Loretta Sanchez

About Loretta Sanchez

Loretta Sanchez (born January 7, 1960), an American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1997. She currently represents the 47th Congressional District of California (map) in central Orange County.

Sanchez was born in Lynwood, California and graduated from Katella High School in Anaheim in 1978. She received her undergraduate degree from Chapman College in Orange in 1982, obtained her MBA from American University in Washington, DC in 1984, and was a financial analyst until entering the House. Sanchez describes herself as growing up a "shy, quiet girl" who did not speak English. She credits government with much of her success in public life. Her father was a unionized machinist and her mother worked as a secretary. Her immigrant parents had seven children, all of whom went to college. Sanchez joined the United Food and Commercial Workers when she worked as an ice cream server in high school, and she received a union scholarship to college.

In 1994 Sanchez ran unsuccessfully as a moderate Republican for the Anaheim City Council under her then married name, Loretta Brixey. In 1996, she changed parties and recast herself as a moderate Democrat to run in the 46th District against controversial six-term Republican incumbent Bob Dornan.