Bill Richardson

Richardson in 2008, photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: William Blaine Richardson III

Place of Birth: Pasadena, Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Birth: November 15, 1947

Ethnicity:
*25% English
*25% Spanish [directly from Spain]
*50% Mexican [Spanish, Indigenous Mexican]

Bill Richardson is an American politician. A Democrat, he was a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico, from January 3, 1983 to February 13, 1997, the 21st U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, from February 18, 1997 to August 18, 1998, the 9th U.S. Secretary of Energy, from August 18, 1998 to January 20, 2001, and the 30th Governor of New Mexico, from January 1, 2003 to January 1, 2011.

He was a candidate for the Democratic Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 2008.

Bill’s father, William Blaine/Blaney Richardson, was born in Chinandega, Nicaragua, to an American father, of Colonial American/English descent, and a Mexican mother; Bill’s father was raised in the United States. Bill’s mother, María Luisa López-Collada Marquez, was born in Márquez, Distrito Federal, Mexico, to a Spanish father and a Mexican mother. Bill is married to Barbara (Flavin) Richardson.

Bill’s paternal grandfather was William Blaney/Blaine Richardson (the son of William Everett Richardson and Vesta Hodsdon). Bill’s grandfather William was born in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, and was of English ancestry, including roots in the United States going back to the 1600s. He was a Mayflower descendant. Bill’s great-grandfather William was the son of Peter R. Richardson and Mehitable Spencer “Hitty” Prentiss. Vesta was born in Berwick, York, Maine, the daughter of David L. Hodsdon and Louisa Tibbitts/Tibbetts.

Bill’s paternal grandmother was Rosaura Ojeda y Medero (the daughter of Efrén Ojeda y Zota/Soto and Florentina Agustina Medero Romo). Rosaura was born in Santo Domingo, Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, México. Efrén was the son of Ignacio Ojeda and Juana Zoto. Florentina was the daughter of Sebastian Medero and Eusebia/Eucebia Rosa/Romo.

Bill’s maternal grandfather was Manuel López-Collada Marquez (the son of Manuel López-Collada and Maria Teresa Márquez). Bill’s grandfather Manuel was born in Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain.

Bill’s maternal grandmother was Maria Márquez Vazconcelos (the daughter of Jesus Marquez and Maria Vazconcelos). Bill’s grandmother Maria Márquez was born in Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico.

Bill is one of several people of Hispanic ancestry to have mounted a major campaign for President of the United States. The others are:
*Ben Fernandez (who sought the 1980, 1984, and 1988 Republican nominations; Fernandez’s parents were Mexican)
*Ted Cruz (2016; Republican; won 11 contests; Cruz’s father is Cuban)
*Marco Rubio (2016; Republican; won 3 contests; Rubio’s parents are Cuban)
*Richard Ojeda (who sought the 2020 Democratic nomination; Ojeda’s paternal grandfather was Mexican)
*Julián Castro (who sought the 2020 Democratic nomination; Castro is of Mexican descent)

Several prominent candidates for President of the United States can be considered Hispanic in a sense, though not by ancestry. They are:
*George W. Romney (who sought the 1968 Republican nomination, and whose name was placed in nomination for 1964’s; he was born in Mexico, of non-Hispanic descent)
*Pierre S. du Pont IV (who sought the 1988 Republican nomination; his maternal grandfather was born in Chile, of non-Hispanic descent)
*John McCain (who sought the 2000 Republican nomination, and who was the 2008 Republican nominee; he was born in Panama, of non-Hispanic descent)
*Mitt Romney (who sought the 2008 Republican nomination, and who was the 2012 Republican nominee; his father was born in Mexico, of non-Hispanic descent)

Sources: Genealogies of Bill Richardson – http://www.wargs.com
https://famouskin.com

Genealogy of Bill Richardson (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.geni.com