School Board Member Antonio Jaurigue
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
The results of the 2025 general election in Los Alamos County are in and some new and returning faces will be serving on the Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS) Board and the University of New Mexico-Los Alamos (UNM-LA) Advisory Board.
The results reveal Margie Serrato won the seat for the LAPS Board District 1 and Antonio Jaurigue won the seat for District 2. Serrato earned 548 votes while Stephanie Galvez earned 413 votes. Jaurigue received 590 votes while Tamara Hinckley earned 474 and Jasmine Stephens received 67 votes.
This is the second time Jaurigue will serve on the school board; he was previously elected in 2021 but resigned in 2024 after his wife applied to be a special education teacher. State law mandated that she could not be hired while he served on the school board.
“I am so grateful to the voters of Los Alamos for trusting me to serve on the school board again,” Jaurigue said. “Your support means a lot and shows how deeply this community cares about our students and our public schools. I’m looking forward to working together to keep our schools strong and to make sure every student feels valued and supported.”
School Board Member Margie Serrato
In deciding to run for the school board, Serrato said she was called to action.
“This election was never about me or about securing a seat on a board,” she said. “It was about answering a calling that I was invited to follow; one that asked me to get involved, learn, connect, and trust.
“My greatest concern, at the start, was that I didn’t know the mechanics of running a campaign,” Serrato added. “That concern was quickly eased by the caring guidance and generous support of so many people in our community. The behind-the-scenes work is far greater than one would fathom. But, there are hundreds of unnamed members in this effort–including the voters, who chose to take action at a time when we feel especially disengaged. You chose to take action. Thank you for electing me to be a member of the Los Alamos Public Schools Board. I hold your trust with great care. And I am excited to co-create the future of our schools with you.”
Regarding the results of the UNM-LA Advisory Board, David Hampton, Conner Tharp and Andrew Fischer Wright were elected. Hampton received 2,623 votes, Tharp earned 2,327 votes and Fisher Wright got 2,137 votes. Candidate Bryan Fearey received 1,829 votes.
Hampton and Tharp served on the advisory board prior to the election. Hampton was elected to the board in 2021, and Tharp was appointed this year to complete a vacant term.
UNM-LA Advisory Board David Hampton
Hampton said, “I want to thank the people of Los Alamos County for electing me to the UNM-LA Advisory Board. I won’t let you down! It was great knocking on doors this year and meeting so many of you, hearing your concerns regarding UNM-LA and other County issues. I also want to thank the many individuals who helped me to get elected. You know who you are!
“Additionally, thank you to all the election workers and the County Clerk’s Office whose tireless efforts made this all happen,” he added. “And finally, congratulations to the other candidates who were elected last (Tuesday) night.”
UNM-LA Advisory Board Member Conner Tharp
UNM-Los Alamos Advisory Board,” Tharp said. “Thank you to everyone who voted and decided to place their trust in me for this position. I’m proud to advocate for our students, their families, and the future of higher education in our community. I’m grateful that so many of you considered my voice and vision when thinking about what you want the future of Los Alamos to look like. I’m ready to get to work!”
Fisher Wright is a newcomer to the board, but he said he is excited to get started.
“I’m honored to have been elected to the UNM-Los Alamos Advisory Board,” Tharp said. “Thank you to everyone who voted and decided to place their trust in me for this position. I’m proud to advocate for our students, their families, and the future of higher education in our community. I’m grateful that so many of you considered my voice and vision when thinking about what you want the future of Los Alamos to look like. I’m ready to get to work!”
UNM-LA Advisory Board Andrew Fischer Wright
Fischer Wright is a newcomer to the board, but he said he is excited to get started.
“Thank you to the people of Los Alamos County for electing me to this position; I am grateful every day that we live in such an engaged community,” he said. “Your trust is a responsibility I do not take lightly, and I look forward to serving the UNM-LA Advisory Board to the best of my ability. Thanks to my fellow candidates for their support and for raising important issues in this race, as well as the others who helped to guide me along the way. I would also like to thank my wife, Brenna, who has been my rock and continues to believe in me.”
School board and UNM-LA Advisory Board seats were not the only things on the ballots; residents of the Mirador housing development elected Juan Galvez, Megan Hesselink and Elizabeth Summa to Mirador’s Public Improvement District.
In total, 4,230 ballots were cast for this year’s election. The total voter turnout was 26.1 percent. This is down slightly from the last local election in 2023 where there were 4,531 ballots cast and there was a total turnout of 28.8 percent.
Looking back on Tuesday’s election, Los Alamos County Clerk Michael Redondo said, “As with any election, we encountered some challenges, but thanks to our dedicated staff and poll workers, we were able to overcome them and ensure every vote was counted accurately. Our poll workers went above and beyond, working between 14 and 16 hours on election day as well as countless hours during early voting to serve their community with integrity and commitment.”
Note: All reported results of this election remain unofficial until certified by the County and the State.