Raúl Torrez
{{Short description|American politician (born 1976)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Raúl Torrez
|office = 32nd Attorney General of New Mexico
|governor = Michelle Lujan Grisham
|term_start = January 1, 2023
|term_end =
|predecessor = Hector Balderas
|successor =
|office1 = District Attorney of Bernalillo County
|term_start1 = January 1, 2017
|term_end1 = January 1, 2023
|predecessor1 = Kari Brandenburg
|successor1 = Sam Bregman
|birth_date = {{birth_date and age|1976|07|24}}
|birth_place = Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Democratic
|spouse = Nasha
|children = 2
|education = Harvard University (AB)
London School of Economics (MS)
Stanford University (JD)
}}
Raúl Torrez (born July 24, 1976){{cite web |url=https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/approach-to-crime-divides-attorney-general-candidates/article_03c24b5c-27bd-11ed-9984-67b2dfbd6f29.html |title=Approach to Crime Divides Attorney General Candidates |date=October 12, 2022 |accessdate=November 27, 2022 |first=Phaedra |last=Haywood |work=The Santa Fe New Mexican}}{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/TorrezforNM/posts/pfbid02QZHdTmLEhBSMTvgsjW9WszKWSKbVnLZZBtP39jx1wTSTQCzFYBKQvYT2wabWC6ebl|title=Raúl Torrez on Facebook|date=July 24, 2021|accessdate=July 3, 2021|website=Facebook}} is an American lawyer and politician from New Mexico. A member of the Democratic Party, Torrez is the Attorney General of New Mexico.
Early life and education
Torrez's father, Presiliano Torrez, was a federal prosecutor and his mother taught Spanish at Sandia Preparatory School. He graduated from Sandia Prep, and then attended Harvard University, where he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in government. He earned a Master of Science in international political economy from the London School of Economics, and then worked for the Cesar Chavez Foundation in Los Angeles before attending Stanford Law School, earning his Juris Doctor.
Career
After graduating from law school in 2005, Torrez became an assistant district attorney in Valencia County, New Mexico. The next year, he took a job in the office of the New Mexico attorney general. In 2008, Torrez was chief counsel to Ben Luján, the speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives, and then he served as a White House Fellow in the class of 2009–2010 during the presidency of Barack Obama.{{cite web | url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/president-obama-appoints-2009-2010-class-white-house-fellows-6-25-09 | title=President Obama Appoints 2009-2010 Class of White House Fellows, 6-25-09 | date=June 25, 2009 }} He returned to Albuquerque to work in the United States attorney's office and operated a solo law firm.{{cite web|last=Walz |first=Kent |url=https://www.abqjournal.com/1218650/remember-who-youre-fighting-for.html |title='Remember who you're fighting for' - Albuquerque Journal |publisher=Abqjournal.com |date=September 8, 2018 |accessdate=November 15, 2022}}
Torrez won the Democratic Party nomination for district attorney of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, in 2016. He won the general election without opposition from a Republican.{{cite web|url=https://nmpoliticalreport.com/2016/09/16/only-one-candidate-for-da-in-bernalillo-county/ |title=Only one candidate for DA in Bernalillo County |publisher=The NM Political Report |date=September 16, 2016 |accessdate=November 15, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.abqjournal.com/2547506/torrez-wins-ags-office-continuing-democratic-control.html |title=Torrez wins AG's office, continuing Democratic control - Albuquerque Journal |publisher=Abqjournal.com |date= |accessdate=November 15, 2022}}
= Attorney General of New Mexico =
With Hector Balderas unable to run for reelection as New Mexico Attorney General in the 2022 election due to term limits, Torrez announced his candidacy to succeed him in May 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.abqjournal.com/2391604/district-attorney-torrez-enters-race-for-ag.html |title=District Attorney Torrez enters AG race - Albuquerque Journal |publisher=Abqjournal.com |date=May 17, 2021 |accessdate=November 15, 2022}} Torrez won the Democratic nomination, defeating New Mexico State Auditor Brian Colón,{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-hector-balderas-albuquerque-new-mexico-government-and-politics-3cc2be1443b80ac371f6becf440bc8ce |title=Raúl Torrez wins Democratic primary for attorney general |publisher=AP News |date=June 8, 2022 |accessdate=November 15, 2022}} and faced Republican Jeremy Gay.{{cite web|url=https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/10/04/attorney-general-nm-candidates-raul-torrez-jeremy-gay-election-day-2022/69539286007/ |title=Raúl Torrez on what he would do as New Mexico Attorney General |publisher=Lcsun-news.com |date= |accessdate=November 15, 2022}} Torrez defeated Gay in the general election.{{cite web|url=https://www.krqe.com/news/politics-government/elections/raul-torrez-wins-attorney-general-race/ |title=Raul Torrez wins New Mexico's Attorney General race |publisher=Krqe.com |date= November 9, 2022|accessdate=November 15, 2022}}
Personal life
Torrez's wife, Nasha, is also an attorney and is a dean at the University of New Mexico. They have two children.{{cite web|url=https://www.abqjournal.com/2499373/torre-zwillingness-to-ruffle-feathers-is-an-asset-not-a-liability-exc.html |title=Torrez: Willingness to ruffle feathers is an asset, not a liability - Albuquerque Journal |publisher=Abqjournal.com |date= |accessdate=November 15, 2022}}
Electoral history
{{Election box begin no change |title=2022 New Mexico Attorney General election{{cite web |title=2022 General New Mexico - Official Results |url=https://electionresults.sos.state.nm.us/resultsSW.aspx?type=SW&map=CTY|website=New Mexico Secretary of State}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Raúl Torrez
|votes = 388,592
|percentage = 55.3
}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (United States)|candidate=Jeremy Gay|votes=314,023|percentage=44.6}}{{Election box total no change
|votes = 702,615
|percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
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{{s-legal}}
{{s-bef|before=Hector Balderas}}
{{s-ttl|title=Attorney General of New Mexico|years=2023–present}}
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{{Current New Mexico statewide political officials}}
{{U.S. state attorneys general}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Torrez, Raul}}
Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics
Category:District attorneys in New Mexico
Category:Harvard University alumni
Category:New Mexico attorneys general
Category:Politicians from Albuquerque, New Mexico