How the mayor of a small Inland Empire town became one of Congress' most powerful Democrats
Rep. Pete Aguilar felt the threat rising.
As the House prepared to confirm Joe Biden as the nation's next president on Jan. 6, 2021, and put an end to Donald Trump's false claim that the election was rigged, Aguilar had a great view of the doors Capitol security would barricade to ward off the rioting insurrectionists.
Just before he left the chamber floor and fled for safety with the rest of House leadership, Aguilar scratched in a little red notebook he had picked up on a trip to Peru something that many members and congressional staff felt that day.
"I'm a little scared."
The Yucaipa, California, native already was a rising star in the Democratic Party and climbing up the leadership ranks. That infamous day supercharged his ascent, first with an appointment to the House committee formed to investigate the attack on the Capitol and then with his election as chair of the House Democratic Caucus. Aguilar is now the third-highest-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives.
How the became Congress' highest-ranking Latino stems from why then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi committee, which led one of the highest-profile inquiries since the Watergate scandal took down President Nixon. Friends and foes alike note his tranquil demeanor, openness to differing viewpoints,
