In southern New Mexico’s House of Representatives District 33, which covers historic Mesilla and part of Las Cruces in the state’s arid borderland region, water is paramount.
The region is home to the state’s second-largest city, as well as New Mexico State University. Recently, high-profile developments like the Oracle and OpenAI data center venture Project Jupiter have dominated the area’s discourse in terms of economic development, air pollution and water usage.
Incumbent Democratic Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena first won election to the seat in 2018 and faces attorney Ramona Martinez in the June 2 primary. The winner will go on to a Nov. 3 general election contest against Republican Enrique “Kiki” Vigil, a former Doña Ana County sheriff.
Source NM posed several questions to both candidates about their races. Their answers have been edited for clarity and concision.
Micaela Lara Cadena
Micaela Lara Cadena has worked multiple stints at the New Mexico-based advocacy organization Bold Futures, and previously served as the bureau chief of recidivism reduction for the New Mexico Corrections Department.
Recently, though, the environment has consumed her legislative work.
“When I got to the Legislature, my background was in health policy and criminal legal reform,” she told Source NM. “But as I’ve jumped in and had to figure out this Project Jupiter fight, more and more and more, I think…the issue facing us is: What does human-caused climate change mean for New Mexico? How does that shape every decision we as a Legislature make? Economic development at what cost?”
What is the most important issue facing your district?
Water. I, like so many people I represent and so many across our county here in Doña Ana, have been focused on Project Jupiter. And it seems like the more we know, the dirtier and more dishonest this project lands.
I’m honored that for years I’ve sat on New Mexico’s House Agriculture, Acequias And Water Resources Committee. Growing up here, I grew up on the acequias. That’s where I raised my girls. We know those seasons. We know the rhyme and rhythm of irrigation, we know when there’s droughts and when there’s water scarcity and that’s been the reality now for decades.
What is the most important issue facing New Mexico?
I’m really proud of the last several years of listening to patients and providers across the state. What the Legislature did to take little tiny bits of steps forward to reform medical malpractice laws in New Mexico was because of patients and providers in [Las] Cruces that organized and made that the issue of this legislative session.
I’m proud that with House Bill 99, we took steps in the right direction. But still, after that, access to health care when we need it is something that is so close to heart and home.
What’s the first bill you’d introduce in the 2027 legislative session?
I have two.
One, I want to talk about legislative ethics. When you look closely at New Mexico’s Governmental Conduct Act, it’s almost like we wrote ourselves out of it.
There are votes that my colleagues take literally every week in committee and on the floor when they have an interest in something. Not only in the Legislature do we not have to recuse ourselves — we don’t have to disclose that interest.
A couple years ago, I was really proud to co-author with my dear friend [the late ACLU of New Mexico senior policy strategist] Barron Jones…a bill to bring oversight to the Corrections Department, because we shared a belief that if the state has the authority to lock someone up, then we must be accountable to that authority. Before he died, Barron and I wrote House Bill 297 [which would have subjected the department to public rulemaking processes].
On our first try, we got a bill like that through the House. It was clear to me that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham would never sign our bill. After that, I was like, ‘I have to win at least one more time.’
What’s your top choice for legislative committee service?
For many years, I was on the House Judiciary Committee, and I loved it. But I started on and eventually came back to Agriculture, Acequias And Water Resources and right now, in this moment, I need to stay there.
What’s the strongest skill that makes you the best candidate for this race?
To this day, eight years later, I lose sleep over this. I worry about how I can show up and what impact I can have and whether it’s enough.
But I also know that the ways I’ve led and have carried my people with me — the people that raised me — we’ve changed New Mexico for the better.
In one of my first terms…I was the House sponsor with Sen. Linda López (D-Albuquerque) that repealed the 1969 ban on abortion in New Mexico. At that time, so many were telling us, ‘the Supreme Court’s never going to overturn Roe. Why are you making us do this?’
We knew they were coming for Roe. Linda and I put ourselves in front of that because we knew that we were the kind of voices that it took to do a repeal like that, as Catholics, as Latinas, as mamas, as people who still go to Mass.
Do you support paying state lawmakers?
I absolutely support this.
This means a lot to me. As someone who’s been in this body for eight years now, I see and know that the Legislature is made up of people who are independently wealthy, are already retired or have their own firms.
