New Mexico became the 47th state in the Union on January 6, 1912, 62 years after it became a territory. The state’s first two senators, Albert B. Fall and Thomas Catron, took office on March 27, 1912. New Mexico’s longest-serving senators include Dennis Chavez (1935–1962), Pete Domenici (1973–2009), and Jeff Bingaman (1983–2013). Octaviano Larrazolo became the first Hispanic American senator in 1929, and Dennis Chavez became the first American-born Hispanic senator in 1935.