Karen Louise Montoya is an American politician from

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

. She is a former member of the

New Mexico Public Regulation Commission The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission RCis a regulatory authority in New Mexico charged with the responsibility of seeing that utility customers have "fair and reasonable rates, and to assure reasonable and adequate services to the public as ...

from the 1st district, covering parts of

Bernalillo County Bernalillo County () is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Mexico.Bernalillo ...

. Montoya graduated from Del Norte High School in Albuquerque in 1984. She completed coursework at the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

, Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute, and th
International Association of Assessing Officers
to qualify in becoming a certified appraiser in New Mexico. She began work in the Bernalillo County Assessor's Office in 1991, serving as chair of the County Valuation Protest Board, and in 2004 became a senior appraiser in the New Mexico Property Tax Division. She was first elected Bernalillo County Assessor in 2006, and re-elected in 2010. In 2012, Montoya entered the race for Public Regulation Commissioner from the 1st district to succeed Jason Marks, who was term limited. Two months before the Democratic primary, a state district judge removed Montoya from the ballot for failing to provide the district she was running in on her nominating petition, however the

state Supreme Court In the United States, a state supreme court (known by #Terminology, other names in some states) is the supreme court, highest court in the State court (United States), state judiciary of a U.S. state. On matters of State law (United States), st ...

reversed that decision on appeal. She won the primary, besting government attorney Cynthia B. Hall and state Representative Al Park 36-33-31%, and went on to defeat

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

nominee Christopher Ocksrider in the general election 55-45%. Montoya was chosen to be Chairwoman of the Commission in 2015. Running for a second term in 2016, she lost the Democratic primary to 2012 runner-up Cynthia Hall 57-43%.

References

External links

Karen Montoya – Ballotpedia
profile 1960s births 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century American politicians County officials in New Mexico Living people New Mexico Democrats Politicians from Albuquerque, New Mexico Women in New Mexico politics {{NewMexico-politician-stub