| Martin Joseph Chávez | |
|---|---|
| 8th Mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico | |
| In office 2001–2009 |
|
| Preceded by | Jim Baca |
| Succeeded by | Richard J. Berry |
| 6th Mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico | |
| In office 1993–1997 |
|
| Preceded by | Louis E. Saavedra |
| Succeeded by | Jim Baca |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 2, 1952 Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | Martinique Chávez Zeke Chávez |
| Alma mater | University of New Mexico Georgetown University Law Center |
| Occupation | Executive Director of ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Martin Joseph Chávez (born March 2, 1952[1]) Chávez is a former three-term mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico and New Mexico State Senator.[2][1] He currently serves as the Executive Director of ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA.[3] and Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Center for Green Schools at U.S. Green Building Council.[4] He is currently seeking the Democratic nomination for the Congressional seat being vacated by Martin Heinrich, who is retiring from the house to run for Senate.[5]
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In 1952, he was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico of Hispanic heritage. Chávez attended both parochial (St. Charles Borromeo and Holy Ghost) and public (Van Buren Junior High and Manzano High) schools.[2] 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 Law Center.[2] He was the founding director of the New Mexico Workers' Compensation Administration in 1986.[6][2]
From 1987 to 1993 he served in the New Mexico State Senate where he helped pass the New Mexico Workers Compensation Act and the Voter Registration Reform Act.[2]
He pulled a major upset by defeating former Governor David Cargo in the 1993 election for Mayor of Albuquerque 50.4%-49.6%, a difference of just 596 votes.[7]
He was named one of America's 25 Most Dynamic Mayors by Newsweek in 1997.[3]
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 six candidate Democratic primary with 48% of the vote and won most of the counties in the state. He defeated some very well experienced candidates such as State Representative Gary King, former Governor Jerry Apodaca, and State Auditor Robert Vigil.[8] In the general election he was defeated by incumbent Republican Governor Gary Johnson 55%-45%.[9]
In 2001, Chávez again ran for Mayor of Albuquerque and finished first in a seven-candidate race.
In 2005, he was the first mayor to be re-elected two consecutive terms since the creation of the strong mayoral form of government in 1974[2]
As Mayor, Chávez partnered with the University of New Mexico, Sandia National Laboratories and leading entrepreneurs and educators to establish the Albuquerque Institute of Math and Science (AIMS), a charter high school dedicated to academic excellence. In 2009, the AIMS graduated its first senior class of 26 students. For the first time in New Mexico's history, an entire graduating class had enrolled in college.[10][2]
During his tenure as Mayor, Chávez and the City of Albuquerque received the following recognitions:
On October 8, 2007, Chávez announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat that was being vacated by retiring Republican Senator Pete Domenici. Democratic leaders, including Senator Charles Schumer, Chairman of Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, recruited Tom Udall into the race.[20]
Chávez initially indicated that he intended to remain in the race, referring to Udall as Washington's "fair-haired boy."[21] However, Chavez ultimately withdrew from the race on December 7 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.[22] "
In 2009, Chávez succeeded in overturning a two consecutive mayoral term limit, which he initially had gotten passed into law, and announced he would seek a third consecutive, and fourth overall, term as mayor. He ran against Republican State Representative Richard Berry and Democratic State Senator Richard Romero in a hotly contested race. Romero split the Democratic vote, and Richard J. Berry defeated Chavez 44% to 35% while Romero finished a distant third with 21%.[23]
In March 2010, Chávez, was appointed Executive Director of ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA. Chávez previously served on ICLEI USA’s Board of Directors and was recognized nationally as a “green mayor” during his tenure in Albuquerque. Chavez leads a staff of 52 ICLEI USA employees, based in six regional offices: Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Oakland, and Seattle. In addition to these responsibilities Chávez also speaks a many conferences including George Mason University's Washington Youth Summit on the Environment in 2011.
Chávez is a member of the National Building Museum’s Intelligent Cities Advisory Committee and member of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Vibrant Cities and Urban Forests Task Force.[24][25] In March 2011, Chávez joined polar explorer and environmentalist Robert Swan, on an expedition to explore the effects of climate change in the Antarctica.[26] Chávez visited the remnants of the Larsen Ice Shelf known as “Larsen B"; once an ice shelf larger than the state of Rhode Island, which disintegrated over a three-week period in 2002 as a result of climate change.