Rio Grande Sierra Club endorsements for federal elections
Federal endorsement listings paid for by Sierra Club Independent Action, sierraclubindependentaction.org. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
House District 1,
Melanie Stansbury
Rep. Melanie Stansbury was our go-to expert on water issues in the New Mexico House, and she has continued that work in Congress, introducing the Rio Grande Water Security Act to develop and implement a plan for improving the basin’s water security, river and watershed health, and resilience to drought. She introduced America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, to protect the beautiful canyons of southern Utah, and the Rural Outdoor Investment Act, to provide grants for outdoor recreation projects to spur economic development. She introduced a resolution to encourage the Senate to ratify the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, and she recently sponsored the Judicial Ethics Enforcement Act of 2024.
House District 2,
Gabe Vazquez
Before entering public life, Rep. Gabe Vasquez worked for the National Wildlife Federation. While working for Sen. Martin Heinrich, he was instrumental in the designation of the Organ Mountains – Desert Peaks National Monument. In Congress, he introduced a bill to designate parts of the Gila River in New Mexico as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and he introduced the Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act, which would improve wildlife habitat connectivity and migration corridors. Congressman Vazquez introduced legislation to create a fund to cover medical costs for undocumented oil and gas workers.
House District 3,
Teresa Leger Fernandez
Water is the lifeblood of our state, and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, a former acequia commissioner, has secured billions in funding to ensure that our communities continue to have water in the future. She has championed many bills to improve the lives of tribal communities, and she introduced the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act. New Mexico seems to be in the crosshairs of a nuclear industry looking for a place to dump its waste, and Rep. Leger Fernandez introduced a bill to prohibit the use of federal funds for the private interim storage of spent nuclear fuel. The Congresswoman has also explored policies to help find alternatives for the state’s boom and bust, fossil-fuel based income.
Senate,
Martin Heinrich
Sen. Martin Heinrich, a former chapter activist, has been an extraordinary advocate for our public lands. He championed the creation of the Rio Grande Del Norte and Organ Mountains – Desert Peaks National Monuments and the elevation of White Sands to national park status, played pivotal roles in designating the Colombine-Hondo and Sabinoso Wildernesses, helped pass legislation expanding public access to the Valles Caldera National Preserve, and introduced and championed the Great American Outdoors Act, which provides billions of dollars for our public lands. The Senator has also prioritized climate action, leading Congressional advocacy on reducing methane pollution and driving uptake of heat pump technology.
Rio Grande Sierra Club endorsements for state-wide contested elections
New Mexico State Senate
Senate District 9,
Cindy Nava
A Dreamer, Cindy Nava was appointed by the White House as Senior Policy Advisor at HUD, where she oversaw the Climate Resilience Charter Group and worked on the expansion of resources devoted to affordable housing, innovative methods to address homelessness, and Tribal engagement. As the Executive Director of Transform Education NM, Cindy worked to incorporate the diverse cultural heritages of our state into education. 
Senate District 10,
Katy Duhigg
Sen. Duhigg has been a champion on voting rights and election issues, which is essential to getting candidates elected who will pass our legislative agenda. She has also tackled financial exploitation and child abuse. She has a 93% lifetime environmental voting score. 
Senate District 12,
Phillip Ramirez
Phil Ramirez is a great fit in a challenging district as both a small businessman – a contractor – and a union guy. He was the hearing officer who recommended adoption of the updates to the Energy Conservation Code that the Sierra Club supported and shepherded those through the Construction Industry Commission. He is especially concerned with helping low – to mid-income reduce their carbon emissions. 
Senate District 15,
Heather Berghmans
Heather Berghmans is a policy analyst and finance consultant. Until recently, she was the finance director for the New Mexico House Democratic Campaign Committee. She profoundly understands the imperative to safeguard our air, water, forests, and public lands for future generations. She is committed to do everything possible to meet the climate crisis and promote green technologies. 
Senate District 18,
Natalie Figueroa
Rep. Figueroa spent 6 years in the State House and is now running for State Senate. Rep. Figueora has been one of our most consistent supporters. She NEVER voted wrong on a piece of environmental legislation! An educator, Rep. Figueroa has focused on bills to improve education outcomes. In this past session, she introduced a bill to prohibit the banning of books. 
Senate District 20,
Martin Hickey
Martin Hickey is a medical doctor whose career focused on providing affordable healthcare available to all. He continued that mission as a senator, sponsoring an extraordinary array of healthcare legislation, including funding public healthcare and the Patient Debt Collection Protection Act, which was passed and signed into law. A rafter and outdoorsman himself, he has voted with us on environmental bills 97% of the time. 
