Loretta Sanchez, American politician
Loretta Lorna Sanchez (born January 7, 1960) is an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1997 to 2017. A Democrat, she was first elected in 1996, when she defeated long-serving Republican congressman Bob Dornan by fewer than 1,000 votes. Sanchez represented the 46th district from 1997 to 2003, then California's 47th congressional district from 2003 to 2013, and again in the 46th district from 2013 to 2017. The district lies in central Orange County. During her time in the House of Representatives, Sanchez was a member of the Democratic Party's moderate/conservative Blue Dog Coalition.Sanchez chose not to run for re-election to the House in 2016, instead opting to run for the U.S. Senate race in California. She was defeated by California Attorney General, fellow Democrat, and future Vice President Kamala Harris, 61.6% to 38.4%.