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Voters elect Garcia Richard to land office

Stephanie Garcia Richard

  Democratic state lawmaker Stephanie Garcia Richard has been elected as New Mexico's next state land commissioner, making her the first woman to hold the office in the state's history.

Garcia Richard finished ahead of Republican Patrick Lyons and Libertarian Michael Lucero to fill the open seat. Current Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn did not seek re-election, setting up the three-way contest.

Garcia Richard is three-term state lawmaker from the Los Alamos area. She's the chair of the House Education Committee and works as an administrator with the Pojoaque Valley School District.

Some have criticized her for a lack of experience when it comes to land issues. She argues that her knowledge about the classroom would provide an important perspective for the State Land Office because its top priority is raising money for education.