Benavides appointed to fill vacant New Mexico House seat

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Bernalillo County commissioners selected Linda Garcia Benavides to fill the District 17 seat in the New Mexico House of Representatives.

Rep. Benavides replaces former Rep. Debbie Armstrong, who resigned in July. Benavides was the only person to submit an application to be considered for the position.

Benavides’ appointment was approved in a 3-0 vote, with Chair Adriann Barboa and Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada being excused from the meeting. She was sworn into the District 17 seat immediately following the commission’s special meeting.

Benavides currently serves on the New Mexico Hispanic Heritage Committee’s executive board. She has worked for 24 years in the purchasing, financial and accounting areas at Sandia National Labs.

District 17 currently consists of the northeast and northwest quadrants of Bernalillo County. New district boundaries will take effect Jan. 1, 2023. The current boundaries are as follows: