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.