Hector Balderas
Encyclopedia
Hector H. Balderas Jr. is an American attorney and politician who is currently serving as the New Mexico State Auditor . Balderas became the youngest statewide Hispanic elected official in the nation in 2006 when he won his first race for State Auditor at the age of 33. Before being elected to the office of State Auditor, Balderas served as a State Representative in the New Mexico Legislature
from 2004-2006. Balderas also serves as the elected Treasurer of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials.
Balderas and his wife Denise have three children, Hector III, Arianna and Mariola. Balderas is a special needs advocate and frequent participant in the New Mexico Special Olympics
annual torch run; his daughter Arianna was born with down syndrome
.
, a village in Mora County, New Mexico
. He is the son of a Mexican father and was raised by his single mother in Wagon Mound. Balderas attended Wagon Mound High School and participated in TRIO Upward Bound
, a federally-funded college prep program. Hector graduated from Wagon Mound High school with 16 other students. He has 2 siblings and is a practicing Catholic.
Balderas attended New Mexico Highlands University
where he served on the student senate. Balderas grew up in public housing but became the first person in his family and from Wagon Mound to receive a Juris Doctor (JD), graduating in 2001 from the University of New Mexico School of Law
. While in law school, Balderas served as the Council Chair of the Graduate and Professional Student Association.
After law school, he served from 2002-2003 as an Assistant District Attorney for Bernalillo County prosecuting DUI and domestic violence offenders. Between 2005-2006, Balderas was a special prosecutor
for domestic violence cases in the 4th Judicial District of New Mexico
.
. During his first term, Balderas was chosen by the Democratic Party of New Mexico to replace Jeff Armijo on the ballot for State Auditor and with a shorter period to campaign, won the election with nearly 55% of the vote. He was re-elected in 2010 and earned the second most number of votes for any of New Mexico’s democratic statewide candidates.
Balderas has taken the Office of State Auditor from a position of obscurity to a well-known state entity through high profile investigations and constant media appearances. As a State Representative and State Auditor, Balderas has earned a reputation for being a champion of youth involvement in policy making, enacting common-sense laws for policy issues ranging from clean energy to police interrogation, and for coming down on members of both parties in investigations of fraud and waste.
Balderas is a candidate for the US Senate seat in 2012 held by retiring Democrat Jeff Bingaman
.
In his first term as a State Representative from District 68, Balderas passed sweeping legislation to strengthen penalties for sexual predators, establish investment incentives for clean energy and fund virtual education for rural public schools. Balderas also sponsored “truthful interrogations” legislation which gained national recognition as one of the most significant reforms to the criminal justice system. Balderas was nationally recognized alongside then State Senator Barack Obama of Illinois for passing legislation that requires police to record their in-house interrogations with suspected killers. "Having the best evidence is in everyone's interest," Balderas said. "I think the average person sees it as common sense." In the same two year period, Balderas led the effort to amend the New Mexico Criminal Code to reflect consistency and parity in sentencing. He also advocated for DUI reform and led the fight to protect consumers from price gouging in times of emergency or disaster.
In recognition of his legislative accomplishments, Balderas was named Rookie-Leader-of-the-Year by the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce for his work on energy development and Outstanding Rookie by the League of Conservation Voters.
New Mexico Legislature
The New Mexico Legislature is the legislative branch of the state government of New Mexico. It is a bicameral body made up of the New Mexico House of Representatives and the New Mexico Senate....
from 2004-2006. Balderas also serves as the elected Treasurer of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials.
Balderas and his wife Denise have three children, Hector III, Arianna and Mariola. Balderas is a special needs advocate and frequent participant in the New Mexico Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
annual torch run; his daughter Arianna was born with down syndrome
Down syndrome
Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
.
Early life, education and career
Balderas was raised in Wagon Mound, New MexicoWagon Mound, New Mexico
Wagon Mound is a village in Mora County, New Mexico, United States. It is named after and located at the foot of a butte called Wagon Mound, which was a landmark for covered wagon trains and traders going up and down the Santa Fe Trail and is now Wagon Mound National Historic Landmark. The shape...
