William Raggio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Raggio
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| Member of the Nevada Senate from the Washoe 3rd district |
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| In office 1972–2011 |
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| Succeeded by | Greg Brower |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 30, 1926 Reno, Nevada, U.S. |
| Died | February 23, 2012 (aged 85) Sydney, New South Wales |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Dale |
| Profession | Attorney |
William Raggio (born October 30, 1926 – died February 23, 2012) was an American politician. He was a member of the Republican Party. He served in the Nevada Senate for many years.
Mr. Raggio represented the 3rd district of Washoe County. He held this position from 1972 until he retired in 2011. He served longer than anyone else in the history of the Nevada State Senate.
Contents
Early Life and Education
William Raggio was born in Reno, Nevada in 1926. He went to several universities to get his education. These included Louisiana Tech University and the University of Oklahoma. He also studied at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Later, he earned his law degree. He studied law at Hastings College of Law and Boalt Hall School of Law. Both of these schools are part of the University of California.
After finishing school, Raggio joined the military. He was part of the United States Navy Reserve. He also became an officer in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
Mr. Raggio started his career in law. He worked as an Assistant District Attorney for Washoe County. A District Attorney is a lawyer who works for the government. They bring legal cases against people accused of crimes. He held this job from 1952 to 1958. Then, he became the main District Attorney for the county from 1958 to 1970.
Political Career
Running for U.S. Senator (1970)
William Raggio first ran for a major statewide office in 1970. He wanted to become a U.S. Senator. He ran against the person who already held the job, Howard Cannon.
Mr. Cannon was a Democrat. Raggio was the Republican candidate. In the election, Cannon won and continued to be the U.S. Senator.
Running for Lieutenant Governor (1974)
In 1974, the current Lieutenant Governor of Nevada, Harry Reid, decided not to run again. This meant the position was open for a new person.
William Raggio ran for Lieutenant Governor as a Republican. He ran against Robert E. Rose, a Democrat. Mr. Rose won this election.
Serving in the Nevada State Senate (1972-2011)
William Raggio served a very long time in the Nevada State Senate. He was part of 12 special meetings and 19 regular meetings of the Senate. This was the longest time anyone had served in the Nevada Senate.
He held many important leadership roles. From 1977 to 1979, and again in later years, he was the Senate Minority Floor Leader. This meant he was the main leader for his political party when they were not the biggest group in the Senate.
When his party was the biggest group, he was the Senate Majority Floor Leader. He held this role from 1987 to 1989 and from 1993 to 2007.
Mr. Raggio also led important committees. He was the Chairman of the Interim Senate Finance Committee several times. This committee deals with money matters for the state. He also led the main Senate Finance Committee for many years.
Additionally, he was the Chairman of the Legislative Committee on Education. This committee worked on laws about schools and learning. He led this committee from 1997 to 1999 and again from 2001 to 2003.
Later Life and Passing
William Raggio passed away on February 23, 2012. He was 85 years old. He died while he was on vacation in Sydney, Australia.
Reports said that he died because of a breathing illness. William Raggio had three children: Leslie, Tracy, and Mark. His son Mark passed away in 2004.
