Joseph Maestas

In addition to his political career, Maestas worked for the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and as a business development manager with Souder, Miller & Associates, a private engineering company. He is a registered professional engineer in New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. He has been the president of the New Mexico Municipal League; vice-chair of the board for the Conservation Voters of New Mexico; chair of the New Mexico Voices for Children; and a board member at the National League of Cities.[1][2][3]

Maestas is a native of New Mexico, born in Santa Fe and raised in Santa Cruz on a family farm. His father was a science teacher, his mother a homemaker. The family also owned a liquor store. Maestas graduated from Española Valley High School in 1978. He then attended the University of New Mexico-Albuquerque, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, and Arizona State University, where he graduated with a master’s degree in civil engineering. He was previously married to Martha Vazquez, a judge on the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico.[4][5][6]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

As a lifelong Northern New Mexican, I have deep roots here in New Mexico. I am the great grandson of a constitutional delegate, a land grant heir, and acequia water rights owner. I grew up on a small farm in Santa Cruz and was raised in a family of public school teachers and military veterans. Prior to taking office as the State Auditor, I served as a chair and vice-chair of the Public Regulation Commission, and championed community access to solar energy and a just and equitable energy transition that both protects the workers and communities most affected by the state’s move toward renewable energy. As a city councilor in both Santa Fe and Española, and as the mayor of Española, I fought for and implemented reforms, making systems more efficient and effective. As a strong supporter of unions, I spearheaded the organization of three collective bargaining units within the City of Espanola for police, fire, and administration. These unions still thrive today. I supported the Living Wage Ordinance in the City of Santa Fe and was the only City of Santa Fe governing body member to testify against right-to-work legislation being considered during the legislative session. I've been active in a number of community organizations and had the wonderful opportunity to serve as a Big Brother to two young brothers. I was also honored to receive the Ohtli Award, the highest

civilian award granted to a non-Mexican that advocates for Mexican citizens outside of Mexico.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I made a simple promise to the people of New Mexico — to create a government that works for them, spends their money wisely, and is held accountable when it doesn’t. To make government better, we've made things simpler. We unlocked millions in funding for small communities that were struggling to meet complex reporting requirements. With targeted support, we turned $2.5 million into more than $10 million flowing back into local projects, including our acequias. These projects put New Mexicans to work and make our communities stronger. With over 30 years of service as a Federal civil servant and 20 years of elected service equips me to fight for the people of New Mexico and safeguard their taxpayer funds.Spending taxpayer funds wisely. Our office launched special audits into troubled agencies, leading to new laws and leadership changes. For example, our office investigated a $20M appropriation to the agencies of Children, Youth, and Families and concluded that over $4M was misspent and approximately $6M was unspent. In addition, we’ve exposed excessive overseas travel by government officials and helped implement more responsible, cost-saving travel rules. My office has also ensured that opioid settlement funds are being used properly — for the people and communities they were intended to — and protected FEMA reimbursements so communities can rebuild after disasters.My vision for the Office of the State Auditor is to integrate technology to greatly improve its efficiency, work with multiple stakeholders to re-establish a pipeline of talent in the accounting industry, and make strategic organizational changes to better adapt to the changes in the industry and political climate.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I’m passionate about giving a voice to the voiceless, working to bring about positive public policy changes, and being an effective leader that mentors the next generation of public leaders.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

To date: AFSCME, (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees); AFT (American Federation of Teachers); Planned Parenthood; 314 Action (works to elect science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-educated candidates); Young Democrats of New Mexico; Former NM State Auditor Al Castillo; NM State Senator Debbie O'Malley; Dr. Veronica Garcia, NM's first Secretary of Education; Former State Senator Bill Tallman; Former Santa Fe City Councilor Renee Villarreal; Former NM State Senator Dede Feldman

Joseph Maestas did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Joseph Maestas did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.