Historic firsts underscore the changing nature of American politics; in this case, how women and people of color are increasingly, if incrementally, ascending to the nation's highest levels of political leadership. The firsts captured in this book take place in the trenches of political life, at the state and local levels of Texas politics. Through case studies of 15 Latina “trailblazers,” Sonia R. Garcia and her colleagues showcase the background, experiences, and challenges overcome by each of these women as she becomes the first Mexican American woman to hold her respective elective or appointive public office in Texas history.

In the mid-nineteenth century, Texas established its independence from Mexico and became a state; since then, Mexican American women have played a role in shaping the state's history. But it took another century for them to enter formal politics as public officeholders. It was 1959 when Norma Zuniga Benavides successfully ran for school board trustee in Laredo. In sketching the stories of those who followed, Políticas brings to light the slow, arduous, and still unfolding journey for Mexican American women to gain representation for themselves.

The authors provide an important theoretical grounding for the case study material, which comprises the bulk of the book. They draw upon the scholarly literature on women and Latinas/os in politics to summarize key findings and themes that apply to Latina patterns of political participation and underrepresentation in public office. On the basis of this discussion, the authors construct an analytical framework to investigate the following elements: political socialization experiences, the initial decision to run and challenges confronted in campaigns, leadership style, and perceptions of representational roles and advocacy priorities. This theoretical template is then used to organize the narratives of the women officeholders and interpret the significance of their individual stories.

Additional information in early chapters provides an overview of Latina political leadership nationwide at various levels of office. The authors also underscore the particular significance of Texas as the state with the highest number of Hispanic elected officials—women and men—in the nation. Appendices provide useful listings of Latina officeholders in Texas over time.

The authors devote most of the book to discussion of the 15 case studies, grouped into six chapters according to type of office. The cases were carefully chosen to feature Latinas elected (or appointed) to the state house and state senate, statewide office, state district and appellate judgeships, and the municipal offices of mayor and city councils. Garcia and her colleagues conducted personal interviews with each woman, and drew upon additional interviews with staff and family members and archival and other secondary sources to both supplement and substantiate the interviews with the officeholders. The richness of each chapter flows not only from these women's perspectives and voices but also from the authors' explications of how structural, partisan, or informal aspects of Texas politics work—largely to the disadvantage of Latina women. We learn, for example, how Representative Irma Rangel, first elected to the Texas House in 1976, was not considered a “team player” by the legislative leadership, members of her own Democratic Party. As a consequence, she served thirteen years before she was given a committee chairmanship (p. 44).

The authors' conclusions may appear familiar to scholars of women or Latinas in politics. While these women's paths to office varied, all confronted difficulties, such as familial obligations and the lack of campaign funds and “grooming” for public office. As is the case for most women, support and encouragement to run came from family members, friends, and grassroots supporters, rather than from traditional institutions, such as political parties. While all the women strongly identified with their Latino culture, most exhibited both a gender and racial consciousness that led to advocacy for “multiple constituencies” and not just the Latino community.

It is important to note some theoretical limitations to Políticas, beyond those generally associated with the case study method. This is a story of electoral success, of women who overcame obstacles to win public office. Broader comparisons to unsuccessful women candidates or the addition of male subjects might yield additional findings or modify the authors' conclusions. But these considerations do not diminish this study's contribution to scholarship and public knowledge. In the end, the fusion of systematic inquiry with personal narrative is a primary strength of this book and distinguishes it from another recent, largely descriptive study that profiles prominent Latinas in Texas politics (José Angel Gutiérrez, Michelle Meléndez, and Sonia Adriana Noyola, Chicanas in Charge: Texas Women in the Public Arena, 2007).

Scholars should consider Políticas a model for similar studies of Latina firsts in other states. As the authors make clear, marshaling information for writing this book was quite challenging. The passage of time adds urgency to preserving the historical record in women's own words. The authors, trailblazers themselves as the “first wave” of Latina political scientists on the faculties of Texas universities, have produced a valuable study appropriate for undergraduate courses as well as for broad public audiences. Preserving the triumphs and legacies of these Latina firsts may inspire a new generation of Latinas to aspire to public office and carry the torch.