Letitia Montoya is a 17th-generation Santa Fean, a proud graduate of St. Michael’s High School, and a proven business leader with deep roots in service. As Chief Operating Officer of a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned firm, and with a Bachelor’s in Mathematics and a Master’s degree in Youth Leadership from the College of Santa Fe, Letitia brings the strength of lived experience and the discipline of real-world results. She’s not another politician. She’s a fighter. Letitia has overcome addiction, poverty, and political bullying—and came back stronger to serve her community with grit, vision, and heart. Now, she’s running for Mayor to fix what’s broken: crumbling infrastructure, unaffordable housing, rising crime, and a City Hall that has stopped listening.
Her priorities are clear:
Restore basic services and accountability.
Raise frontline city worker pay by up to 30%.
Combat crime with police substations and faster response times.
Build affordable and public housing—not more delays.
Tackle homelessness with compassion and structure.
Letitia Montoya represents all cultures in one voice—Native, Hispanic, working-class, and proud. She’s ready to bring honesty, action, and results back to Santa Fe.
It’s time for change. Vote Letitia Montoya for Mayor.
Tarin Nix has served as Deputy Commissioner at the New Mexico State Land Office since 2019. In that time she passed a law and implemented procedures to guarantee transparency, helped cut red tape and streamline business services and delivered affordable housing. Along with serving as Deputy, Ms. Nix has owned a successful award winning consulting firm that specializes in research, communications, strategy and crisis management here in Santa Fe. Ms. Nix has served as chief analyst for the New Mexico State House Education Committee. Ms. Nix received her B.A. from the University of Alabama and her M.S.W with a dual specialization in public policy and nonprofit management from the University of Texas in Austin.
I was born and raised in Santa Fe in a single parent household with a family of 5 kids and almost no money. I wore hand-me-down clothes, scrambled for lunch money and wondered if my family would make ends meet. I knew if I was to go to college after graduating from Santa Fe High School, that I would have to pay my own way. I worked summer jobs, secured student loans and worked the whole time I was in college to pay for my Bachelor’s degree from Eastern New Mexico University and my Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of New Mexico.
My parents taught me the ethics of hard work and earning an honest living. I retired as the Court Director at the First Judicial District Court. Other public service included Deputy Director at the NM Supreme Court, Human Resources Director for the City of Santa Fe under two mayors, Los Alamos County and NM Taxation and Revenue Department. I was hired by Governor Bill Richardson to serve on his transition staff and was appointed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to serve on her transition team to study the entire state’s personnel system. I am Vice-Chair of the Board at the State Employees Credit Union. I am past chair of the Labor Management Relations Board for Northern NM College and the New Mexico State Personnel Board. I also served as Adjunct Faculty for the University of New Mexico and taught Public Administration courses. I’ve worked in all three branches of government. I’m running to be your next Mayor because I have the successful, proven track record in public service that I can put to work immediately to make a significant difference. I am known for getting things done. I can empathize with individuals and families who struggle to live and work in Santa Fe, who wonder where their next meal will come from and whether they will have a roof over their head when the bills come due. I care deeply about the rising crime rate and will take the necessary steps to improve residents’ safety. While growing up, my younger brother was killed in my neighborhood by a hit and run driver while he was riding his bicycle on the last day of school. I know the pain of not feeling safe. I envision a Santa Fe where taxpayer money isn’t wasted and we devote it to clean parks for our children, maintained buildings and streets, where all sections of this city are beautiful and worthy. I have always valued taxpayer money as if it was coming out of my own pocket. I believe in fiscal responsibility, quality control, efficiencies and effectiveness all with the goal of extremely effective customer service. I will preserve and respect our traditions, culture and will be inclusive of all residents. I will be a Mayor who knows how to get things accomplished by providing good leadership, experienced management and valued employees.
Michael J. Garcia was born and raised in Santa Fe, where he grew up with a deep commitment to service and community—a value that continues to guide his life and career. He currently serves as a Santa Fe City Councilor representing District 2, while also working as a Program and Partnerships Specialist with AmeriCorps.
Michael’s service on the City Council is a continuation of nearly two decades dedicated to public service. His journey began as an AmeriCorps VISTA member and has since centered on advancing opportunities and providing critical resources to those most in need. For Michael, serving Santa Fe is both a privilege and a way to give back to the community that shaped him.
He is a proud graduate of the University of New Mexico, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Public Administration. As an elected official, Michael prioritizes ensuring that the voices of community members are not only heard but also represented in meaningful ways. Outside of public service, Michael enjoys spending time with his wife, their three children, and the family dog. Whether at work, in the community, or at home, his commitment to family and service remains at the heart of all he does.
Ronald S. Trujillo is a lifelong Santa Fean, husband, father, and dedicated public servant. He is married to Amber K. Espinosa-Trujillo and is a proud father to a son, Hunter, and a daughter, Krystianna. His family inspires his commitment to building a safer, stronger, and more vibrant Santa Fe for future generations.
Trujillo represented District 4 on the Santa Fe City Council from 2006 to 2018, earning a reputation for listening to residents and delivering results. He helped lead the 2008 Parks Bond, a $30 million voter-approved initiative that upgraded parks, improved ADA accessibility, enhanced irrigation, and added new trails citywide. In 2011, he played a key role in bringing the Santa Fe Fuego baseball team to Fort Marcy Ballpark, strengthening local culture and community engagement. Earlier, in 1994, he proudly portrayed DeVargas during the Fiesta de Santa Fe, reflecting his deep connection to the city’s history and traditions.