Senate District 21,
Athena Christodoulou
Athena Christodoulou is an environmental engineer. She served as president and a board member of the NM Solar Energy Association, where she advocated for solar energy before the PRC, to legislators, and to the public for over a decade. She served as analyst for the House Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Committee in 2023. She is currently vice-chair of the NM Democratic Party Environmental Justice Caucus. 
Senate District 23,
Harold Pope
Sen. Pope was a sponsor of the green amendment and a bill raising oil and gas lease rates, and he has a 98% lifetime environmental voting record. He has been a voice for veterans in the legislature, and he introduced the Diversity Act, creating criteria for agencies to implement diversity policies. 
Senate District 29,
Tina Garcia
Tina Garcia is a former two-term Valencia County Clerk, magistrate judge, and Los Lunas School Board member. She is particularly interested in water issues as they affect farmers in the valley. 
Senate District 36,
Jeff Steinborn
Sen. Steinborn sponsored a bill, passed into law, that would prohibit companies like Holtec from dumping radioactive waste in “temporary” storage facilities in New Mexico when there is no plan for permanent storage. He introduced legislation to clean up abandoned uranium mining sites. He introduced a bill for e-bike rebates to encourage the use of the green and healthy mode of transportation, and he was a sponsor of the Green Amendment. 
Senate District 38,
Carrie Hamblen
Sen. Hamben had a perfect 100% environmental voting record during her first four years in office. She sponsored a bill to create a working group to consider acceptance of a pollinator protection plan proposed by the New Mexico beekeepers association and to assess other ways to protect pollinators, among other bills. New Mexico State House of Representatives
House District 4,
Joseph Hernandez
Joseph Hernandez works for NAEVA as their Indigenous Energy Organizer and lobbyist. He has been one of the Chapter’s closest partners on climate and energy legislation like the Energy Transition Act and the Community Solar Act. He served on the New Mexico Climate Change Taskforce and is a recipient of the Dr. Espanola Jackson Energy Justice Award for his work. 
House District 6,
Eliseo Lee Alcon
Eliseo Alcon proudly supports initiatives and legislation that promote environmental responsibility. He continues to fight to clean up the toxic mess left behind from uranium mining so as to help ensure that his grandchildren and great-grandchildren inherit a healthy, vital planet. 
House District 11,
Javier Martinez
Javier Martinez is the Speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives. He has a near-perfect, 98% CVNM environmental voting record.
House District 14,
Miguel Garcia
House District 16,
Yanira Gurrola
During her first term as a legislator, Yanira Gurrola has advocated for environmental sustainability, clean energy and other climate solutions to protect our natural resources and combat climate change. She sponsored legislation promoting electric school buses, clean car tax credits, and water reuse requirements. She is committed to continuing to work on issues of water and climate.
House District 19,
Janelle Anyanonu
House District 24,
Elizabeth (Liz) Thomson
House District 25,
Cristina Parajon
House District 26,
Eleanor Chavez
House District 28,
Pamelya Herndon
House District 29,
Joy Garratt
House District 30,
Elizabeth Diane Torres-Velasquez
House District 31,
Vicky Estrada-Bustillo
House District 34,
Ray Lara
House District 36,
Nathan Small
House District 38,
Tara Jaramillo
House District 39,
Gabby Begay
House District 43,
Christine Chandler
House District 44,
Kathleen Cates
House District 50,
Matthew McQueen
House District 53,
Sarah Silva
House District 60,
Luke Jungmann
House District 68,
Charlotte Little
County Offices
Bernalillo County | Bernalillo County Commission District 2: Frank Baca Bernalillo County Commission District 3: Adriann Barboa Bernalillo County Clerk: Michelle Kavanaugh |
Doña Ana County | Doña Ana County Commission District 5: Manny Sanchez Doña Ana County Clerk: Amanda López Askin |
Grant County | Grant County Commission District 4: Barbara Bush Grant County Commission District 5: Phillip Schoenberg |
Luna County | Luna County Commission District 3: Ariana Saludares |
Sandoval County | Sandoval County Commission District 4: Madigan Ray |
Valencia County | Valencia County Clerk: Rustin Porter Valencia County Commission District 2: Duana Draszkiewicz |
Ciudad Soil & Water Conservation District | Vote “yes” on the district mill levy. |
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