Martin Chavez

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49th Mayor of Albuquerque
Martin J. Chávez
51st Mayor of Albuquerque
Incumbent
Assumed office 2001
Preceded by	Jim Baca
In office 1993 – 1997
Preceded by	Louis E. Saavedra
Succeeded by	Jim Baca

Born	March 2, 1952 (1952-03-02) (age 56) Albuquerque, New Mexico
Political party	Democratic
Children	Martinque & Zeke Chavez
Residence	Albuquerque
Religion	Catholic
Website	http://www.cabq.gov/mayor

Martin J. Chávez (born March 2, 1952 in Albuquerque, New Mexico) is the current mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico. From 1989 to 1993 he served in the New Mexico State Senate and was elected to his first term as mayor in 1993. Chávez left office in 1997 to run for governor as the Democratic candidate but lost to former Governor Gary E. Johnson. Chávez defeated Mayor Jim Baca in 2001 to start his second term as mayor. In 2005, Chávez was elected to a third term.

1 Background and education
2 State senator
3 First term as mayor
4 Gubernatorial campaign
5 Second and third term as mayor
6 U.S. Senate campaign
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Background and education

Born in Albuquerque and of Hispanic heritage, Chávez attended both parochial (St. Charles Borromeo and Holy Ghost) and public (Van Buren and Manzano High) schools. After graduating from Manzano High School, Chávez earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of New Mexico and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University, following in the footsteps of his father. He was the founding director of the Workers’ Compensation Administration in 1986.

[edit] State senator

From 1989 to 1993 he served in the New Mexico State Senate, where he worked on issues including early voting, ethics reform, urban forestry, and workers compensation.

[edit] First term as mayor

In 1993 Chávez ran for mayor of Albuquerque and faced former New Mexico Governor Dave Cargo in a run-off election. Chávez won by fewer than 600 votes, the closest mayoral election in city history. From 1993 through 1997 Chávez served as mayor in a term that featured a reduction in crime rates^{[citation needed]} and the construction of the long-sought Montaño Bridge. Chávez also initiated a highly successful water conservation campaign and helped lead the fight to protect Kirtland Air Force Base from closure.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Gubernatorial campaign

In 1997, Chávez decided not to run for re-election as mayor and instead ran for governor of New Mexico in 1998. He won the Democratic primary and faced incumbent Republican Governor Gary E. Johnson in the general election, which Chávez lost 45 percent to 55 percent.

[edit] Second and third term as mayor

In 2001, Chávez again ran for mayor and finished first in a seven-candidate race.

In 2005, he was the first mayor to be re-elected to consecutive terms since the creation of the strong mayoral form of government in 1974. In his third term, Albuquerque was named to Forbes magazine's list as the number-one place to do business^[1] while also receiving the Greenest City in the Nation award by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.^[2] He is Vice President of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors and is longlisted for the 2008 World Mayor award.

[edit] U.S. Senate campaign

On October 8, 2007, Chávez announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican Senator Pete Domenici, but on December 7 Chávez withdrew from the race, saying, "While I deeply appreciate all the support I have received, it has become very clear to me that Democrats should not be divided in the upcoming election."^[3]