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 New Mexico legislator in history.[4] She succeeded Rep. Christine Trujillo.[2]
Career
[edit]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,[5] 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
[edit]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.[6]
Early life and education
[edit]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.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Cristina Parajon One of Five Seniors Named 2019 Schwarzman Scholars". sociology.fas.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2023-08-17.