Debbie Rodella
American politician (born 1961)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Debbie A. Rodella (born November 28, 1961)[1] is an American politician who served as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from 1993 to 2018. A Democrat, she represented Legislative District 41 located in Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, and Taos Counties.[2] In 2018, she was defeated for renomination in the Democratic primary by Susan K. Herrera.
Debbie Rodella | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from the 41st district | |
| In office 1993–2018 | |
| Succeeded by | Susan K. Herrera |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 28, 1961 Española, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Thomas Rodella |
| Education | Northern New Mexico Community College (AS) |
Early life and education
A native and lifelong resident of Española, New Mexico, Rodella received her associate degree from Northern New Mexico Community College and attended the College of Santa Fe.
Career
She worked as a materials science technician and as a secretary.[1] Rodella is married to Thomas Rodella, the former sheriff of Rio Arriba County who was removed from office after his federal felony convictions in September 2014 on civil rights charges.[3] They have two children.[1]
New Mexico House of Representatives
Rodella was first elected to the 70-seat New Mexico House of Representatives in 1992. Running unopposed in both primary and general elections since 2006, Rodella was re-elected to a twelfth consecutive two-year term in November 2014.[4] Rodella served as the chair of the House Business & Industry Committee, Interim Chair of the Economic and Rural Development Committee, and a member of both the Voters & Elections and the Rules & Order of Business Committees.[2] In 2013, Rodella voted with Republicans to block a same-sex marriage bill in committee,[5] and against a bill (which passed) to reduce the penalties for the possession of marijuana.[6] Rep. Rodella has been accused of sharing funds contributed to her re-election campaigns with her husband, to use in his own races for political office.[7][8][9]
In the 2018 Democratic primary, Rodella ran for re-election but lost to Susan K. Herrera.[10]