Meet Eleanor

The experience we trust. The leadership we need.

The Westside is at a crossroads. We experience things differently than other parts of Albuquerque—massively overcrowded schools, traffic congestion, and more than our fair share of crime and homelessness. We need leaders who understand Westside families and have the experience to turn good ideas into solutions.

I get the Westside. I raised my four children in Westgate. For us, education is the key to success. My mom worked in a clerical job in a hospital and was a cashier at Albertsons. My dad worked for the state highway department. We came from a family of service: My dad was in the Navy in World War II and Korea. His sister was an army nurse and his brother was in the Navy, both in World War II. My dad went to NMSU on the GI bill, but couldn’t finish. My mom completed high school but never went to college. They told us that we had to prioritize education, which is what I’ve done. I was the first in my immediate family to graduate from college, and went on to get my Master’s degree in social work.

I also understand how to move policies forward that will help our families. I’ve been a labor organizer for decades; served the Westside in the New Mexico State House for four years; and served the Westside and the South Valley on the Public Education Commission. You can see my track record as your State Representative here.

I hope you will join my campaign to bring real progress to Westside families. If you have an idea to improve our community, I'd love to hear it. You can reach me by email at: eleanorchavez4rep26@gmail.com

Eleanor Chavez: Experience and Values for Westside Families

State Representative, House District 26, 2023-Present
State Representative, House District 13, 2009-2012
Public Education Commissioner, 2015-2017
Bernalillo County Labor Board, 2016-2019
Current Executive Director, National Union of Hospital and Healthcare Employees District 1199
Assistant Director, American Federation of Teachers, Human Rights and Community Relations
Field Staff Representative, American Federation of Teachers
Organizer, AFSCME
Social worker, New Mexico Department of Human Services
Education consultant, New Mexico Community Foundation
Vice-Chair, Health Security for New Mexicans Campaign
Chair, Casa de Salud
MSW, University of Washington
BA, University of Washington

As I've gone door-to-door in District 26, here are the issues I've heard from families:

Expand Educational Opportunities:
I learned this from my parents- the best thing we can do is to ensure every Westside kid has the opportunities they need to succeed is access to education. That starts with access to early childhood programs like home visitation and Pre-K. It means a K-12 education with the best teachers in the Southwest. And it means high quality and free college, community college, and vocational schools for every student who wants it and works hard.

Healthcare Access and Affordability:
My family and every neighbor I know is one healthcare catastrophe away from ruin. Prescription drug prices are an absurdity. For years, I’ve fought to change our healthcare system to preserve doctor choice and quality while lowering costs, by limiting the role that insurance companies play in medical decisions. I know firsthand why we need reform. I cared for my husband while he endured brain cancer, eventually passing in 2016. In addition to the physical and emotional work of caring for a loved one, fighting with insurance companies was something that no family should have to go through.

Crime and Homelessness:
Everyone deserves to feel safe. To get there, we must tackle the biggest root causes of crime and homelessness: poverty, substance abuse, and behavioral health. We must fund more substance abuse and behavioral health programs, partner social workers with police on non-violent 911 calls, and bring more entry-level jobs to the Westside that people can grow into.