Biden nominee confirmed as federal judge for New Mexico

Morgan Lee

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Las Cruces-based defense and civil rights attorney Margaret Strickland was confirmed Tuesday by the U.S. Senate to serve as a federal judge in New Mexico.

Strickland was among President Joe Biden’s first slate of nominees announced in March. She was confirmed Tuesday by a 52-45 vote of the Senate, including supportive votes by U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján.

Prior nominations by President Donald Trump to fill two vacancies on the U.S. District Court in New Mexico were put on hold in September 2020 by New Mexico’s Senate delegation, ahead of the presidential election.