Jessica Velasquez (born 1976 or 1977), is an American politician serving as the chair of the

Democratic Party of New Mexico The Democratic Party of New Mexico (DPNM) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is headquartered in Albuquerque and led by Chair Sara Attleson, Vice Chair Cam Crawford, Secretary Brenda Hoskie, and Treasure ...

Early life

Velasquez grew up in a “tiny farm community north of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

on what was left of the family farm.” She earned a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

from

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...

and left Pennsylvania in 1999 to teach in New Mexico.

Career

Velasquez ran in the 2018 New Mexico House of Representatives election, but lost to incumbent Republican

Gregg Schmedes Gregg Schmedes is an American physician and politician who served as a member of the New Mexico Senate from the 19th district from 2021 to 2024. He previously served as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from the 22nd district, ...

. She ran again in the 2020 New Mexico House of Representatives election, but lost to

Stefani Lord Stefani Lord is an American politician serving as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from the 22nd district. Elected in 2020, Lord assumed office on January 19, 2021. Early life and education Lord was born in Los Angeles, Cali ...

. She has also served in

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Michelle Lujan Grisham's Interim Education Committee. She has retired from teaching and now runs an

electroplating Electroplating, also known as electrochemical deposition or electrodeposition, is a process for producing a metal coating on a solid substrate through the redox, reduction of cations of that metal by means of a direct current, direct electric cur ...

business with her husband Aaron.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Velasquez, Jessica 1970s births Educators from New Mexico Living people Pennsylvania State University alumni People from Bernalillo County, New Mexico State political party chairs of New Mexico