Judicial Vacancies
The Constitution of New Mexico mandates conduction of Judicial selection by the Judicial Nominating Commission, a board comprised of New Mexico Judges, attorneys and citizens, chaired by the Dean of the UNM School of Law.
The Commission solicits applications, interviews and recommends candidates to the Governor of New Mexico for each judicial vacancy on either of the state appellate courts, any of the 13 state district courts, and the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court.
Magistrate court vacancies are not subject to this process. Information about current magistrate court vacancies, and application procedures, can be found on the Governor’s website.
Thirteenth Judicial District Court Judicial Nominating Commission Announcement of Vacancy
August 13, 2026
A vacancy on the Thirteenth Judicial District Court will exist on October 1, 2026, following the retirement of the Honorable Judge Allen R. Smith, effective September 30, 2026. The position will be based in Valencia County and will primarily handle a family law docket, including domestic relations, neglect and abuse, and guardianship cases. Inquiries regarding the details or assignment of this judicial vacancy should be directed to the Administrator of the Court.
Applicants seeking information regarding election or retention if appointed should contact the Bureau of Elections in the Office of the Secretary of State.
Steven K. Homer, Chair of the Thirteenth Judicial District Court Judicial Nominating Commission, invites applications for this position from lawyers who meet the qualifications outlined in Article VI, Section 35 of the New Mexico Constitution. Applications can be obtained from the Judicial Selection website: https://lawschool.unm.edu/judsel/application.html, or you can request them by contacting the Judicial Selection Office at akin@law.unm.edu. The deadline for submitting applications is Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered.
The Thirteenth Judicial District Court Judicial Nominating Commission will convene on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at a time to be determined, to interview applicants for the position at the Valencia County District Court 1835 Highway 314 SW, Los Lunas, NM 87031.
The Committee meeting is open to the public, and members of the public who wish to be heard regarding any of the candidates will have the opportunity to do so.
Judicial Nominating Commission Announcement of Vacancy
Fifth Judicial District Court
August 7, 2026
A vacancy on the Fifth Judicial District Court will exist as of January 1, 2027, due to the retirement of the Honorable Judge Mark Sanchez, effective December 31, 2026. This position will be located in Lovington, New Mexico. Inquiries regarding the details or assignment of this judicial vacancy should be directed to the Administrator of the Court. Applicants seeking information regarding election or retention if appointed should contact the Bureau of Elections in the Office of the Secretary of State.
Steven K. Homer, Chair of the Fifth Judicial District Court Nominating Commission, solicits applications for this position from lawyers who meet the statutory qualifications in Article VI, Section 14 of the New Mexico Constitution. Applications may be obtained from the Judicial Selection website: https: //lawschool.unm.edu/judsel/application.html, or emailed to you by contacting the Judicial Selection Office. The deadline for applications has been set for Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 5:00 pm. Applications received after that date and time will not be considered.
The Fifth Judicial District Court Nominating Commission is scheduled to convene on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at a time to be determined, to conduct applicant interviews at the Lea County District Court, 100 N. Love St., Lovington, NM 88260.
The Commission meeting is open to the public, and members of the public who wish to be heard about any of the candidates will have an opportunity to be heard.
Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court Judicial Nominating Commission Announcement of Applicants
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Eight applications have been received in the Judicial Selection Office as of 5:00 p.m., on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, for the vacancy on the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court in Albuquerque, NM due to the retirement of the Honorable Judge Maria I. Dominguez, effective August 31, 2026.
The Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court Judicial Nominating Commission will meet on September 2, 2026, at a time to be determined the New Mexico State Bar located at 5121 Masthead St NE, Albuquerque, NM, to interview applicants for the position.
The Commission meeting is open to the public and members of the public who wish to be heard about any of the applicants will have an opportunity to be heard.
The names of the applicants in alphabetical order:
Brittany Julia DuChaussee
Matthew Robert Gandert
Kevin Philip Holmes
Aaron Orenthal Jordan
Magdalena Kephart
John Michael Kloss
Richard Jason Moran
Ashley Andrea Schweizer
Second Judicial District – Family Court Judicial Nominating Commission Candidate Announcement
Thursday, July 23, 2026
The Second Judicial District Judicial Nominating Commission will convene on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at the Second Judicial District Court, located at 400 Lomas NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102.
The purpose of the meeting was to interview and evaluate seven applicants for the vacancy on the Second Judicial District - Family Court in Albuquerque, NM, which will exist as of July 1, 2026, due to the creation of an additional judgeship by the New Mexico Legislature.
Following its deliberations, the Nominating Commission recommends the following applicants to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
The applicants’ names, in alphabetical order, are:
Veronica Lee Hill
María Montoya Chávez
Erin Aninnia Olson
Thirteenth Judicial District Court Judicial Nominating Commission Candidate Announcement
Thursday, July 16, 2026
The Thirteenth Judicial District Judicial Nominating Commission convened on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at 9:00 am, at the Sandoval County District Court located at 1500 Idalia Road, Bernalillo, NM 87004
The purpose of the meeting was to interview and evaluate eight applicants for the vacancy on the Thirteenth Judicial District Court due to the resignation of the Honorable Cheryl Hein Johnston, effective June 30, 2026.
Following its deliberations, the Nominating Commission recommends the following applicants to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
The applicants’ names, in alphabetical order, are:
Steven Paul Archibeque
Kirsten Louise Dick
Lindsey Rae Fooks
Karl William Reifsteck
McKenzie Anne-Elaine St. Denis
Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court Judicial Nominating Commission Announcement of Vacancy
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
A vacancy on the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court will exist as of September 1, 2026, due to the Honorable Maria I. Dominguez's retirement, effective August 31, 2026. The vacancy in Division 6 will be designated as a Civil Division assignment within the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court. In addition to presiding over civil matters, the judge appointed to Division 6 will be responsible for conducting Saturday custody arraignments and felony first appearances and will participate in the Court's after-hours warrant rotation Inquiries regarding the details or assignment of this judicial vacancy should be directed to the Administrator of the Court. If appointed, applicants seeking information regarding election or retention should contact the Bureau of Elections in the Office of the Secretary of State.
Steven K. Homer, Chair of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court Nominating Commission, invites applications for this position from lawyers who meet the qualifications set forth in Article VI, Section 35 of the New Mexico Constitution. Applications can be obtained from the Judicial Selection website: https://lawschool.unm.edu/judsel/application.html, or by contacting the Judicial Selection Office at akin@law.unm.edu. The deadline for submitting applications is Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered.
The Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court Judicial Nominating Commission will meet on September 2, 2026, and September 3, 2026, at a time to be determined the New Mexico State Bar located at 5121 Masthead St NE, Albuquerque, NM, to interview applicants for the position.
The Committee meeting is open to the public, and members of the public who wish to be heard regarding any of the candidates will have an opportunity to be heard.
