Teresa Leger Fernandez, pictured with her three sons. She is endorsed by Congresswoman Deb Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo elected to Congress in 2018. (teresaforall.com)
If elected to New Mexico’s all-female House of Representatives delegation (women are vying for all three seats), Teresa Leger Fernandez is committed to improving infrastructure in Tribal and rural communities.
Leger Fernandez is endorsed by Congresswoman Deb Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo elected to Congress in 2018. She was also endorsed by Elizabeth Warren and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during her campaign.
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Leger Fernandez is running to claim Ben Ray Luján’s open seat and to represent Congressional District 3, which is notably diverse: 40% Latino and 20% Native American, and includes the Navajo Nation and several Pueblos.
A lawyer, Leger Fernandez counts three decades as General Counsel to several Native American Tribes, as well as minority business and community enterprises.
“To represent my district you need to know not only its beauty but also its poverty and its promise,” Leger Fernandez told The Appeal. “I’ve done this work for the last 30 years and know its promise and know that federal policy has a great impact. Everything we love is under attack, and I’m wanting to protect what we love.”
Leger Fernandez wants to enhance infrastructure in Tribal and rural communities by adding health clinics, broadband Internet and childcare — issues exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Investing in 21st Century infrastructure, including broadband, transportation and clean energy, will empower communities and businesses to prosper, she states.
Leger Fernandez has received appointments from Presidents Clinton and Obama. In 1995, President Clinton appointed her a White House Fellow. President Obama appointed her to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and later elevated her to Vice Chair of the Council.
