Heather Benavidez is running for State Treasurer and recently visited the Los Alamos Daily Post to speak about her candidacy. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
caclark@ladailypost.com

Heather Benavidez is running on the Democratic ticket to be the next Treasurer of the State of New Mexico. If elected, she will make history as the first woman to hold this statewide office.

As state treasurer she would represent all 33 counties in New Mexico including Los Alamos. She recently visited the Los Alamos Daily Post to speak about her desire to serve.

“I am a major history buff so naturally Los Alamos is one of my favorite places in New Mexico. Over the years I’ve made the trip north to attend my daughter’s cheer competitions and various political events, and to explore the region to experience the city’s rich history firsthand,” she said. “History books, television, and movies do a great job of describing the Manhattan Project, but there’s nothing like seeing the Los Alamos Project Main Gate replica for the first time in person!”

Benavidez grew up in Belen and graduated from Belen High School. During high school she worked in the kitchen of a nursing home facility and after graduating, worked at the local RAKS building supply.

She had her daughter, Maddy, while working in the information technology industry and, like too many women, had the unfortunate experience of being laid off upon returning from maternity leave.

“At 25, with my newborn daughter Maddy, I began working for the Thirteenth Judicial District Court,” she said. “I completed my bachelor’s degree in 2010 when Maddy was 7 years old. In 2015 I married the love of my life, and received my Master’s in Public Administration at UNM in 2019.”

During that time Benavidez was working as an executive at the New Mexico State Treasurer’s Office under current State Treasurer Tim Eichenberg.

She has served New Mexicans for 19 years on the local and state level, including being appointed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to serve as magistrate judge in Valencia County.

She also was elected two terms as municipal judge for the City of Rio communities.

“With my experience working for Treasurer Eichenberg, I understand the office and the position better than any other candidate,” Benavidez said. “My work for the Treasurer’s office includes lobbying for financial education programs for underserved communities, helping implement the RFP vendor selection process by working closely with the General Services Department, and managing the Alternative Dispute Resolution program, and I’ve worked with law enforcement agencies to coordinate the Forfeiture program. I understand the position, and have established important relationships with numerous agencies and community partners – the relationships a Treasurer needs to succeed.”

Benavidez explained that the State Treasurer’s Office works with several families in Los Alamos to provide ABLE New Mexico accounts to individuals living with disabilities, and has created partnerships statewide to conduct outreach to ensure all New Mexicans know how this program can assist the communities.

“We’re also working with our federal delegation, specifically U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, to get the ABLE Age Adjustment Act passed, which will raise the age of eligibility from 26 to 46 and that will increase accessibility for an estimated 8 million people, including 1 million veterans,” Benavidez said. “We also understand the importance of financial literacy and consumer protection education and look forward to the possibility of creating a partnership with Los Alamos National Laboratory to work together to provide the education necessary to strengthen the workforce in Northern New Mexico. Our youth must be empowered with tools that help them make good choices as they navigate the workforce or post-secondary education.”

Benavidez said that everyone should have access to a retirement saving program and after years of research and preparation her team has launched the development of New Mexico Work & Save.

“We look forward to partnering with the Los Alamos Small Business Development Center to provide workshops to employees of small businesses and business owners before our targeted implementation date of July 2024,” she said.

Benavidez is most recently endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers New Mexico.

To learn more about Benavidez, visit https://heatherfornm.com/.