He served in the LI Legislature of the Congress of Sonora from 1985 to 1988 as a member of the now-defunct Workers' Revolutionary Party (PRT).

[1][2] Leyva was also allegedly a member of the Liga Comunista 23 de Septiembre, and as such, was arrested by the Federal Judicial Police in August 1977 and tortured before his release.

[1] He visited California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas in an effort to strengthen ties between the labor movements on both sides of the border.

[1] Within the party, Leyva was a member of the regional leadership as well as the PRT Central Committee.

[7] A longtime supporter of workers' rights, Leyva was at the forefront of organizations such as the Frente Campesino Independiente Revolucionario and the Unión General Obrero, Campesina y Popular.