CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. - With only 37 days remaining in the New Mexico Legislative Session, House District 6 remains without representation, leaving thousands of constituents in the East of Cibola and South of McKinley Counties without a voice in Santa Fe. But, after months of work, this may change before the lawmaking session ends.
The political saga that has unfolded since the resignation and death of longtime Representative Eliseo “Lee” Alcon appears to finally be reaching an end, as both the Cibola and McKinley County Commissions have finally selected nominees: former Cibola County Commissioner Martha Garcia and former State Senator Clemente Sanchez, respectfully.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham must now make a choice, to which she has three options: pick either Clemente Sanchez or Martha Garcia, or reject the nominees altogether.
Haven’t We Already Done This?
If this situation has you scratching your head asking, “haven’t we already done this?” The short answer is yes—this is the second time that Cibola and McKinley Counties have nominated candidates to fill this House District 6 vacancy.
The first time around, both counties selected former Representative Harry Garcia, who was at the time of his nomination the sitting representative for House district 69. Despite immediate concerns over whether he actually resided in House District 6, both counties dug into their nomination.
These concerns led to the governor asking the New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver whether her office could confirm H. Garcia’s actual residence. Her office responded that it lacks the authority to investigate voter registration claims, prompting the governor to request an investigation from the New Mexico Department of Justice, which concluded that H. Garcia did not meet the constitutional residency requirements to serve House District 6.
On January 21, Governor Lujan Grisham formally rejected Garcia’s appointment, sending both counties back to the drawing board.
Cibola and McKinley Diverge on Nominees
With time slipping away in the legislative session, both commissions were once again tasked with selecting nominees who could meet the constitutional requirements and withstand the governor’s scrutiny. Both county commissions had a long list of interested individuals who threw their names into the ring for consideration.
This time, however, the two counties selected different candidates, setting up a choice for the governor between two competing nominees.
On Jan. 28, after an extended 45-minute meeting— far lengthier than the 15minute session that saw Harry Garcia initially nominated— Cibola commissioners settled on Clemente Sanchez. The vote was 3-1 in favor, with Commissioner Georgia Routzen Sanchez abstaining and Chairwoman Christine Lowery casting the lone vote against.
On Feb. 4, McKinley County, which had previously supported the embattled Harry Garcia before his nomination was struck down due to residency concerns, swiftly coalesced around Martha Garcia, voting unanimously to send her name to the governor.
Sanchez faces the same scrutiny over residency that ultimately doomed Harry Garcia’s nomination. Until Representative Alcon’s resignation, Sanchez was registered to vote at a House District 69 address in Acomita, where his wife, Commissioner Georgia Routzen Sanchez, resides. His voter registration was updated to an address in Grants—within House District 6—the day after Alcon stepped down. Though Sanchez has asserted that Grants has always been his primary residence, this abrupt change in registration echoes the concerns that led to the legal downfall of Garcia’s candidacy.
Martha Garcia, in contrast, presents a much clearer case for residency. As a longtime resident of Pine Hill and a former county commissioner for Cibola, she does not face the same legal uncertainty surrounding Sanchez.
This pick was pronounced when McKinley County Commissioner Walt Eddy characterized his commission’s nomination of Martha Garcia as an effort to stabilize the political situation, telling the Los Alamos Daily Post, “We bailed out McKinley and Cibola Counties.”
The absence of a representative for House District 6 has become an increasingly pressing issue as the legislative session progresses. Key legislation, budget negotiations, and committee appointments are being decided without input from the district Now that she has two different candidates from the two counties impacted by House District 6, Governor Lujan Grisham is tasked with selecting one of them to represent the district or reject the nominations altogether.
As of press deadline on Feb. 11, the governor had not made her decision. If the governor rejects both nominees, the counties will have to restart the nomination process, further prolonging House District 6’s lack of representation.
Timeline of the Crisis
November 5, 2024: Representative Eliseo Alcon of Milan, N.M. wins his eighth term to represent House District 6.
November 25, 2024: Representative Alcon announces his immediate resignation from House District 6 due to health concerns. This initiates the process for filling his seat, requiring both Cibola and McKinley County Commissions to submit nominees to the governor.
December 3, 2024: In a short 15-minute meeting, the Cibola County Commission nominates Harry Garcia, the sitting representative of House District 69, raising immediate concerns about his eligibility due to his residency.
December 17, 2024: The McKinley County Commission, instead of making a nomination, postpones their decision indefinitely, prolonging the process and leaving House District 6 without a nominee.
December 30, 2024: McKinley County finally nominates Harry Garcia, aligning with Cibola County’s earlier decision and sending his name to Governor Lujan Grisham.
January 2, 2025: Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver responds to an inquiry from the governor, stating that residency is determined based on the sworn attestation of the nominee and that further verification would require an investigation.
January 6, 2025: The governor requests the New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) to conduct an investigation into Garcia’s residency.
January 13, 2025: Former Rep. Alcon passes away at age 75.
January 17, 2025: NMDOJ concludes its investigation, determining that Garcia does not meet the constitutional residency requirements to serve House District 6. The report states that Garcia’s declared address in the district was not inhabited and that he continued to reside at his District 69 address.
January 21, 2025: New Mexico’s 60-Day Legislative Sessions begins, HD6 is the only vacancy in the entire lawmaking body.
January 21, 2025: Governor Lujan Grisham officially rejects Garcia’s nomination, citing the NMDOJ’s findings.
January 28, 2025: Cibola County Commission nominates former State Senator Clemente Sanchez to fill House District 6’s vacancy. The vote was 3-1, with one abstention. Sanchez, like the rejected nominee Harry Garcia, is questioned about his residency as he only changed the official documentation on his voter registration to his House District 6 residency after Alcon’s resignation from the seat.
February 4, 2025: McKinley County Commission nominates former Cibola County Commissioner Martha Garcia of Pine Hill, setting up a choice for the governor between the two nominees.