Senator Cliff Pirtle

Cliff R. Pirtle is an American lawmaker and a Republican member of the New Mexico Senate representing District 32 since January 15, 2013. He is known for his outspoken stance on various issues, including gun rights, cannabis legalization, and representing rural New Mexicans’ agricultural interests.

Education and Career: Pirtle graduated from Roswell High School. In December 2020, following the 2020 presidential election, he supported an audit of the election, expressing uncertainty about whether Joe Biden had won the presidency.

Elections:

• In 2012, Pirtle challenged District 32 incumbent Democratic Senator Timothy Jennings. He won the June 5, 2012 Republican Primary by 9 votes with 1,018 votes (50.2%) and secured victory in the November 6, 2012 General election with 5,930 votes (52.3%) against Senator Jennings, who had held the seat since 1979.

Controversy: On March 12, 2023, Santa Fe, NM, police officers responded to a domestic dispute between Cliff R. Pirtle and his wife, Aysia Pirtle, at a home he rented during the 2023 legislative session. The disturbance arose when Ms. Pirtle caught her husband in bed with a New Mexico Senate employee.