Former State Rep. Luciano ‘Lucky’ Varela

STATE News:

SANTA FE – State Highway 50 is poised to be named for former State Rep. Luciano “Lucky” Varela after a memorial passed the House Floor with unanimous consent.

House Memorial 71 was introduced by the Speaker of the House Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe) and Rep. Patricia Lundstrom (D-Gallup).

“Representative Lucky Varela’s service should serve as example for all legislators. Naming Highway 50 after him will commemorate his work for New Mexico and honor his service,” Speaker Egolf said.

“Highway 50 runs straight through the heart of where Representative Lucky Varela was born, and it’s only right that this highway will recognize his decades of serving our state,” Rep. Lundstrom said. “This memorial will be a wonderful reminder to all of us to strive to be as knowledgeable and dedicated as Lucky was.”

Following a career in state government, Rep. Varela was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1986 to serve House Dist. 48 and represented that district until 2016. He served as the deputy chair of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee and was a member of the Health, Government and Indian Affairs Committee. The memorial also is sponsored by Debbie A. Rodella (D-Espanola) and Carl Trujillo (D-Santa Fe).