U.S. Government: Elected Officials

  • U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM)

    About
    Born and raised in New Mexico, Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury leads with determination and compassion. She has dedicated her career to finding solutions to water issues, poverty, and climate change — representing New Mexico in the Legislature and now in Congress. She is a champion of efforts to address hunger, food, and water insecurity, conservation and climate change, and economic development and recovery. Rep. Stansbury worked in communities across the state as a STEM educator, researcher on land and water issues, and served as a staffer in the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the White House Office of Management and Budget. As the Congresswoman from New Mexico’s First Congressional District, she is working hard to lift up the voices of our communities and tackle our biggest challenges— from economic development, to food and water security, to climate change.

    Congresswoman Stansbury serves New Mexicans on the House Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

  • U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-Albuquerque)

    About
    Born and raised in New Mexico, Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury leads with determination and compassion. She has dedicated her career to finding solutions to water issues, poverty, and climate change — representing New Mexico in the Legislature and now in Congress. She is a champion of efforts to address hunger, food, and water insecurity, conservation and climate change, and economic development and recovery. Rep. Stansbury worked in communities across the state as a STEM educator, researcher on land and water issues, and served as a staffer in the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the White House Office of Management and Budget. As the Congresswoman from New Mexico’s First Congressional District, she is working hard to lift up the voices of our communities and tackle our biggest challenges— from economic development, to food and water security, to climate change.

    Congresswoman Stansbury serves New Mexicans on the House Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

  • U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-Albuquerque)

    Congressman Gabe Vasquez is a first-generation Mexican-American who served as a City Councilor in Las Cruces.

    Congressman Vasquez grew up in the borderlands and saw the value of hard work in his family while growing up. As the first in his family to be born in the United States, he’s made the most of his opportunity and has worked hard to make a positive difference in his community and in the lives of others. Congressman Vasquez is a champion for working families, he believes we need to build an economy that benefits everyone.

    In 2013, after helping build one of Las Cruces’ most successful startup companies, Congressman Vasquez joined Senator Heinrich’s staff and worked across southern New Mexico to solve problems for New Mexico businesses, communities, and families. Vasquez was also instrumental in the designation of the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument, protecting it from harmful development and safeguarding it for future generations.

    In 2017, Congressman Vasquez was elected to the Las Cruces City Council with over 70 percent of the vote. In this role, he delivered millions of dollars in investment to create and improve parks, updated the district’s infrastructure, promoted policy that created thousands of jobs, and helped craft a comprehensive development plan that focused on lifting families out of poverty. In prior years, Congressman Vasquez has served as the executive director of the Las Cruces Hispano Chamber of Commerce, worked in public lands conservation, and as a policy advocate promoting child welfare and family wellbeing at the federal level.
    Vasquez was elected to represent New Mexico’s 2nd November 2022.

  • U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.)

    With a background in engineering, Martin Heinrich brings a unique perspective to the Senate, where he is focused on creating the jobs of the future and protecting the vital missions at New Mexico’s national labs and military installations. Raised by working class parents, he is a strong advocate for working families, a staunch ally of Indian Country, and a champion for New Mexico’s public lands and growing clean energy economy.

    After completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Missouri, Heinrich and his wife, Julie, moved to Albuquerque where he began his career as a contractor working on directed energy technology at Phillips Laboratories, which is now Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base. Heinrich later served in AmeriCorps for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and was the Executive Director of the Cottonwood Gulch Foundation. He also led the Coalition for New Mexico Wilderness and founded a small public affairs consulting firm.

    Before he was elected to Congress, Heinrich served four years as an Albuquerque City Councilor and was elected as City Council President. During his time on City Council, Heinrich championed successful efforts to raise the city minimum wage, address crime through community policing, support local small businesses, make Albuquerque a leader in energy and water conservation, and fought for campaign finance reform. He also served as New Mexico’s Natural Resources Trustee, working to conserve the state’s outdoor heritage.

    Before he was elected to Congress, Heinrich served four years as an Albuquerque City Councilor and was elected as City Council President. During his time on City Council, Heinrich championed successful efforts to raise the city minimum wage, address crime through community policing, support local small businesses, make Albuquerque a leader in energy and water conservation, and fought for campaign finance reform. He also served as New Mexico’s Natural Resources Trustee, working to conserve the state’s outdoor heritage.

    A member of U.S. Senate since 2012, Senator Heinrich serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee and also as chairman of the Military Construction (MILCON), Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, which oversees funding for new military construction and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Senator Heinrich also serves on the following Appropriations Subcommittees: Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; and Legislative Branch. Through his role on the committee, Heinrich has fought to ensure our military installations have all of the modern facilities they need to execute their national security missions, and to secure all the resources and funding the VA needs to keep America’s promise to our service members and their families when they return home as veterans.

    An avid sportsman and conservationist, Heinrich works to protect New Mexico’s public lands, watersheds, and wildlife for future generations. He worked with local communities to designate the Río Grande del Norte and Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monuments.

    With its abundance of solar and wind resources and energy research hubs, New Mexico can lead the way in combating the devastating effects of climate change and modernizing our nation’s electrical grid. In 2015, Heinrich helped negotiate the long-term extension of renewable energy tax credits that support New Mexico’s growing clean energy industries. Heinrich introduced legislation to prepare New Mexico’s workforce for good-paying clean energy jobs. He has also supported the development of renewable energy projects on public and tribal lands, the adoption of innovative energy storage and battery technologies, and improvement to the security of our nation’s energy infrastructure.

    To build a brighter economic future, Heinrich believes in investments in communities and the next generation of New Mexicans. Heinrich supports major investments in early childhood education, public schools, and health care. He introduced the bipartisan Two Generation Economic Empowerment Act to help states like New Mexico coordinate programs across human services, workforce development, education, and health care agencies so they can work more effectively to put parents and children on the path to success. He has also long championed strengthening the education pipeline for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers for all students including women and minorities.