Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena won a fifth term representing New Mexico House District 33 on Tuesday, Nov. 3, defeating Republican Kiki Vigil by more than 30 percentage points.

Unofficial results from the secretary of state's office showed Cadena receiving 5,899 votes, or 65.3%, compared with Vigil's 3,129 votes, or 34.7%, according to Organ Mountain News. The margin was 2,770 votes out of 9,028 cast in the Doña Ana County district.

The results remain unofficial until certified by the state.

Cadena, a Las Cruces Democrat and policy researcher, has represented the district since 2019. She serves on the House Agriculture, Acequias and Water Resources Committee and is vice chair of the House Taxation and Revenue Committee.

Water policy and ethics reform

Heading into the 2027 legislative session, Cadena has identified water policy and ethics reform as priorities, according to Organ Mountain News, citing a pre-election questionnaire published by Source New Mexico. She proposed strengthening the Governmental Conduct Act to restrict lawmakers from voting on matters in which they have a direct financial interest, the outlet reported.

Cadena also stressed 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 how that settlement is carried out, Organ Mountain News reported.

Project Jupiter scrutiny

Cadena has been a vocal critic of Project Jupiter, the large-scale data center campus proposed for Santa Teresa. The project, led by STACK Infrastructure in partnership with BorderPlex Digital Assets, carries an estimated total investment of up to $165 billion, according to the Doña Ana County government's project page.

In a Las Cruces Bulletin questionnaire published in May, Cadena said she planned to sponsor a moratorium on data centers across New Mexico alongside Reps. Rubio and Chavez "to give our state time to consider appropriate protections and parameters should this industry be allowed to operate within our state."

In an October questionnaire published by the Las Cruces Bulletin, Cadena wrote that she would introduce a ban on hyperscale data center development in New Mexico, or as a compromise, shape a moratorium.

The Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution in April directing the county manager and two commissioners to seek clarification from Project Jupiter developers, according to a county news release. The resolution called for verifying the accuracy of public statements about the project and determining whether any details differ from those originally presented, including plans for closed-loop cooling systems.

Doña Ana County commissioners discussed a $10 million water grant program tied to the project's economic development agreement during a Nov. 3 work session. Under the agreement, participating companies committed to dedicating the first $50 million in specified gross receipts tax proceeds to water and wastewater improvements in southern Doña Ana County, Organ Mountain News reported.

Vigil's background

Vigil, a former Doña Ana County sheriff who served from 2015 through 2018, ran as a Republican. He was elected sheriff as a Democrat in 2014 after a career in federal law enforcement, according to reporting by New Mexico In Depth. His campaign biography highlighted his experience as a supervisory deputy U.S. marshal, Organ Mountain News reported.

Vigil did not submit responses to candidate questionnaires from Source New Mexico or the League of Women Voters of Southern New Mexico, and his campaign biography did not identify a specific first legislative priority for 2027, according to Organ Mountain News. The outlet reported it contacted both candidates for comment, but neither had responded by the time of its publication.

The January legislative session will include discussions about water policy, state spending and government accountability, Organ Mountain News reported.