported by the League of Conservation Voters. She was also financially supported by End Citizens United, a political action committee seeking to overturn Citizens United v. FEC, and pro-choice groups such as EMILYs List and Planned Parenthood.

Cortez Masto won 47% of the vote (520,658 votes) to Hecks 45% (494,427 votes). While Heck carried 16 of Nevadas counties and its equivalents, Cortez Masto won Clark County, home to over 70% of the states population, by over 82,000 votes, almost three times her statewide margin of 27,000 votes. She took office on January 3, 2017, becoming the first Latina in the U.S. Senate.

2022

On February 24, 2021, Cortez Masto announced that she will run for reelection in 2022.

Tenure

117th Congress (2021-Present)

Cortez Masto was participating in the certification of the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. She was on the Senate floor, preparing to speak, when the Capitol was breached. Cortez Masto could hear the attackers just outside the chamber, which was secured by Capitol Police. As the attackers neared the chamber, she and her fellow senators were moved to an undisclosed secure location. Cortez Masto tweeted while sheltering in place, calling the attack "un-American and unacceptable."