Cristina Parajón
Cristina Parajón | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from the 25th[1] district | |
| Assumed office August 11, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Christine Trujillo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) Tsinghua University, Schwarzman Scholars (MS) |
| Occupation | Politician |
Cristina Parajón is an American politician currently serving in the New Mexico House of Representatives. She was appointed by the Bernalillo County Commission to represent House District 25, covering central I-40 in Bernalillo County, primarily in Albuquerque's Northeast Heights.[2][3] Parajón is the youngest female legislator in New Mexico history.[4] She succeeded Rep. Christine Trujillo.[2]
Early life and education
Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Parajón pursued her undergraduate studies at Harvard University, receiving a full scholarship. As a Schwarzman Scholar, she later obtained a master's degree from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, focusing on reproductive health and gender inequalities in Nicaragua. Parajón also worked in financial management consulting prior to entering public service.[5]
Career
Before her appointment to the New Mexico House, Parajón served as the strategy director for the New Mexico Department of Human Services.[4] She also held roles as the deputy incident commander for the emergency operations center,[6] and the gateway administrator for Albuquerque. In her capacity as the gateway administrator, Parajón managed projects addressing homelessness in Albuquerque.[3]
New Mexico House of Representatives
In 2023, following the resignation of Democratic lawmaker Christine Trujillo, the Bernalillo County Commission appointed Parajón to represent House District 25. Selected from a pool of seven candidates with a 4-to-1 vote, Parajón is the first Gen-Z Democrat in the New Mexico State Legislature. She will serve in this capacity until December 31, 2024.[7]
In April 2025, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed Senate Bill 16, which was cosponsored and supported by Parajón, allowing unaffiliated or independent voters to participate in major-party primaries without changing their registration. The reform, which was broadly opposed by New Mexico Republicans and a few Democrats takes effect in 2026 and aims to expand access for the state's growing number of independent voters (approx. 23 percent as of 2025) increasing voter participation and reducing partisan polarization.[8][9][10]
References
- ^ "Representative Cristina Parajón (D)". Santa Fe, New Mexico: New Mexico Legislature. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Maxwell, Nicole (August 11, 2023). "BernCo commission chooses HSD official to fill vacant state House seat". NM Political Report.
- ^ a b Albuquerque Business Journal's feature on Parajón
- ^ a b Mencinger, Alaina (August 11, 2023). "Successor to District 25 Rep. Christine Trujillo becomes the youngest female state legislator". Albuquerque Journal.
- ^ "Cristina Parajon One of Five Seniors Named 2019 Schwarzman Scholars". sociology.fas.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
- ^ "Albuquerque House District 25 gets a new representative". August 11, 2023.
- ^ "Bernco Commission Chooses New Representative for New Mexico House District 25 Seat". 2023-08-11.
- ^ "New Mexico opens major-party primary elections to growing ranks of unaffiliated voters". AP News. 2025-04-08. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ Lohmann, Patrick (March 21, 2025). "NM House narrowly endorses open primaries for unaffiliated voters". Source New Mexico. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ Wilham, T. J. (2025-04-09). "NM open primaries could lead to more moderate candidates, experts say". KOAT. Retrieved 2025-04-30.