The state Senate District 9 race features a Dreamer trying to bring the American Dream to New Mexico facing off against a small business owner aiming to use her Sandoval County roots to improve the community she has lived in for more than two decades.
The race pits Democrat Cindy Nava, a Bernalillo resident who was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, against Audrey Trujillo, a Republican who was born in Santa Fe and has lived in Sandoval County for over 25 years.
Senate District 9 encompasses Albuquerque’s Westside, Corrales, Placitas, Bernalillo, Algodones, Sandia Pueblo and eastern Rio Rancho.
Nava is a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient who has since become a citizen of the United States. She is vying to be one of the first people elected to public office from the DACA program, which gives federal protection to children who are brought into the country illegally. Nava has since become a citizen of the United States.
“My goal is to build our own version of the American Dream — a place where every family has a safe home and neighborhood, every woman has freedom over her health care decisions, every child gets a world-class education, and all of us can afford the everyday goods and services we all need,” Nava said. “That’s the vision I have for Senate District 9. And, if I win, I’m bringing you all with me — your hopes and dreams, and your needs. I will fight for resources for our communities and ensure that the Legislature is thinking about us when decisions are being made.”
Trujillo has a dream as well: To help the community where she lives and raised her family while becoming the first Republican to hold the District 9 seat in 16 years.
“Having resided in Senate District 9, for over 25 years, my long-term commitment and active engagement within the community provide me with a unique understanding of our needs,” Trujillo said. “Given that we have not had a Republican representative since 2008, I believe it is essential to introduce diverse political perspectives to effectively address the challenges we face.”
Either Nava or Trujillo will be the new face of District 9 for the 2025 session as incumbent Democrat Sen. Brenda McKenna did not seek reelection after one term. McKenna followed another Democrat, John Sapien, who represented the district from 2009-2020.
Despite leaving politics in 2020, Sapien played a role in the 2024 race for his former seat, which featured a district court hearing and an appeal to the New Mexico Supreme Court to determine whether Nava would even be allowed on the ballot.
Nava, the first Dreamer in the country to be appointed by the White House, where she served as senior policy advisor to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, filed to run for the District 9 seat in the New Mexico State Senate on March 12.
Nava was required to get 127 signatures, 3% of registered Democratic voters in District 9, to be placed on the ballot for the primary in June. Nava delivered 270 signatures to Sandoval County Clerk Anne Brady-Romero on candidate filing day in March. The petitions used by Nava’s campaign listed “Bernalillo” as Nava’s county of residence. Nava lives in the town of Bernalillo, which is in Sandoval County.
Sapien joined Democratic County Commissioner Katherine Bruch as plaintiffs in a lawsuit that asked a Sandoval County District Judge to invalidate all of the signatures nominating Nava. Trujillo filed a similar lawsuit. Brady-Romero was named as a defendant, and Nava was named as an interested party.
The lawsuits were consolidated and dismissed April 2 at the Sandoval County Judicial Complex by Judge Allison Martinez after a nearly three-hour hearing. After an appeal, the Supreme Court affirmed the district court’s decision on April 23, and Nava remained on the ballot.
“The recent lawsuit involving my opponent highlights a significant disconnect from our community. Her submission of 27 pages of nominating petitions for Bernalillo County, rather than Sandoval County, reflects a concerning lack of attention to detail but more importantly, a lack of familiarity with this district,” Trujillo said. “Furthermore, her LinkedIn profile and social media accounts list multiple addresses, including those in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, Illinois — which raises questions about her connection to our community.”
Nava’s campaign said the mistake was simply a typo that in no way changes what she plans to bring to her constituents.
“This race has been unique because Senate District 9 has never had a candidate like me. I am a proud immigrant and lifelong policy advocate. I am the daughter of a construction worker and a housekeeper who worked multiple jobs to keep our family with a roof over our heads,” Nava said. “My parents came to the U.S. seeking a better life. I know what it is to fight for what’s needed and what’s right. I will bring that same passion and spirit to the New Mexico State Senate.”
Trujillo said that while she welcomes “the opportunity for a healthy and competitive race,” her fundraising efforts have been based in New Mexico while Nava has gone elsewhere for campaign money.
“My campaign is dedicated to relying on in-state money instead of out-of-state contributions,” Trujillo said. “In contrast, my opponent has left New Mexico to fundraise in Washington, D.C., where I believe her heart lies. My heart is in New Mexico and with our citizens.”
Nava said she is also dedicated to working for and representing the people of New Mexico, which is personal for her.
“Laws that are created in Santa Fe have a real impact on families in our district. For example, do we want a voice in Santa Fe that will vote for increased funding for public schools, which is what I support for our children, or do voters want our tax dollars funding private schools, which is what my opponent supports?” Nava said. “Do we want to ensure women have the right to choose what to do with our own bodies, or should abortion be illegal in New Mexico? These are the choices that voters are facing and I believe it’s important that I win this race to ensure that voters in SD9 feel represented and heard, and that we keep moving New Mexico forward.”
Trujillo said she “believes money should follow the child” and she hopes to improve New Mexico’s education ranking by giving parents more school options. Trujillo also plans to advocate for her district in Santa Fe and to “address the pressing issues that have positioned our state at rock bottom rankings in positive outcomes and the height of negative ones.”
“We currently face significant challenges, including quality education, economic development, infrastructure, public safety, and child well-being — with one in five children living in extreme poverty,” Trujillo said. “I am committed to ensuring that every child feels safe and is free from hunger. Additionally, we must prioritize mental health and addiction issues that contribute to homelessness and crime.”
Nava seems really self absorbed. She doesn’t seem to be in ot for the right reasons. This is definitely a stepping stone for her to go back to Washington DC. She definitely doesn’t get our families vote. I trust Trujillo because she has skin in the game. She know her district and is about solving problems. Abortion isn’t an issue in NM either. NM has no restrictions on Abortion and that talking point has already lost it’s short lived luster. Solve crime and homelessness. The streets are turning into dumps with trash filled shopping carts and drugged homeless people running into traffic. When they are not pan handling they are tweeking out. This Democratic Party has continued to coddle criminals over citizens. The last thing we need is an illegal to be Senator. Her representation will only be for a selected few while she fundamentally tries to change the laws internally.
Obvious choice in this race! Voting for Trujillo all the way. Not for the leftist pawn being g used to infiltrate further our state with illegal immigrants who jump in line.
No to Nava! Just another do nothing DC plant. It’s about herself not the citizens. She sounds entitled. We need someone like Trujillo who has actually lived in her district and isn’t running on identity politics.