Sen. Benny Shendo, D-Jemez. Image: New Mexico Legislature website
Sen. Benny Shendo, D-Jemez, has accepted a job with the University of Colorado and according to a Colorado newspaper will relinquish his legislative seat in the spring of 2024.
One of the most powerful Indigenous lawmakers in the New Mexico Legislature, Shendo has served as a state lawmaker in Santa Fe since winning election in 2012 and chairs the important Senate Tax, Business & Transportation Committee.
The Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, Colo., quoted Shendo as saying:
“I cannot wait to get started in this new role at CU Boulder to strengthen our relationships with the tribes of Colorado and those historically connected to Colorado and to build a strong, supportive Native American community on campus for our students, faculty and staff,” Shendo said in a news release.
He will join the campus full time on March 1, after relinquishing his state legislature seat.
In a short interview with New Mexico In Depth this afternoon, Shendo said he was not prepared to say he would not run for re-election in the New Mexico Legislature. “We’re trying to work out the details” of the University of Colorado job, Shendo said, mentioning there was a possibility he could work from his home in New Mexico.