Cheri Lujan
New Mexico Senate News:
SANTA FE — This week, New Mexico Senate leaders have announced their intention to nominate Cheri Lujan as the next Chief Clerk of the Senate.
If elected by the full Senate at the start of the Legislative Session in January 2023, Lujan will replace Lenore Naranjo, who has served in the Senate for more than 45 years and announced her retirement earlier this year.
The Chief Clerk of the Senate, a nonpartisan role, acts as the official custodian of all bills, documents, papers, writings and all other records of the Senate, and performs supervisory and administrative duties for the Senate.
The Chief Clerk’s office also fields constituency service requests and performs public outreach functions necessary to educate the public about the Senate.
Lujan serves in the Facilities Management Division of the state General Services Department as the Asset Management Real Property Manager, where she is responsible for the day-to-day management and administration of state-owned buildings and land. Prior to this role, she was the District Manager of the East Torrance Soil and Water Conservation District, where she still serves on a part-time basis. In addition to these positions, she has worked for the Senate as an Analyst during legislative sessions for the last 16 years.
“It is a great honor to be asked to serve the state in this role,” Lujan said. “The Senate has been a near and dear part of my life for many years and I look forward to taking on new responsibilities as Chief Clerk. I’ve spent most of my career working for the people of New Mexico and cannot wait to continue serving them, and our State Senate, in this capacity.”
“Cheri will be a wonderful asset to all of New Mexico serving as our Chief Clerk,” said Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque). “Many members from both caucuses know her, have worked with her, and agree that she has all the right personal and professional qualifications to run the Senate with great skill. She has big shoes to fill but I have great confidence in her abilities, and I look forward to having her join us in the Senate Chamber come January.”
“The Senate has been in good hands with Lenore Naranjo as our Chief Clerk all these years, and it’s important that we don’t skip a beat as we transition to having a new person in this important position,” said Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe). “Members from both sides of the aisle are in enthusiastic agreement that Cheri Lujan is the right person to do just that, and I am excited to have her on the team.”
“For more than four decades, we have been blessed by the leadership of Chief Clerk Lenore Naranjo,” added Senate Republican Leader Greg Baca (R-Belen). “Her legacy of exemplary service has set the bar high for the next individual to take on this vital role. If elected by the Senate, our greatest wish is that Cheri Lujan will step confidently into this position with the necessary institutional knowledge and even-handed, steady leadership needed to hold this chamber together.”