Segundo Llorente

In 1958, the Territory of Alaska became the 49th state of the United States by virtue of the passage of the Alaska Statehood Act by the U.S. Congress. The results of the already-conducted territorial primary elections (described by Alaskan historian R. N. DeArmond as "the lost primary") were abandoned and elections for state offices were called by territorial governor Mike Stepovich, who resigned from office to launch a campaign for the U.S. Senate, challenging eventual winner Ernest Gruening. Under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, statehood was officially proclaimed on January 3, 1959, which was also the first day of the 86th United States Congress.

The second elections for state offices occurred in 1960. Fr. Llorente was already serving his community in a minor function in the remote Wade Hampton electoral district where 90% of the population was Eskimo. Given the great affection that he had for Native Alaskans, they set out to elect him as their state representative as a write-in candidate rather than one of the candidates promoted by the state political parties.

Upon Fr. Llorente’s surprising election, his religious superiors accepted his election after reviewing his mission, and he became the first Catholic priest elected to a state legislature. His term of office coincided with the term of John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic president of the United States, and there was speculation about influence by the Roman Catholic hierarchy, however, nothing came of it. Llorente’s election was eventually recognized as one of the first occasions where the political desires of Native Alaskans became reality. The entire tumultuous episode was followed by the Associated Press and ''Time'' magazine, which spread news about his election around the world. Provided by Wikipedia