The Las Cruces Democrat defeated former Doña Ana County Sheriff Enrique “Kiki” Vigil by 2,770 votes, securing 65.3% of the vote.

Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News

LAS CRUCES - Democratic Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena won a fifth term representing New Mexico House District 33 on Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger and former Doña Ana County Sheriff Enrique “Kiki” Vigil by more than 2,700 votes.

Unofficial results from the New Mexico secretary of state's office showed Cadena receiving 5,899 votes, or 65.3%, compared with 3,129 votes, or 34.7%, for Vigil.

Cadena's winning margin was 2,770 votes out of 9,028 cast in the Doña Ana County district, according to election results downloaded at 12:07 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4.

The secretary of state's export showed all 2,204 precincts statewide fully reporting, with none partially reporting. Those figures reflect statewide reporting status rather than a separate count for District 33.

Cadena, a policy researcher who has represented the district since 2019, will return to the Legislature for another two-year term.

Ethics reform and water policy

In a pre-election candidate questionnaire published by Source New Mexico, Cadena identified legislative ethics reform as her leading priority for 2027.

She proposed strengthening the Governmental Conduct Act to restrict lawmakers from voting on matters in which they have a direct financial interest.

Cadena also emphasized the importance of legislative oversight as New Mexico implements an interstate water settlement affecting the lower Rio Grande. She said southern New Mexico communities should have a voice in decisions about how that settlement is carried out.

Cadena serves on the House Agriculture, Acequias and Water Resources Committee and is vice chair of the House Taxation and Revenue Committee.

Her legislative record includes supporting House Bill 93, an electric grid planning measure that became law in April 2025.

The Legislature's records show Cadena voted for the House version of the bill on March 5, 2025. The Senate subsequently added a microgrid amendment before the legislation became law.

Project Jupiter and economic development

Cadena also raised questions about the public benefits of Project Jupiter, the proposed data center development in Santa Teresa.

During a public discussion covered by Source New Mexico, she questioned what Doña Ana County residents would receive in return for tax incentives offered to the project.

The issue reflects a broader debate in southern New Mexico over the balance between attracting major private investment and protecting public resources.

Vigil brought law enforcement background

Vigil, who ran as a Republican in the House race, previously served as Doña Ana County sheriff from 2015 through 2018.

He was elected sheriff as a Democrat in 2014 after a career in federal law enforcement.

According to reporting by New Mexico In Depth, Vigil served one term as sheriff before leaving office.

His House campaign biography emphasized his experience as a supervisory deputy U.S. marshal, including leadership of a drug trafficking task force in El Paso.

Unlike Cadena, Vigil did not submit responses to candidate questionnaires from Source New Mexico or the League of Women Voters of Southern New Mexico.

His campaign biography also did not identify a specific first legislative priority for 2027.

With her reelection, Cadena will continue representing District 33 as lawmakers prepare for the January legislative session, including renewed discussions about water policy, state spending and government accountability.

Organ Mountain News contacted both candidates for comment, but neither had responded by the time of publication.

The election results remain unofficial until certified by the state.

Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis.