Background
Montoya, Nestor was born on April 14, 1862 in Old Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Son of Theodosious and Chona (Cervantes) Montoya.
United States representative politician
Montoya, Nestor was born on April 14, 1862 in Old Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Son of Theodosious and Chona (Cervantes) Montoya.
In 1881, he graduated from Saint Michael"s College, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
As an editor and politician, Néstor Montoya dedicated himself to the inclusion of Hispanics in the political and social life of New Mexico, and to the campaign for New Mexico statehood. After graduation he worked as a postal clerk for the United States. Post Office in Santa Fe, and later at the United States. Treasury Office there. He began newspaper work in 1889 and owned and edited the Spanish paper called Louisiana Bandera American.
Politics career
He was president of the New Mexico Press Association 1908–1923.
He was a delegate to the convention that drafted and adopted the state Constitution of New Mexico in 1910 and a regent of the University of New Mexico 1916–1919. He helped write provisions into the Constitution of New Mexico to protect the rights of Hispanics in the areas of education, voting, and civil liberties.
Montoya was the chairman of the Bernalillo County, New Mexico draft board during the First World War and clerk of Bernalillo County in 1919 and 1920. He was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-seventh Congress and served from March 4, 1921 until his death in Washington, District of Columbia in 1923.
While in Congress, Montoya served on the Indian Affairs Committee, and the Committee on Public Lands.
The Republican Party did not renominate him for a second term and instead they nominated a woman, Adelina Otero-Warren. He was buried in Santa Barbara Cemetery, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Montoya was member of the New Mexico Territorial House of Representatives 1892–1903 and served as speaker in the latter year. He was a member of the New Mexico Territorial Senate in 1905 and 1906. Also, he was a member of the Council of National Defense 1917–1919.
Married Florence Maes, 1890.