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Xochitl Liana Torres Small (first name pronounced /ˈsoʊtʃiːl/ SOH-cheel; born November 15, 1984) is an American attorney and politician who is the 15th and current United States deputy secretary of agriculture, acting as "chief operating officer" for the department. She was nominated by President Joe Biden in February 2023, and was confirmed by the senate on July 11.[1][2]
Xochitl Torres Small | |
|---|---|
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| 15th United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture | |
| Assumed office July 17, 2023 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Jewel H. Bronaugh |
| Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development | |
| In office October 13, 2021 – July 17, 2023 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Lisa Mensah |
| Succeeded by | Basil Gooden |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico's 2nd district | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Steve Pearce |
| Succeeded by | Yvette Herrell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Xochitl Liana Torres November 15, 1984 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Nathan Small |
| Education | Georgetown University (BS) University of New Mexico (JD) |
She was a U.S. representative for New Mexico's 2nd congressional district from 2019 to 2021 and had previously served as the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development, from 2021 to 2023.[3]
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Xochitl Liana Torres was born on November 15, 1984, in Portland, Oregon, to Marcos and Cynthia "Cynta" Torres.[4] Her parents were educators. Torres Small was raised in Las Cruces, New Mexico.[5][6] She is a third-generation Mexican American.[7]
Torres graduated from Mayfield High School in absentia while she earned her International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma from Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa in Mbabane, Eswatini. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service degree from Georgetown University, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law.[8][5][9]
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Torres Small worked as a field representative for U.S. Senator Tom Udall from 2009 to 2012. She served as a federal law clerk in the New Mexico District from 2015 to 2016.[5] She worked as a water attorney with the Kemp Smith law firm.[10]
2018 election
In the 2018 elections, Torres Small ran as a Democrat for the open United States House of Representatives seat in New Mexico's 2nd congressional district. The Republican incumbent, Steve Pearce, declined to run for reelection in order to run for governor of New Mexico.[11] Torres Small defeated Madeline Hildebrandt in the Democratic Party primary election and Republican state Representative Yvette Herrell in the general election.[12][13] She ran as a moderate Democrat.[14]
The results were close on election night, with Herrell in the lead at the end of the night; some New Mexico media organizations projected that she would win. The next day, more ballots were counted, narrowing Herrell's lead, and media organizations rescinded their projections.[14] On November 7, after all absentee ballots were counted, the New Mexico Secretary of State declared Torres Small the winner.[15][16]
Tenure
In her first week in office, Torres Small and other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) traveled to the United States Border Patrol station at Alamogordo, New Mexico, where Felipe Gómez Alonzo, an eight-year-old Guatemalan immigrant, died in custody.[17]
In the 2020 presidential election, Torres Small said she would vote for Joe Biden despite disagreeing with some of his energy policy stances.[18]
GovTrack reports that during her two years in Congress, Torres Small was the primary sponsor of three bills that became law, got her bills out of committee the tenth-most often of House freshmen and missed approximately 0.4% of House votes.[19]
Committee assignments
- Committee on Armed Services
- Committee on Homeland Security
- Committee on Agriculture
- Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research
- Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
Caucus memberships
2020 election
Herrell ran again in 2020. During a debate in the campaign, she claimed to be "unashamedly pro-God, pro-life, pro-gun, pro-business and pro-family", while Torres Small touted her votes on oil and gas that bucked the Democratic Party's positions.[18] OpenSecrets reports that Torres Small outspent Herrell by over $5 million.[24]
Republicans targeted the seat as a pickup opportunity. Despite polling showing a dead heat, Herrell won by over 7%.[25][26][27]
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On June 18, 2021, it was announced that President Joe Biden would nominate Torres Small as Under Secretary for Rural Development at the United States Department of Agriculture.[28][29] She was confirmed by voice vote on October 7, 2021.[30]
On February 15, 2023, President Biden announced his intent to nominate Torres Small for United States deputy secretary of agriculture,[31] and following a nomination hearing on May 10, she was confirmed on July 11 in a 84–8 vote.[1][2] She was sworn into office on July 17, 2023.[32]
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Xochitl Torres Small | 25,193 | 72.62 | |
| Democratic | Madeline Hildebrandt | 9,500 | 27.38 | |
| Total votes | 34,693 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Xochitl Torres Small | 101,489 | 50.9 | |
| Republican | Yvette Herrell | 97,767 | 49.1 | |
| Total votes | 199,256 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Yvette Herrell | 142,169 | 53.75 | |
| Democratic | Xochitl Torres Small (incumbent) | 122,314 | 46.25 | |
| Total votes | 264,483 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
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In 2016, Torres Small's husband, Nathan Small, was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives, representing the 36th district.[11] He ran for reelection in 2018, winning with 59.9% of the vote.[33][34] She is a Lutheran.[35]
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