Rebecca Vigil-Giron

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Rebecca Vigil-Giron

Former New Mexico Secretary of State
Succeeded by	Mary Herrera

Born	September 4, 1954 (1954-09-04) (age 53) Taos, New Mexico
Political party	Democratic
Religion	Roman Catholic

Rebecca Vigil-Giron (born September 4, 1954) is an American politician, who served as a Democratic Secretary of State in New Mexico from 1987 to 1990, and from 1999 to 2006. She is the longest serving Secretary of State in New Mexico History.

1 Background
2 First term
3 Between terms
4 Second and third terms
5 Recent headlines
- 5.1 Paper ballots
6 References

[edit] Background

Born and raised in Taos, New Mexico, Vigil-Giron is an 11th generation New Mexican. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in French and Social Science from New Mexico Highlands University and is a graduate of the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University.

Vigil-Giron was first elected New Mexico Secretary of State in 1986 at age 31, becoming the highest ranking Hispanic woman statewide elected official in the country. Vigil-Giron ran unsuccessfully against Republican Congressman Steve Schiff for a seat in the United States House of Representatives in 1990. She was re-elected New Mexico Secretary of State in 1998 and served through 2006 when she was term-limited.

In 2004, Vigil-Giron became the first Hispanic President in the 100 year history of the National Association of Secretaries of State. She has served as a member of the United States Election Assistance Commission’s (EAC) Standards Board and Board of Advisors.

Vigil-Giron once said she became interested in politics after running a successful campaign for homecoming queen at New Mexico Highlands University in 1975. In a 1998 interview she claims to have run a full-fledged campaign for the spot going, "door to dormitory door," with the help of the campus Young Democrats who sponsored her effort.[Albuquerque Journal (New Mexico) September 27, 1998 --3 Vow To Get Voters to Polls], <Albuquerque Journal (New Mexico) September 27, 1998>

[edit] First term

After being elected in 1986, she was successful in changing some of New Mexico's restrictive voter registration requirements. New Mexico had the second-most restrictive voter registration requirements in the United States at that time. Voters were required to register 46 days prior to election day to be eligible to vote (only Arizona had more restrictive laws with a 50-day registration requirement). Vigil-Giron campaigned for the law to be amended to a 14-day minimum registration period, but was forced to compromise with New Mexico legislators and the registration requirement was changed to 28 days prior to election day, which is the current law.

[edit] Between terms

Vigil-Giron left office in 1990, limited to one term by New Mexico law. New Mexico would later change that law allowing her to serve two additional terms. Vigil-Giron ran unsuccessfully for Congress against Republican Steve Schiff in 1990, and worked as as a consultant for the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) in Nicaragua, Equatorial Guinea, and the Dominican Republic. She also served as a Member State Delegate with the United Nations in Angola, Africa’s presidential elections, and as Executive Director of the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women.

[edit] Second and third terms

Vigil-Giron made New Mexico history in 2003, by becoming the first Secretary of State in New Mexico elected to three terms. She was President of the National Association of Secretaries of State from 2004-2005, and served on the Standards Board of the US Election Assistance Commission until 2006. Vigil-Giron aided Governor Bill Richardson in the passage of a paper-ballot requirement in New Mexico in 2006.

[edit] Recent headlines

[edit] Paper ballots

Vigil-Giron implemented paper ballots statewide in New Mexico for the 2006 General Election. She has been recently criticised by Republicans in the New Mexico State Legislature for mismanagement of funds for that election. As a result a full audit of her old office has been ordered by NM Governor Bill Richardson. Richardson withdrew his appointment of her as director of the NM Film Museum until she has been cleared of all wrongdoing.Audit puts Vigil-Giron's new job on hold, Santa Fe New Mexican, <http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/56745.html>

Vigil Giron has said the New Mexico Legislature gave her an unfunded mandate by passing a paper ballot law without appropriating any money to implement it. Stating "This was not an issue of mismanagement of funds," "There were no funds to mismanage."Film job on hold; Vigil-Giron says there were 'no funds to mismanage', The Associated Press, <http://www.abqjournal.com/abqnews/content/view/2193/28/>