Jose Cruz | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Member of the OklahomaHouseofRepresentatives from the 89th district | |
| In office November 11, 2020 –January 21, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Shane Stone |
| Succeeded by | Arturo Alonso |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mexico City,Mexico |
| Party | Democratic |
| Residence(s) | Oklahoma City,U.S. |
| Education | Oklahoma Christian University (BS) Oklahoma City University (JD) |
Jose Cruz is an American attorney and former politician who served as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 89th district from November 2020 to January 2022.
Jose Cruz was born in Mexico City. [1] He was raised in Chicago. [2] He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mass communication and media studies from Oklahoma Christian University and a Juris Doctor from the Oklahoma City University School of Law. [3]
From 2012 to 2014,Cruz worked as a financial representative for Northwestern Mutual. In 2014 and 2015,he managed Michael Brooks-Jimenez's successful campaign for the Oklahoma Senate. He also worked as a legal assistant for Brooks-Jimenez's law firm. Cruz then joined the office of Congresswoman Kendra Horn,serving as her community outreach specialist until she left office in 2019. [3] [4] He was an attorney at Foshee &Yaffe until leaving the firm in 2021. [2]
Cruz has served on the board of directors for Variety Care since 2014. [2]
Cruz was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in November 2020 after incumbent Shane Stone resigned to take a job in Arizona. [2] He was sworn into office on November 11,2020. [5] [6] Cruz was the first Latino to represent Oklahoma House District 89. [7]
While in the Oklahoma House,Cruz served on the House Criminal Judiciary Committee and the House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. [2] He also served as a member of the Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Judiciary and Public Safety and was a founding member the bipartisan,bicameral Oklahoma Legislative Latino Caucus in 2021. [8]
He resigned on January 21,2022 after "acting inappropriately" at a New Year's Eve Party. [7] After Cruz's resignation,a lobbyist came forward alleging he assaulted her in her apartment at a New Year's Eve party and filed a police reporting alleging similar incidents with two other women. [9] House Minority Leader Emily Virgin and Caucus Chair Cyndi Munson both advised Cruz to resign on January 16,2022 after learning of the allegations. [10]