Why I show up:

Being your neighbor, and soon your representative, is a gift. It's also an opportunity to give back to my community and advocate for the issues that matter to us.

I entered this race because I saw a startling lack of representation in a time of crisis for the county - the 2025 property tax season. Last November, residents of Valencia County were shocked to receive massive property tax bills that were twice or three times the anticipated amount. I had just enrolled my daughter in soccer and immediately felt sick, hot and sweaty. My family, and countless others across the county, were suddenly facing a regular Thursday night instead of Thanksgiving.

Through Thanksgiving, a second incorrect bill, Christmas and New Years Day, I worked with my community to make sense of the property tax fiasco. I spoke at county commissioner's meetings, wrote an opinion piece (link) for the local paper, submitted a request for oversight with the Office of the State Auditor and stayed present in my community, with my neighbors.

Through it all, I wondered, "where is our leadership?"

As a community member, I was advocating on our behalf in all the ways I desperately wished our leaders would...

... so, I decided I would be the leader I needed.

I am grateful for the opportunity to champion on behalf of our county for oversight of the assessor's office, to educate and communicate with our neighbors and also to support the assessor's office to rebuild trust with the community. But my passion doesn't stop there.

I understand...

In addition to being a leader in my community, I’m also a mom to two daughters, in a single worker family. I know the struggle our community members face trying to budget and make ends last to the next payday. I understand the economic reality that New Mexican families of all kinds and sizes are experiencing,

...because I live it, too.

I can no longer stand by as our current representation refuses to advance causes that would benefit all individuals and families. As a person who has at various times in my life relied on assistance programs, I commit to protecting programs that support us all; programs like: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, free school lunches, and expanding food assistance programs for seniors. We all deserve a representative who will advocate for all our families’ economic security and prosperity.

Experience and education matter.

I have a varied work and educational experience that will make me a well-informed and versatile representative. Prior to being on family leave to raise my daughters, I have:

• worked as a retail manager, partnering with my husband to open two small businesses in the county.
• worked as a sexual assault support advocate, in English and Spanish, connecting survivors to support and advocating for them in medical, legal and judicial systems.
• worked with both New Mexico State University’s Strengthening Family Initiatives and NMSU’s Office of Study Abroad, providing services and education in English and Spanish to children ages birth through university.
• studied Spanish abroad in Cuenca, Ecuador and and taught English in Lima, Peru.
• achieved my Bachelors in Arts in Criminal Justice from NMSU and I have also started my Master’s in Social Work from Western New Mexico University.
• advocated as a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in the foster care and family judicial systems.
• And participated in Future Farmers of America at Silver High School, where I competed in Speech, Debate and Parliamentary Procedure.

A history of service.

It is my honor to advocate on behalf of my neighbors, meeting them where they are. I have over a decade of experience working with county and city municipalities; criminal, civil and family judicial systems; county and municipal incarceration institutions, municipal, state and federal law enforcement; universities across the world; at-risk, vulnerable and special populations and service organizations.

I am prepared to bring this experience, knowledge and systemic approach to the Roundhouse to advocate for my neighbors.

A vote for Katherine is a vote for Valencia.

Neighbor, I am asking for your vote and the opportunity to serve as your next New Mexico State House Representative. I am excited to bring my skill set and knowledge to the Roundhouse and advocate for the issues you care about.

Please, vote for me this November 3, 2026.

Shoulder to shoulder with you, -Katherine