, a village in Mora County, New Mexico
Mora County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*70.9% White*0.7% Black*1.3% Native American*0.3% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.3% Two or more races*23.5% Other races*81.0% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. He is the son of a Mexican father and was raised by his single mother in Wagon Mound. Balderas attended Wagon Mound High School and participated in TRIO Upward Bound
Upward Bound
Upward Bound is a federally funded educational program within the United States. The program is one of a cluster of programs referred to as TRIO, all of which owe their existence to the federal Higher Education Act of 1965. Upward Bound programs are implemented and monitored by the United States...
, a federally-funded college prep program. Hector graduated from Wagon Mound High school with 16 other students. He has 2 siblings and is a practicing Catholic.
Balderas attended New Mexico Highlands University
New Mexico Highlands University
New Mexico Highlands University is a public university located in Las Vegas, New Mexico.-History:The university was first established as New Mexico Normal School in 1893, with the prominent archaeologist Edgar Lee Hewett serving as its first president...
where he served on the student senate. Balderas grew up in public housing but became the first person in his family and from Wagon Mound to receive a Juris Doctor (JD), graduating in 2001 from the University of New Mexico School of Law
University of New Mexico School of Law
The University of New Mexico School of Law is the law school of the University of New Mexico, located in Albuquerque. It is the only law school in the state of New Mexico. Approximately 350 students attend the school, with approximately 115 enrolled in the first-year class...
. While in law school, Balderas served as the Council Chair of the Graduate and Professional Student Association.
After law school, he served from 2002-2003 as an Assistant District Attorney for Bernalillo County prosecuting DUI and domestic violence offenders. Between 2005-2006, Balderas was a special prosecutor
Special prosecutor
A special prosecutor generally is a lawyer from outside the government appointed by an attorney general or, in the United States, by Congress to investigate a government official for misconduct while in office. A reasoning for such an appointment is that the governmental branch or agency may have...
for domestic violence cases in the 4th Judicial District of New Mexico
Courts of New Mexico
Courts of New Mexico include:State courts of New Mexico*New Mexico Supreme Court**New Mexico Court of Appeals***New Mexico District Court ****New Mexico Magistrate Court****Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court...
.
Elected office
At the age of 29, and with no prior political experience, Balderas ran for the New Mexico House of RepresentativesNew Mexico House of Representatives
The New Mexico House of Representatives is the lower house of the New Mexico State Legislature.There are 70 members of the House. Each member represents roughly 25,980 residents of New Mexico.The Speaker of the House is Ben Luján .-Composition:...
. During his first term, Balderas was chosen by the Democratic Party of New Mexico to replace Jeff Armijo on the ballot for State Auditor and with a shorter period to campaign, won the election with nearly 55% of the vote. He was re-elected in 2010 and earned the second most number of votes for any of New Mexico’s democratic statewide candidates.
Balderas has taken the Office of State Auditor from a position of obscurity to a well-known state entity through high profile investigations and constant media appearances. As a State Representative and State Auditor, Balderas has earned a reputation for being a champion of youth involvement in policy making, enacting common-sense laws for policy issues ranging from clean energy to police interrogation, and for coming down on members of both parties in investigations of fraud and waste.
Balderas is a candidate for the US Senate seat in 2012 held by retiring Democrat Jeff Bingaman
Jeff Bingaman
Jesse Francis "Jeff" Bingaman, Jr. , is the senior U.S. Senator from New Mexico and a member of the Democratic Party...
.
State Representative
Balderas was first elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives at the age of 29. He beat the odds when he defeated a Democratic incumbent in the primary by a two-to-one margin and then beat a Republican in the general election.In his first term as a State Representative from District 68, Balderas passed sweeping legislation to strengthen penalties for sexual predators, establish investment incentives for clean energy and fund virtual education for rural public schools. Balderas also sponsored “truthful interrogations” legislation which gained national recognition as one of the most significant reforms to the criminal justice system. Balderas was nationally recognized alongside then State Senator Barack Obama of Illinois for passing legislation that requires police to record their in-house interrogations with suspected killers. "Having the best evidence is in everyone's interest," Balderas said. "I think the average person sees it as common sense." In the same two year period, Balderas led the effort to amend the New Mexico Criminal Code to reflect consistency and parity in sentencing. He also advocated for DUI reform and led the fight to protect consumers from price gouging in times of emergency or disaster.
