Deb Haaland, our nominee for Governor, was born in Winslow, Arizona and, growing up in a military family (both of her parents served in our military), she attended 13 public schools before graduating from Highland High School in Albuquerque. At age 34, working and attending school while raising her daughter as a single parent, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of New Mexico and later a J.D. from UNM Law School. 

A 35th generation New Mexican and an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna, She is the first Native American in U.S. history to hold a cabinet secretary position, serving as Secretary of the Interior in the Biden Administration. Prior to serving as Secretary of the Interior, Deb served in Congress as the U.S. Representative from the 1st Congressional District.

Learn more about Deb on her campaign website at https://debhaaland.com/

A native New Mexican, Attorney General Raúl Torrez was born in Albuquerque and graduated from Sandia Prep, before attending Harvard University, where he graduated cum laude with a BA in government. He earned a MS in IPE from the London School of Economics, and then worked for the Cesar Chavez Foundation in Los Angeles before attending Stanford Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor.

After graduating from Stanford, Torrez became an assistant DA in Valencia County before taking a job in the office of the New Mexico attorney general. He was chief counsel to NM House Speaker Ben Luján, and then served as a White House Fellow during the Obama Administration. He returned to Albuquerque to work in the U.S. Attorney's office before serving as district attorney of Bernalillo County from 2016 to 2021 when he announced his candidacy to run for New Mexico AG, winning that election in 2022. Since taking office, he's focused on issues including child safety, consumer protection, environmental enforcement, and government transparency. Read more about Raúl on his campaign website at https://www.raultorrez.com/

Amanda Lopez Askin is a proud public servant with deep roots in New Mexico, she was raised in Las Cruces by a hard working single mom who still needed assistance and  public housing to provide a stable life for her children. With the support of her community and hard work and determination, Amanda became a therapist and dedicated herself to helping kids in foster care.

When the opportunity came to serve her community in Dona Aña County as County Clerk, she leapt at the chance to continue to serve the community that has given her so much. As County Clerk, Amanda has led with fairness and compassion while ensuring the integrity of elections. When our 2020 elections were under attack, Amanda persevered combatting misinformation and pushing back on election deniers.

Amanda is running for Secretary of State to bring her lived and professional experience to serve all New Mexicans by making sure our elections remain safe, secure, and fair, providing transparency in campaign finance, and supporting New Mexico’s businesses. Find out more about Amanda at https://amandafornm.com/

State Treasurer Laura Montoya made history in 2023, as the state's first female Treasurer and the first Latina elected to this role in the United States. Raised and educated in Northern New Mexico, Laura upbringing fostered a deep commitment to service, community, and policy work.

While pursuing a master's degree, Laura worked for U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman. Laura has held various roles within the New Mexico Legislature and served under former State Treasurers Douglas Brown and James B. Lewis. Throughout Laura’s career she's dedicated efforts to serving New Mexicans at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels with unwavering dedication and skill.

During two terms as Sandoval County Treasurer, she accomplished commendable audit outcomes and a tax collection rate of 99.37%. She led the passage of over 20 pieces of legislation, reforming the tax structure to be fairer, simpler, and more equitable, while championing initiatives for veterans, seniors, and New Mexicans with disabilities. Laura also expanded the permissibility of investments within New Mexico for Class A counties and municipalities in these counties. Learn more at https://www.lauramontoya4nm.com/

Our incumbent State Auditor, Joseph Maestas was born in Santa Fe and raised on a farm in Santa Cruz. He earned a BS degree from the University of New Mexico and an MS from Arizona State University, Tempe, both in civil engineering.

For over 30 years, Joe worked as an engineer and government regulator. In 2014, he was elected to serve as a member of the Santa Fe City Council for the second district. From 2006 to 2010, he was the mayor of Española. In the 2020 election, Joe was a candidate for the third district on the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, winning handily and assuming office in 2021. In 2022, he was elected New Mexico state auditor. He started his four-year term in January of 2023. Learn more about Joe at https://www.maestas4nm.net/

Juan de Jesus Sanchez III is a proud 13th-generation New Mexican with deep roots in the Land of Enchantment. Raised in a ranching family in Valencia and Socorro counties, Juan understands firsthand the importance of responsible land and water stewardship.

A graduate of Belen High School, Juan attended New Mexico Highlands University and was elected Vice Chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico at just 24 years old. Under his leadership and alongside Chair Deb Haaland, the party eliminated $67,000 in debt, raised over $200,000 in grassroots contributions.

Later, Juan pursued a Master’s in Water Resources at the University of New Mexico and took on a role with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a Natural Resource Specialist and Ranger at Cochiti Lake. Juan spent five years at the NM Acequia Commission advocating for the protection of New Mexico’s traditional irrigation systems and the communities that rely on them. His work ensured that generations-old water rights and agricultural traditions remained intact.

He served for five years as Political Director for Senator Heinrich, traveling across the state to learn about local issues and help elect conservation-minded leaders and served as Deputy Campaign Manager for Senator Heinrich’s 2024 re-election. Learn more at https://juanfornewmexico.com/

Judge Kris Houghton was appointed to the New Mexico Court of Appeals in August 2025 by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, after being recommended by the Bi-Partisan Judicial Nominating Commission. Prior to being appointed to the NM Court of Appeals, Kris served our community from 2012-2025 in the Department of Justice at the United States Attorney’s Office in Albuquerque. Kris began as a law clerk, became an Assistant US Attorney in the Criminal Division, was selected to serve overseas as DOJ’s Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, and then returned to New Mexico as the US Attorney’s Chief of the Criminal Division in Albuquerque. He finished his time at the US Attorney’s Office as an Assistant US Attorney in the Civil Division.

As Chief of the Criminal Division, Kris oversaw approximately 50 attorneys and 20 staff members and supervised all federal criminal investigations and prosecutions for the northern two-thirds of New Mexico, as well as extraterritorial crimes in foreign countries. From 2020 to 2022, Kris led the Office of the Judicial Attaché under the direction of DOJ’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, managing the busiest extradition practice in the world. Kris advised prosecutors and agents on hundreds of US-Colombia bilateral investigations and served as the DOJ’s lead diplomat in Colombia. Visit his retention website at https://keepjudgehoughton.com/

Bill Scott spent over twenty-two years in the military as both an Army officer specializing in Latin America foreign relations, military intelligence, and an enlisted cavalry scout. He is a Highland High Hornet that competed in state competitions for a myriad of topics that include academic decathlon, soccer, track, and chorus. He attended both UNM and NMSU, studying computers and mathematics respectively, before getting a master’s degree at Vanderbilt University in Latin American Studies. Bill's website is "pending", but you can go to https://home.forwardparty.com/scott_william to learn more.

For State Representative Anita Gonzales, Las Vegas NM is home. She was born there and that's where she's raising her 12-year old son today. She's a multi-generational Northern New Mexican with a deep love and connection to that area and her community. She spent the last twenty years of her professional career working to uplift young girls, Hispanic and other minority students from lower income communities through education in fields where they are underrepresented—namely math, science, and technology.  

As the Deputy Director for New Mexico Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement, She's worked with STEM leaders, students, teachers, administrators, public school, and higher education institutions throughout the state to improve and change the lives of kids from rural and small town communities in New Mexico. 

She's long been involved in her community, as a volunteer and on the Boards of groups like the San Miguel County Family & Community Health Council or the Rotary Club of Las Vegas. As an acequia commissioner, she strongly understands how water is central to our lives, local agriculture, and culture. In addition, she's worked with state and national organizations like the Hispanic College Fund, to bring opportunities to our home communities. Find out more at https://anita4newmexico.com/