Beyond City Hall, Trujillo built a 25+ year career in state government. He worked as a highway construction inspector, coordinated the Local Government Road Fund, and served as Adopt-a-Highway coordinator for NMDOT District 5. He oversaw oversize and heavy load permitting for the NMDOT Bridge Maintenance Bureau and spent 13 years in the Fleet Management Bureau as fleet analyst and line manager, managing the state’s largest fleet, including purchasing, operations, budgeting, and equipment disposal.
In 2025, Trujillo announced his candidacy for Mayor of Santa Fe, running as a publicly financed candidate focused on collaboration, affordable housing, and a city that works for everyone.
Jeanne O’Dean, Ph.D., Ed.D., is an academic-scientific-economic leader and CEO of the Protectorate of the Turtle Island Foundation. She’s introduced two NM Senate Bills: immersive 3D STEM education and Global Knowledge Economy-- US DOE recognized the innovative programs and as an edu-economic countertrade service for global corporations and heads of state. As a Mayoral Candidate, O’Dean has received private financing to fund her infrastructure and development platform. jeanneodean4sfmayor.com
Patricia "Pat" Feghali ("fig-alley") is a lawyer and urban planner with a long history of civic engagement and public service. She has lived in District 1 for the past six years and has spent the past four years working as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Santa Fe. Prior to that, Pat was a legislative analyst for the New Mexico House of Representatives for two legislative sessions.
Pat grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and went to school in New York City (BA, Columbia University) and Minneapolis (JD, University of Minnesota) before returning to Cincinnati to work and get another degree (Master of Community Planning, University of Cincinnati). She began spending time in Santa Fe over twenty-five years ago and moved here with her family in 2019.
Pat has worked and volunteered in a number of capacities, including serving as a staff attorney for the Ohio Justice and Policy Center, a small business owner, a government employee, volunteering as a neighborhood council member, and as an organizer for community events in both Cincinnati and Santa Fe.
Pat is also a musician, cyclist, hiker, and policy nerd, and runs The Urbanist “Book” Club, a reading-optional book club that talks about urban planning ideas. Pat is a member of, among other things, Bike Santa Fe, Strong Towns, and the Parking Reform Network. Pat is grateful to call Santa Fe home and is passionate about community. She combines experience, knowledge, and desire to make Santa Fe a city that works for all of its residents. Her guiding principle, taken from former Minnesota senator Paul Wellstone, is that “we all do better when we all do better.
Katherine Rivera is a native of Santa Fe. Upon receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, she served in key leadership positions during her 33+ years in private industry working for a Fortune 154 ranked corporation. Holding national and global leadership roles, she led teams for complex projects in areas like mergers & acquisitions, new company start- ups, and strategic customer partnerships. Katherine believes her skills in complex project budgeting, financial analysis, contract negotiation, vendor management, and corporate due diligence will be a big benefit to the City Council.
Katherine is an advocate for an authentic Santa Fe as a member of the Old Santa Fe Association. As a global traveler, Katherine has seen examples of how other cities are addressing common problems and how they welcome and support their tourist industry. She believes this extensive experience and insight could be of benefit to her hometown.
As a volunteer, Katherine has helped clean up Santa Fe with the Trash Panda team who initiates year-round community clean up events and watershed maintenance events. An opera lover and a Vespa rider, Katherine knows Santa Fe is a wonderful place to live and wants to work to keep it that way. She is ready to serve her hometown.
Aurora Martinez is a managing partner at a community-based consulting firm, where she leads multimillion-dollar projects with a focus on strategic development, financial and regulatory compliance, and equitable infrastructure. As a candidate for Santa Fe City Council District 2, she brings a business-minded approach rooted in transparency, affordability, and long-term community investment. Her campaign prioritizes urgent issues like housing insecurity, homelessness, and displacement, while honoring Santa Fe’s layered cultural identities and inclusive planning. A single mom and lifelong resident of the Hopewell/Mann neighborhood, Aurora grounds her leadership in lived experience and collaborative stewardship.
Ranked Choice Voting Ranked-choice voting (RCV), also known as instant-runoff voting, is an electoral system that lets voters rank candidates in order of preference—first choice, second choice, third choice, and so on. Instead of picking just one candidate, you get to say who you prefer the most, but also who you would like to win if your top choice does not make it.
When the votes are counted, if a candidate receives more than 50% of the first-choice votes, they win the election outright. However, if no one gets a majority, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated. Voters who picked that eliminated candidate as their first choice then have their votes transferred to their next-highest ranked candidate who is still in the race.
This process of eliminating the lowest-ranked candidate and redistributing those votes continues in rounds until one candidate has a majority and is declared the winner. This system ensures that your vote can still count, even if your top choice does not win, and helps elect a candidate who has broader support across the electorate. While the basic idea remains the same, some details—like how many candidates are eliminated in each round—may vary depending on the rules of the election. Overall, ranked-choice voting aims to make elections more fair and representative by giving voters more say in the outcome.
More Information on Voting in Santa Fe
Ranked Choice Voting Training Sessions: October 9th, 12-1:00 PM - Pasatiempo Senior Center See more information on the training sessions HERE
For more information important voting information, visit the Santa Fe County Clerk's website HERE
