Cindy Nava
Mexican-American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cindy Nava is a Mexican-born American politician who was elected to serve as a member of the New Mexico Senate in the 2024 election. She assumed office on January 1, 2025.
University of New Mexico (BA, MS)
Cindy Nava | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Nava in 2025 | |
| Member of the New Mexico Senate from the 9th district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Brenda McKenna |
| Personal details | |
| Born | |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | Santa Fe Community College (AS) University of New Mexico (BA, MS) |
Early life and education
Born in Chihuahua, Mexico,[1] Nava came to the United States with her family as a child. She is a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.[2] Raised in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico, Nava earned an associate degree in education from Santa Fe Community College, followed by a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and a Master of Science in educational leadership and policy from the University of New Mexico.[3]
Career
Prior to seeking elected office, Nava worked as an aide in the New Mexico Legislature. She served in the office of then-Congressman Ben Ray Luján and worked on Luján's 2020 Senate campaign. From 2022 to 2024, Nava served as a senior policy advisor in the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, one of the first DACA recipients to receive a presidential appointment.[4]
In 2024, Nava resigned from HUD and returned to New Mexico to launch a campaign for the New Mexico Senate. Nava won the Democratic primary and defeated Audrey Trujillo in the general election.[5]