Eleanor Chavez
Eleanor Chavez (Democratic Party) is a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives, representing District 26. She assumed office on January 1, 2023. Her current term ends on December 31, 2026.
Chavez (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the New Mexico House of Representatives to represent District 26. She is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on June 2, 2026.[source]
Biography
Eleanor Chavez earned a B.A. from the University of Washington in 1976 and a master of social work from the University of Washington in 1978. Her career experience includes working as a community organizer. Chavez served as director of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, District 1199, from 1997-2008.[1][2]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes yearly updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org
2025-2026
Chavez was assigned to the following committees:
2023-2024
Chavez was assigned to the following committees:
Political career
New Mexico Public Education Commission (2015-2017)
Chavez won election to the commission on November 4, 2014. She was sworn in to the District 1 seat on January 16 2015, which had been vacant since M. Andrew Garrison resigned from the board in December 2012. She declined to seek re-election in 2016.[3][4]
New Mexico House of Representatives, District 13 (2009-2013)
Chavez served in the New Mexico House of Representatives, representing District 13 from 2009 to 2013.
Committee assignments
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Chavez served on the following committees:
- Health and Government Affairs Committee, New Mexico House of Representatives
- Labor and Human Resources Committee, New Mexico House of Representatives, Vice Chair
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Chavez served on the following committees:
- Enrolling and Engrossing - A Committee, New Mexico House of Representatives
- Health and Government Affairs Committee, New Mexico House of Representatives
- Labor and Human Resources Committee, New Mexico House of Representatives
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2026
See also: New Mexico House of Representatives elections, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on June 2, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Democratic primary
Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 26
Incumbent Eleanor Chavez (D) is running in the Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 26 on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Eleanor Chavez | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary
Republican primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 26
Corey Zimmerman (R) is running in the Republican primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 26 on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Corey Zimmerman | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
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2024
See also: New Mexico House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 26
Incumbent Eleanor Chavez defeated Patrick Sais in the general election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 26 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Eleanor Chavez (D) | 58.2 | 5,438 |
 | Patrick Sais (R) | 41.8 | 3,900 | |
| Total votes: 9,338 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 26
Incumbent Eleanor Chavez advanced from the Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 26 on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Eleanor Chavez | 100.0 | 1,038 |
| Total votes: 1,038 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 26
Patrick Sais advanced from the Republican primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 26 on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Patrick Sais | 100.0 | 409 |
| Total votes: 409 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Chavez in this election.
2022
See also: New Mexico House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 26
Eleanor Chavez defeated Patrick Sais in the general election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 26 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Eleanor Chavez (D) | 60.4 | 4,032 |
| Patrick Sais (R) | 39.6 | 2,642 | |
| Total votes: 6,674 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 26
Eleanor Chavez defeated Cherise Quezada in the Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 26 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Eleanor Chavez | 68.5 | 898 |
| Cherise Quezada | 31.5 | 413 | ||
| Total votes: 1,311 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 26
Patrick Sais advanced from the Republican primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 26 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Patrick Sais | 100.0 | 562 |
| Total votes: 562 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Chavez declined to seek re-election to the New Mexico Public Education Commission in 2016.
2014
Chavez won election to the office of New Mexico Public Education Commission on November 4, 2014. Chavez ran without opposition in District 1.[5]
2012
- See also: New Mexico House of Representatives elections, 2012 and New Mexico State Senate elections, 2012
Chavez did not run for re-election to the New Mexico House of Representatives in 2012. Instead, she ran for election to the State Senate.[6]
Chavez faced Michael Padilla, Cecelia Romero-Tkach and James G. Taylor in the District 14 State Senate Democratic Primary on June 5, 2012. Padilla won the contest.
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
 Michael Padilla |
40.5% | 1,065 |
| Eleanor Chavez | 30.4% | 798 |
| James G. Taylor | 29.1% | 764 |
| Total Votes | 2,627 | |
2010
Chavez won re-election to the 13th District seat in 2010. She defeated Matthew Archuleta in the primary election. Chavez was unchallenged in the general election on November 2, 2010.[7]
| New Mexico House of Representatives General Election, District 13 (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Eleanor Chavez (D)
|
5,670 | 100% | ||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Chavez was elected to the 13th District seat in the New Mexico House of Representatives. Chavez was unchallenged in the general election.[8]
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
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2024
Eleanor Chavez did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Eleanor Chavez did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the New Mexico State Legislature in 2025.
- Animal Protection Voters — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to animal welfare.
- Rio Grande Foundation — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills relating to economic issues.
- The Freedom Index — Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the New Mexico State Legislature in 2024.
- Animal Protection Voters — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to animal welfare.
- Conservation Voters New Mexico — Legislators are scored on environmental and conservation issues.
- National Federation of Independent Business — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Rio Grande Foundation — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills relating to economic issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the New Mexico State Legislature in 2023.
- Animal Protection Voters — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to animal welfare.
- Conservation Voters New Mexico — Legislators are scored on environmental and conservation issues.
- Rio Grande Foundation — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills relating to economic issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the New Mexico State Legislature in 2012.
- Animal Protection Voters — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills relating to the state’s wildlife and domesticated animals.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the New Mexico State Legislature in 2011.
- Animal Protection Voters — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills relating to the state’s wildlife and domesticated animals.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
|
Officeholder New Mexico House of Representatives District 26 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedvotesmart - ↑ New Mexico Public Education Department, "Commissioners," accessed January 1, 2017
- ↑ New Mexico Public Education Department, "Commissioners," accessed September 30, 2015
- ↑ New Mexico Public Education Department, "Public Education Commission—Minutes January 16, 2015," accessed January 1, 2016
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedsos - ↑ NM Politics, "Chavez joins exodus from N.M. House," March 12, 2012
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "2010 General Election results," accessed May 12, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "Official 2008 General Election Results," accessed April 15, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Georgene Louis (D) |
New Mexico House of Representatives District 26 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
New Mexico Public Education Commission District 1 2015-2017 |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
New Mexico House of Representatives District 13 2009-2013 |
Succeeded by - |
