Representative Eleanor Chávez Contact information

Eleanor Chavez is an American politician serving as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives for the 26th district. She was born on June 30, 1953, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Social Work from the University of Washington.

After earning her master’s degree, Chavez returned to New Mexico, where she worked as a community organizer. From 1997 to 2008, she was the director of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employee. In 2008, she was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives for the 13th district. In 2012, she opted not to seek re-election and instead run for the New Mexico Senate. In the 2012 Democratic primary, Chavez placed second after incumbent Michael Padilla.

In 2014, Chavez was elected to the New Mexico Public Education Commission. She declined to seek re-election in 2016. After leaving office, Chavez resumed working for the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employee as chapter director. In 2022, she was again elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives.

Chavez has led a storied career fighting for the rights of women, workers, children, families, and educators. Her focused experience is a testament to her dedication to what matters most. As a native New Mexican, she has a deep-rooted commitment to working hard towards innovative change that will uplift communities who need it most.

She raised her four children in Westgate. For her, education is the key to success. Her parents worked in service jobs and emphasized the importance of education. Chavez was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college. She has 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.

Chavez’s career experience includes working as a community organizer, director of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, District 1199, from 1997-2008, and current Executive Director of the same union. She has also worked as an Assistant Director for the American Federation of Teachers, Human Rights and Community Relations Field Staff Representative, Organizer for AFSCME, social worker for the New Mexico Department of Human Services, and an education consultant for the New Mexico Community Foundation. She has held positions as Vice-Chair for Health Security for New Mexicans Campaign and Chair for Casa de Salud.

As she has gone door-to-door in District 26, she has heard from families about the need to expand educational opportunities and improve healthcare access and affordability. She believes that the best thing we can do 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.