You could count on one hand, now and in the eight years I’ve been there, the number of people who have to clock in somewhere.
Ramona Martinez
Ramona Martinez, who grew up on a Tierra Amarilla ranch, put herself through law school as a single mother. She’s served as counsel to a number of state agencies, worked as a public defender and run her own law firm.
Martinez, who unsuccessfully ran to be the Third Judicial district attorney in 2024, sits on the New Mexico Sentencing Commission and the New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association.
“I’ve lived the challenges people face in our community. I know what it means to work hard and serve others. I understand how government works, but more importantly, I know how to make it work for people,” she told Source NM. “For too long, our community hasn’t seen the level of focus for the results we need. I’m running to make sure our community here in my district — the Mesilla area, Tortugas, Mesilla Park — that those communities are not overlooked.”
What is the most important issue facing your district?
My focus is on infrastructure, access to health care, behavioral health services and economic opportunity.
Those are the issues that directly impact people’s daily lives. Our community wants reliable infrastructure, they need access to health care, they want to feel safe in their neighborhoods and they just want a fair shot at building a stable life for themselves and their families. That’s where our focus needs to be.
What is the most important issue facing New Mexico?
To me, health equity means being able to see a doctor in your own community, having access to a specialist nearby and not having to travel hours just to get basic care. Access to health care shouldn’t depend on where you live or whether you have someone to advocate.
The other important issue is water. Water is personal for me — my family still ranches. We’re seeing the challenges facing acequias and farmers firsthand. Growth is always possible, but it also has to be planned responsibly, with respect to our water and our communities. New Mexico’s future is rooted in protecting what has always sustained us: our land, our water and our people.
My parents came from modest means, but through education and through the iron workers’ union, they were able to build a middle-class life for my sisters and me to give us a fair shot. But today, working families are doing everything right and it still feels harder than it should. I’ve lived that experience — I’ve been a small business owner, I was a single mom who put myself through law school and I understand the sacrifices and the tough choices you have to make every single day.
What’s the first bill you’d introduce in the 2027 legislative session?
It would have to do with economic growth. We have incredible assets in Doña Ana County — Doña Ana Community College, New Mexico State University — and we have real opportunities to build a strong workforce. I think we need to continue and to invest more in apprenticeships, trades and vocational training, but also prepare people for STEM and technical careers so there are real pathways for good, stable jobs.
I think a bill related to that would be one of the first bills that I would carry.
We have to make sure those jobs actually exist when people complete that training. I served on the New Mexico Border Authority and I saw firsthand the economic potential of Southern New Mexico. It really opened my eyes to what is possible.
Any major project like [Project Jupiter] needs to be evaluated through the proper process. We have laws and regulations in place for that reason, and they need to be followed.
What’s your top choice for legislative committee service?
I’m an attorney, so I would definitely be eyeing the House Judiciary Committee.
I’ve been in the public sector in government and I’ve been in private practice. I understand how government works, but more importantly, I know how to make it work for the people. I’ve been in Santa Fe, I’ve advocated on criminal justice reform. My first job right out of college was working for the governor’s office of constituent services. I understand the importance of connecting to the community and listening to your constituents because perspective matters.
I’ve done criminal defense work and I’ve done civil litigation…I understand how things work in the judiciary system.
What’s the strongest skill that makes you the best candidate for this race?
I was raised in a family of ranchers and educators…That’s where I learned the value of hard work and service. Later, I became a single mom. I worked, raised my son, put myself through law school. It wasn’t easy, but it shaped who I am.
I’ve been a small business owner, so I understand what it takes to make payroll, manage costs and keep things moving.
I know what it means to work hard, to make tough choices and to keep moving forward because I’ve lived it. I’m running because our community deserves leadership grounded in real experience. Our community wants someone who will show up, who will listen, do the work and deliver real results.
Do you support paying state lawmakers?
I’ve worked in government and I’ve always maintained some kind of advocacy on criminal justice reform issues. Here’s the thing: I have known so many great legislators and how much work they put into serving the people of New Mexico.
To me, by not paying our legislators, you’re limiting the people who may be able to serve at the Legislature. Many people don’t have the luxury of taking off 30 days or 60 days at a time.
We’re such a diverse state that by paying them, we can actually perhaps have the diversity that truly represents New Mexico in the Legislature.
