CATHERINE CORTEZ-MASTO

No doubt, my parents were hardworking, you know, middle class. My father, when my sister and I were younger, he was a parking attendant at the old Dunes Hotel and Casino. My mother was a bookkeeper in a title company.

I don't take a stance to score political points. That's not what I'm about. That's not why the people hired me. If I do take a stand on something, it's because I've thoroughly researched it.

I've always been working on domestic violence prevention. I've always been fighting for people that are either downtrodden or the most vulnerable, and juvenile justice issues.

I loved thinking about how the law could be used to help others, how to interpret it that way. I think that probably comes from growing up in a family where my parents were actively involved in the community.

My Catholic faith guides me and imbues the principles I hold in protecting and preserving God's creation. As a U.S. senator, I strive to bring this faith to my work and allow these principles to guide me as I consider the best way to influence public policy and create laws with my colleagues.

As Christians, we are responsible for our fellow brothers and sisters suffering and fighting for the basic resources we all need to survive. To deny this is to turn a deaf ear to God's teachings.

Congressman Heck says Donald Trump is the candidate he trusts on national security and changing our economy. Well, I don't know about you, but I don't want Donald Trump anywhere near our nuclear launch codes.

When women apply for a job, we ask ourselves, 'Am I qualified? Do I have the experience? Do I have the education? Do I have the abilities?' When a man looks at that job, he thinks, 'How much does it pay?' We need to stop second-guessing our abilities. We need to stand up and make ourselves heard.

I've always been a collaborator. For me, it's, 'What's the issue I'm trying to solve? Who are the people we need to bring around the table to solve it?'

Passion helps you in protecting the community, and public service will follow it. That has been my career. It is the passion that drives me to do what I do every day.

We know that the United States Senate has passed comprehensive immigration reform. We know it can happen. And that, to me, is what we need to do. We have a broken immigration system. And I say this because we are a country that has always opened our doors. That's who we are.

My grandfather was born in Mexico. And when he was a young man, he crossed the Rio Grande. After that, he served in our military and became a U.S. citizen. He ended up in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and that's where my father was born. That was the beginning of my Mexican-American family, where they settled in Las Vegas in the early 1940s.

I like all music... My parents both just loved music from all genres. I don't have a favorite; I just love music. That's why I want to play the piano.

I want a president who is going to unite this country, who is going to fight for everyone, not just some people.

I'm going to be an advocate to ensure that we are protecting everyone, and we're tearing down barriers and not building barriers.

We need commonsense measures, gun control measures, that save lives. I think that it is important that we keep the firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill and criminals and terrorists. And I also think, by strengthening our background check system and expanding mental health treatment, we can do that as well.

In recent years, our planet has been warming at an alarming rate and seen record-breaking temperatures. We are now witnessing the sixth mass extinction event in the earth's geologic history. Our sea levels are rising at an alarming rate, threatening our largest cities, like New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.

We need to do a better job of mentorships and role models to bring other young women along so that there's more women in our boardrooms, there's more women here in the United States Senate and in Congress. I think there's an important role for women to play.

I know that when my grandfather crossed the Rio Grande, somebody was there to support him and to fight for him. I know when my dad was discriminated against because he was a Hispanic, somebody opened doors for him, and that's why he opened doors for others. That's what we do as Americans.

If we are going to deport Dreamers, and if we are going to deport undocumented individuals, our economy is going to take a big hit. That is why businesses across the country and in Nevada support immigration reform, support Dreamers, and support passing immigration reform to keep undocumented individuals in our state.

You've got to get out and talk to voters, and you've got to let them know who you are. Talk with them, listen to them, and let them know how you're going to fight for them.

I think exercise is so important. Yes, as women we are multi-taskers, but we have to take care of our bodies.

I like to dance. I always make my husband dance with me when we are in the kitchen to whatever gets us moving. One my favorite is bands is Mana, but I like all kinds of music.

I think the people that we hire in government should be just as diverse as the communities we represent.

I say this to women all the time: If you've got the passion, you believe in making change, and you've got an issue or policy or something that you want to do, believe in it. Have confidence in yourself. You can do it.