The Neighborhood Journal reached out District 28 State Representative candidates, Democrat incumbent Pamelya Herndon and Republican Nicole Chavez, and although there was no response from either, the following information is on their backgrounds, priorities and policies.
To see a map of the districts, click Districts Map.
Pamelya Herdon (D, incumbent)
State Rep. Pamelya Herndon was born in a small Texas town and went to Howard University. She earned her law degree at the University of Texas and currently serves as CEO of a nonprofit that provides affordable legal representation to low- and middle-income New Mexicans. She is licensed to practice law in the states of Colorado and New Mexico and before the United States Supreme Court. She met her husband, Alfred Mathewson, former dean of University of New Mexico School of Law, at Howard. Their three children were born and raised in the Northeast Heights area of Albuquerque.
Herndon began her career with the firm now known as Deloitte, and next was hired by the Internal Revenue Service as a senior litigation attorney. Herndon moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, during her work with the IRS.
Attorney General Patricia Madrid appointed Herndon to serve in New Mexico’s Litigation Division. There, she provided legal representation to state officials and agencies before being appointed general counsel for the State Regulation and Licensing Department of New Mexico. She went on to serve as deputy cabinet secretary for New Mexico’s General Services Department.
Herndon was elected as a member of the New Mexico Electoral College in 2008, and is a member of the Albuquerque chapter of the American Association of University Women and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She has served on the boards of Emerge New Mexico, the African American Performing Arts Center Foundation, the Con Alma Health Foundation, and the United States Eagle Federal Credit Union.
Nicole Chavez (R)
Chavez’s life changed on the night of June 26, 2015. Before that evening, she had spent her life caring for her three children and building a successful career in health care. Then her world was when her oldest son Jaydon was shot and killed when drive-by shooters opened fire on a home in Northeast Albuquerque. He wasn’t the target. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Chavez saw first-hand how the New Mexico judicial system seemed to treat criminals as injured parties and push aside the concerns of crime victims and their families.
She knew things needed to change and went to her first legislative session in January 2016 to share her experience and advocate for changes in New Mexico’s laws. She then created a nonprofit organization to bring together other families victimized by the escalating violence overwhelming the cities and neighborhoods of New Mexico. She aims to be the voice for those who are too often ignored by the judicial system.
Chavez is well-prepared to represent House District 28 in the Legislature. She raised her family in the Albuquerque Public School system, and she served as the PTA president of Jackson Middle School for four years. Nicole believes that a strong public education system is the foundation for the state’s success. She will be a champion for our children and work to improve our state’s educational system.
Specific details about policies and priorities for one candidate could not be found via their websites, so just background information is provided via this article, but both candidate’s information can be found on their sites at https://pamelyaherndon.com/ and https://nicolechavezfornm.com/.
