Michael Redondo has announced his candidacy for County Clerk. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
caclark@ladailypost.com
Continuing his life of service, former Los Alamos County Probate Judge Michael D. Redondo has announced his intention to run for Los Alamos County Clerk. Clerk Naomi Maestas term limits out Dec. 31, 2024, after serving two consecutive 4-year terms.
Redondo stepped down from his judgeship Feb. 2, 2024, to allow the person appointed to fill that vacancy the opportunity to participate in annual training offered in early February. He will formally file for clerk March 12 and encourages local registered Democrats to go on the New Mexico Secretary of State website, www.sos.nm.gov and sign an electronic petition to have Redondo placed on the ballot for the June Primary Election. He also encourages all registered voters of any party to file an electronic petition to have their candidate appear on the ballot.
“I only need 20 signatures and I do intend to pay the filing fee but it’s good to show support that people want you to be on the ballot.” Redondo explained, adding that this is the first year countywide petitions are offered, before petitions were only offered for state and regional offices.
Council first appointed Redondo to fill a vacancy left by former Probate Judge Anne Nobile. Voters then elected him to a 4-year term in the following General Election.
The County Clerk is the de facto clerk of the Probate Court. The probate judge is housed within in the County Clerk’s suite of offices, which has given Redondo a bird’s eye view of how the clerk’s office operates.
“I have great respect for our County Clerk Naomi,” he said. “I feel it’s a terribly important position and several people have encouraged me to file.”
Redondo spoke of his interest in elections and how he has served as a poll worker and ran as a candidate so understands that side as well. There is also the probate piece.
“It is incredibly important for people to have fair and free elections,” Redondo said.
After serving 4-and-a-half years, Redondo said he is ready for a new challenge.
“I don’t want to get complacent and I know serving as county clerk is definitely challenging!” he said.
Redondo is a U.S. citizen born abroad in Mérida, Venezuela. He moved with his family to Pasadena, Calif. at 3 months of age. His parents had met while attending Utah State University. His father was studying physics and was later a post doc at Caltech.
When he was 3 years old his father got a job at Los Alamos National Laboratory so the family moved to town.
“I grew up here and graduated in the Class of 1998 from Los Alamos High School,” Redondo said. “I double majored in biology and Spanish at UNM and graduated with a BS in Biology and a BA in Spanish. I really enjoyed officiating at weddings while probate judge and when word got out that I can do weddings in Spanish quite a few couples came up from the valley so I could marry them.”
After college Redondo joined the Peace Corps and served in the Republic of Panama. He eventually returned to Los Alamos and returned to UNM where he earned a Master’s Degree in Community and Regional Planning with Emphasis in Natural Resources Planning. He started a consulting firm and was a subcontractor for a company in Santa Fe before branching out to do biodiversity consulting and fire prevention and mitigation work.
“A friend who lived out of town convinced me to provide elder care for his mother which included helping her and her husband with end of life care,” Redondo said. “After that I was appointed to fill the probate judge vacancy.”
Redondo said that being a probate judge is really about helping people navigate through an unpleasant time in their life following the death of a loved one.
“It’s bitter sweet because I enjoyed helping people but I also know I will continue to help people in other ways as county clerk,” he said.