Cristina Parajón
Member of the New Mexico House of Representatives
from the 25th[1] district
Assumed office
August 11, 2023
Preceded byChristine Trujillo
Personal details
BornAlbuquerque, New Mexico
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
EducationHarvard University (BA)
Tsinghua University, Schwarzman Scholars (MS)
OccupationPolitician

Cristina Parajón is an American politician currently serving in the New Mexico House of Representatives. She represents House District 25, covering central I-40 in Bernalillo County, primarily in Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights.[2] Parajón is the youngest female New Mexico legislator in history.[3] Appointed by the Bernalillo County Commission in 2023, she succeeded Rep. Christine Trujillo.[2]

Career

Before her appointment to the New Mexico House, Parajón served as the strategy director for the New Mexico Department of Human Services.[3] She also held roles as the deputy incident commander for the emergency operations center,[4] and the gateway administrator for Albuquerque. In her capacity as the gateway administrator, Parajón managed projects addressing homelessness in Albuquerque.[5]

New Mexico House of Representatives

In 2023, following the resignation of Democratic lawmaker Christine Trujillo, the Bernalillo County Commission appointed Parajón to represent House District 25. Selected from a pool of seven candidates with a 4-to-1 vote, Parajón is the first Gen-Z Democrat in the New Mexico State Legislature. She will serve in this capacity until December 31, 2024.[6]

Early life and education

Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Parajón pursued her undergraduate studies at Harvard University, receiving a full scholarship. As a Schwarzman Scholar, she later obtained a master's degree from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, focusing on reproductive health and gender inequalities in Nicaragua. Parajón also worked in financial management consulting prior to entering public service.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Representative Cristina Parajón (D)". Santa Fe, New Mexico: New Mexico Legislature. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Maxwell, Nicole (August 11, 2023). "BernCo commission chooses HSD official to fill vacant state House seat". NM Political Report.
  3. 1 2 Mencinger, Alaina (August 11, 2023). "Successor to District 25 Rep. Christine Trujillo becomes the youngest female state legislator". Albuquerque Journal.
  4. ↑ "Albuquerque House District 25 gets a new representative". August 11, 2023.
  5. ↑ Albuquerque Business Journal's feature on Parajón
  6. ↑ "Bernco Commission Chooses New Representative for New Mexico House District 25 Seat". 2023-08-11.
  7. ↑ "Cristina Parajon One of Five Seniors Named 2019 Schwarzman Scholars". sociology.fas.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
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