Florida's first Latino lieutenant governor sworn in
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Florida's first Latino lieutenant governor sworn in

<p>First time the state has a Latino in top executive position.</p>
Image: Florida Lieutenant Governor Lopez-Cantera kneels next to his six-year-old daughter, Sabrina, as she leads the Pledge of Allegiance on the House of Representatives floor in Tallahassee
Florida's first Hispanic Lieutenant Governor, Carlos Lopez-Cantera, kneels next to his six-year-old daughter, Sabrina, as she leads the Pledge of Allegiance on the House of Representatives floor in Tallahassee, Feb. 3, 2014.

Carlos Lopez-Cantera, whose family immigrated to the U.S. from Spain when he was a year old, was sworn in Tuesday as Florida's lieutenant governor, making him the first Hispanic to hold a top executive position in the state.

“I’m very proud to be part of the governor’s team,” Lopez-Cantera said during a news conference.

The 40-year-old Republican had been elected Miami-Dade Property Appraiser, but was picked by Gov. Rick Scott to fill the lieutenant governor position after former Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll's resignation.

Scott said Lopez-Cantera would be working on securing passage of half a billion dollars in tax cut and fees during the coming legislative session.

Lopez-Cantera will also be the governor's running mate in the upcoming gubernatorial election.