Cristina Parajón
American politician
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Cristina Parajón is an American politician currently serving in the New Mexico House of Representatives. She was appointed by the Bernalillo County Commission to represent House District 25, covering central I-40 in Bernalillo County, primarily in Albuquerque's Northeast Heights.[2][3] Parajón is the second youngest female legislator in New Mexico history, following Concha Ortix Y Pino de Klevin, who was elected to the legislature in 1936 at the age of 26.[4] She succeeded Rep. Christine Trujillo.[2]
Tsinghua University, Schwarzman Scholars (MS)
Cristina Parajón | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from the 25th[1] district | |
| Assumed office August 11, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Christine Trujillo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) Tsinghua University, Schwarzman Scholars (MS) |
| Occupation | Politician |
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.[5]
Career
Before her appointment to the New Mexico House, Parajón served as the strategy director for the New Mexico Department of Human Services.[4] She also held roles as the deputy incident commander for the emergency operations center,[6] and the gateway administrator for Albuquerque. In her capacity as the gateway administrator, Parajón managed projects addressing homelessness in Albuquerque.[3]
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.[7]
In April 2025, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed Senate Bill 16, which was cosponsored and supported by Parajón, allowing unaffiliated or independent voters to participate in major-party primaries without changing their registration. The reform, which was broadly opposed by New Mexico Republicans and a few Democrats takes effect in 2026 and aims to expand access for the state's growing number of independent voters (approx. 23% as of 2025) increasing voter participation and reducing partisan polarization.[8][9][10]