From Lauro Cavazos to Marco Rubio: The Hispanics who have served in the US Cabinet

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the White House organized an event featuring Donald Trump and Marco Rubio. Rubio's selection was no accident. The former Florida senator is also the first American of Hispanic descent to serve as Secretary of State and the highest-ranking member of the Cabinet.

Before Rubio, 18 Hispanics had been nominated by a president and confirmed by the Senate to serve in the Cabinet. As of 2026, Barack Obama is the president who appointed the most Hispanics to the Cabinet (5), followed by Bill Clinton (3), George W. Bush (3), Joe Biden (3) and Donald Trump (3).

In terms of party affiliation, 11 were appointed by Democratic presidents and eight by Republicans.

Behind the numbers lie very diverse backgrounds as well. Mexican Americans from Texas and New Mexico, Cuban exiles or children of exiles, Puerto Ricans and Dominicans — all were appointed under very different circumstances.

From 1988-26, these are all the Hispanics who served in the U.S. Cabinet.

Lauro Cavazos (1988–90)

The son of a family of Mexican American descent, Lauro Cavazos made history as the first Hispanic to serve in the Cabinet. He built an academic career and became president of Texas Tech University, where he also headed the medical school.

In 1988, he was nominated as Secretary of Education by President Ronald Reagan, and the Senate confirmed him unanimously.

He remained in office during the first few months of the George H. W. Bush administration, until December 1990.

Manuel Luján Jr. (1989–93)

The second Hispanic to join the Cabinet was Manuel Luján Jr., also of Mexican descent. Before joining the Executive Branch, he served in the House of Representatives for two decades, representing New Mexico's 1st congressional district.

In 1989, President George H. W. Bush, with whom he had served in the House of Representatives, appointed him Secretary of the Interior.

Federico Peña (1993–97) – (1997–98)

Federico Peña was the first Hispanic to serve in the cabinet under a Democratic president. A lawyer by training, he began his political career in Colorado, where he was elected to the state legislature and later became mayor of Denver, a position he held from 1983-91.

President Bill Clinton appointed him Secretary of Transportation in 1993, and four years later, he went on to lead the Department of Energy. Peña was the first Hispanic to head two different Cabinet departments.

Henry Cisneros (1993–97)

Henry Cisneros was born in San Antonio, Texas, also to a Mexican American family. He attended Texas A&M and Harvard, and was later elected mayor of San Antonio, where he served for eight years.

In 1993, President Clinton nominated him as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He remained in the position throughout Clinton's first term and was succeeded by Andrew Cuomo.

Bill Richardson (1998–2001)

Another prominent name on the list is Bill Richardson. Born to a Mexican mother, he grew up in both countries and entered the world of diplomacy.

President Clinton first appointed him as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations — a Cabinet-level position — and later as Secretary of Energy.

After leaving the Clinton administration, he served as governor of New Mexico and ran for president in 2008.

Mel Martínez (2001–03)

Born in Cuba, Mel Martínez emigrated to the United States at age 15 through Operation Pedro Pan, a humanitarian program organized by the Catholic Church and the U.S. government that allowed thousands of Cuban children to leave the country.

He lived in youth centers until he was reunited with his family and later studied law. He worked as a lawyer for decades before entering local politics in Florida. In the 2000 presidential election, he served as co-director of the presidential campaign of George W. Bush in Florida.

Once in office, President Bush nominated him as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He served until 2004, when he won a seat in the Senate in Florida. He served in the Senate until 2009.

Alberto Gonzales (2005–07)

Alberto Gonzales, also of Mexican descent, was appointed by President Bush in 2005 as Attorney General, becoming the first Hispanic to hold the position.

He remained at the helm of the Department of Justice until 2007, when he resigned amid a political controversy related to the dismissal of federal prosecutors.

Carlos Gutiérrez (2005–09)

Also born in Cuba, Carlos Gutiérrez arrived in the United States as a child. With an extensive career in the private sector, he went on to become chairman of the board of directors at Kellogg's.

In 2005, George W. Bush nominated him as Secretary of Commerce. Once in office, he promoted the opening of international markets for U.S. companies and participated in efforts to advance the trade agreement between the United States, Central America and the Dominican Republic (CAFTA-DR). He remained in the position until the end of the second Bush administration.

Ken Salazar (2009–13)

The first Hispanic appointed during Barack Obama's presidency was Ken Salazar, of Mexican descent. He served as Colorado's attorney general and was elected to the Senate in 2005. He remained there until 2009, when Barack Obama nominated him as Secretary of the Interior.

Years later, he served as ambassador to Mexico during the Biden administration.

Hilda Solis (2009–13)

Obama also nominated Hilda Solis, the first Hispanic woman to serve in the Cabinet. Born to a Nicaraguan mother and a Mexican father, she served in the California State Legislature and later in the U.S. House of Representatives. She joined the Cabinet in 2009 as Secretary of Labor.

She currently serves as president of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Tom Perez (2013–17)

In 2013, Obama replaced Solis with Tom Perez. The son of Dominican parents, he studied law at Harvard and worked at the Department of Justice during the Clinton administration.

Perez served as Secretary of Labor until 2017, when he was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

Julian Castro (2014–17)

Of Mexican descent, Julián Castro was elected to the San Antonio City Council and became mayor in 2009.

President Obama nominated him to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2014. Upon his confirmation, Castro became one of the youngest members of the Cabinet and the third Hispanic to lead HUD.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Castro was among the finalists to be Hillary Clinton's running mate in 2016. He also ran for president in the 2020 election, though he withdrew before the start of the Democratic primaries.

John King Jr. (2016–17)

John King Jr. was the last Hispanic nominated by Obama to the Cabinet. He was nominated as Secretary of Education in 2016, after having served as New York State Commissioner of Education.

Alexander Acosta (2017–19)

The first Hispanic nominated by President Donald Trump was Alexander Acosta as Secretary of Labor. Before joining the Cabinet, he worked as a lawyer, college professor and federal prosecutor. He also held various positions during the George W. Bush administration.

Alejandro Mayorkas (2021–25)

Under the Biden administration, the first Hispanic nominee to the Cabinet was Alejandro Mayorkas. Born in Cuba, he held various positions during Barack Obama's presidency, including director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and undersecretary at the Department of Homeland Security.

In 2021, President Joe Biden nominated him as Secretary of Homeland Security. In 2024, the House of Representatives voted in favor of an impeachment against Mayorkas — the first against a Cabinet member since 1876. The Senate dismissed the charges.

Miguel Cardona (2021–25)

Miguel Cardona, of Puerto Rican descent, began his career as an elementary school teacher, became a school principal and later held leadership positions in the Connecticut education system.

Biden appointed him Secretary of Education in 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic was winding down.

Xavier Becerra (2021–25)

Also in 2021, Biden appointed Xavier Becerra to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. He was in charge of the department for much of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

The son of Mexican immigrants, he served in the House of Representatives for more than two decades before becoming California's attorney general in 2017. He is now the Democratic nominee for governor of California.

Marco Rubio (2025–present)

After serving more than two terms as a U.S. Senator from Florida, Rubio was nominated by President Trump as Secretary of State in 2025. Since then, he has served as one of the most prominent members of the Cabinet in the second Trump administration.

Lori Chavez-DeRemer (2025–26)

Lori Chavez-DeRemer was born in California and is of Mexican descent. She served as mayor of Happy Valley, Oregon, and in 2022 was elected to the House of Representatives. After losing her reelection bid in 2024, Trump nominated her as Secretary of Labor.

The official resigned in April of this year amid an investigation into misconduct.