In recognition of his legislative accomplishments, Balderas was named Rookie-Leader-of-the-Year by the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce for his work on energy development and Outstanding Rookie by the League of Conservation Voters.
State Auditor
Balderas was first elected to the office of State Auditor in 2006, As New Mexico’s State Auditor, Balderas provides regulatory oversight to over $60 billion dollars in governmental assets and 603 government entities. As the state’s top government watchdog, Balderas has aggressively combated fraud and financial abuse throughout New Mexico. Additionally, he has expanded the size and scope of the State Auditor’s office by hiring criminal investigators, developing a fraud hotline and expanding training and outreach operations.http://www.balderas2010.com/?page_id=2U.S. Senate
Hector Balderas announced his run for the United States Senate on April 26, 2011 by launching his website and announcing via Youtube .Other positions
- Treasurer Board Member, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO).http://www.santafenewmexican.com/News/Balderas-named-to-national-Latino-board NALEO is a national nonpartisan organization with a network of more than 6,000 governmental, political, and business leaders who conduct civic projects, training and technical assistance for the Latino community. There are 24 members on the board of directors.
- Delegate, American Council of Young Political Leaders.http://www.acypl.org/about_us.html Balderas has traveled to Pakistan as a selected delegate for the American Council of Young Political Leaders. While in Pakistan, Balderas met with the country’s Foreign Minister and leaders from all political parties to discuss developing better international relations and cooperation. In New Mexico, Balderas has hosted leadership delegations from China, Czech Republic, and several African nations to promote greater transparency and accountability in government.
Honors and accolades
- Recipient of the 2011 Conservation Voters New Mexico Sunshine Award. Balderas was recognized for his steadfast work as State Auditor in rooting out fraud and corruption, and shining sunlight on the operations of state government. According to CVNM, his hard work has resulted in millions of dollars of savings and the enforcement of key safeguards that protect New Mexico’s natural resources.
- Recipient of the 2010 recipient John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
New FrontierNew FrontierThe term New Frontier was used by Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy in his acceptance speech in the 1960 United States presidential election to the Democratic National Convention at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as the Democratic slogan to inspire America to support him...
Award, which honors young Americans who are changing their community through a commitment to public service. He is the first New Mexican to receive the annual award. The award is presented annually to exceptional young Americans under the age of 40 whose contributions in elective office, community service or advocacy demonstrate the impact and value of public service in the spirit of John F. Kennedy.
- Recognized by Hispanic Business Magazine in 2007 as one of the nation’s 100 most influential Hispanics. Balderas joined 2007 honorees including Eastman KodakEastman KodakEastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
Company CEO and Chairman Antonio M. PerezAntonio M. PerezAntonio M. Pérez is a Spanish businessman, the current CEO of Eastman Kodak Company, based in Rochester, USA.Pérez was born at Vigo, Spain and studied electronic engineering, marketing and business in Spain and France....
, former U.S. Commerce SecretaryUnited States Secretary of CommerceThe United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"...
Carlos GutierrezCarlos GutierrezCarlos Miguel Gutierrez is an American former CEO and former U.S. Cabinet Member who is currently a Vice Chairman of Citigroup's Institutional Clients Group. He has previously served as the 35th U.S. Secretary of Commerce from 2005 to 2009...
and Hillary Clinton for President Campaign Manager Patti Solis DoylePatti Solis DoylePatti Solis Doyle is an American political operative and was in 2008 a senior adviser to the presidential campaign of Barack Obama, where she was the campaign chief of staff to Joe Biden, Obama's vice presidential choice....
.
- New Mexico State Bar Association 2006 Outstanding Young Lawyer Award.http://www.nmbar.org/AboutSBNM/YLD/YLDPubs/YLDDec2006.pdf