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By all accounts, including her own, State Senator Brenda McKenna was preparing to launch her reelection campaign as soon as she finished serving in the state legislature later this month. She was posting updates to her constituents online and her campaign finance reports showed that she was raising small dollar contributions from supporters during the most recent filing period. Then came her surprising announcement this week that she had decided to pursue another path, which was quickly followed by an announcement from a high-profile Democrat prepared to take McKenna’s place.
State Senator Brenda McKenna, a Corrales Democrat serving in District 9 (Corrales, Placitas, Bernalillo), won election in 2020 and served in the state senate while also working in the office of U.S. Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury. As a state legislator, she promoted legislation addressing gun violence and supporting access for women’s reproductive healthcare.
McKenna told supporters via email that she had intended to stand for reelection in November, but “an opportunity has arisen that I can’t in good faith pass up. While I’m not prepared to share the specifics yet, it is one I am so excited about and I know it will take a substantial amount of my time and energy.” She declined to provide additional details and had not responded by press time to a question from the Comment about whether she intends to finish serving out the remainder of her term after the current legislative session adjourns later this month.
Just a day after McKenna’s announcement, Bernalillo resident Cindy Nava announced that she was seeking the seat. Nava, a formerly undocumented resident of New Mexico and DACA recipient, is no stranger to the state legislature. As a young organizer, she worked on the staff of Democratic leaders in the state house before joining the office of US Senator Ben Ray Lujan, and eventually being appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as a policy advisor with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development — all while working towards her US citizenship.
“I am the first in my family to graduate college, and the first Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient — or “Dreamer†— in the country to be appointed by the White House, where I served as Senior Policy Advisor to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,” Nava shared in her announcement. She recently resigned her position with HUD to focus on her election. She lives in Bernalillo with her husband.