Chriselle Martinez holds a PhD in Counselor Education and has spent more than a decade in higher education and community development. She's running to flip HD-57 — lost by fewer than 150 votes in 2024 — as one of the DLCC's five targeted New Mexico House races. Support Chriselle directly — donations to the candidate are the most effective way to make your opinion count!
Donate » Campaign website »Chriselle holds a PhD in Counselor Education from the University of New Mexico (2021) and spent more than a decade in higher education and community development, working with credit unions and local partners to strengthen economic opportunity. She was the Vice President of Partnerships and Development of the Credit Union Association of New Mexico, 2024–2025, and is currently the Director of Community Relations for MANA de Albuquerque.
The Race
In 2024, HD-57 elected a Republican by fewer than 150 votes, and the race is shaping up to again be one of the most tightly contested state House races in New Mexico. Chriselle's race for HD-57 is one of five races in New Mexico that the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) — with our own Speaker Javier Martinez (no relation) as a board member — has targeted for national support. The DLCC works to keep state legislatures in Democratic majorities and add to those majorities; in New Mexico's case, Chriselle and Raul Turrieta (HD-39) will get us very close to a super-majority in the NM House. With only three additional seats needed to build that supermajority, 2026 is a critical year to rally behind the most competitive races across the state.
The Opponent
Republican Catherine Cullen is completing her first term. In 2024 she narrowly defeated our Reboot Our Democracy candidate, Michelle Sandoval, 50.4% to 49.6% — if only 77 voters had switched their votes, the district would have flipped. Representative Cullen is a realtor in Rio Rancho. Chriselle is running to reverse that razor-thin loss.
The District
HD-57 is in Rio Rancho. It was represented by Republican Jason Harper, first elected in 2012 (53.2%) and re-elected in 2014 (59.5%), 2016 (54.9%), 2018 (51.1%), 2020 (52.2%), and 2022 (51.8%). Catherine Cullen succeeded Harper in 2024 (50.4%) as the current first-term incumbent. Flipping this seat now, with a much more highly qualified public policy candidate and the toxicity of the Republican brand nationally and in New Mexico, is more likely than it has ever been.
Latest Updates
- Chriselle just joined the Blue Boosters roster for HD-57 — one of the DLCC's five targeted New Mexico House races, alongside Raul Turrieta's HD-39.
Support
- Campaign website
- DLCC — Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, one of five targeted New Mexico House races
