Raymond G. Sanchez

Raymond G. Sanchez was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on September 22, 1941.^[1] He attended the University of New Mexico, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government in 1964 and Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1967.^[1][2] His younger brother is Michael S. Sanchez, an attorney who served in the New Mexico Senate.^[3]

Sanchez was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives for district 15 in 1971. He held office until 2000.^[4] Sanchez and Walter K. Martinez were leaders of the liberal "Mama Lucy Gang".^[5][a] This group controlled the house and prevented conservative "Cowboy Democrats" from the ranching areas in the south of the state from controlling the main committees.^[7] In the 1982 election, the liberal Democrats formed a solid majority of the forty seven Democratic members, and Sanchez was elected speaker without opposition from the Cowboys.^[8] Sanchez was speaker of the house for sixteen years.^[2] In 2000, Raymond Sanchez failed to be reelected to the house, losing to newcomer John Sanchez, a Republican.^[9]

After leaving office, Sanchez returned to practicing the law, mainly working on government relations and personal injury.^[2] Sanchez became a president of the regents of the University of New Mexico.

In the 2010s, Sanchez was working as a lobbyist at the New Mexico legislature for clients such as Virgin Galactic.^[10] Sanchez also worked as a lobbyist for Albuquerque cab companies.^[11]