Northern Welcomes Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández for a Town Hall

Northern New Mexico College and President Balderas proudly welcomed Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández for a Town Hall on Monday, June 16, 2025. About 50 people attended, with many more streaming online.

Congresswoman Leger Fernández gave an inspirational address before opening the floor to questions from her constituents. She began, “It is only through community that we live our democracy. And by having this town hall today, we are actually living our democracy, and we know it’s alive and well by the turnout today.”

The Congresswoman then introduced 13-year-old Waylan and seven-year-old Kinsleigh Valdez, who led the gathering in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Salute to the New Mexico Flag. The brother and sister from Medanales, N.M., are both involved in the sport of rodeo. Waylan won the 2025 New Mexico Junior High Rodeo Association Reserve Champion Heeler (Team Roping) title, which qualified him for the National Junior High Finals Rodeo in Des Moines, Iowa. Kinsleigh has two All Around cowgirl titles under her belt.

After the Pledge and Salute, Leger Fernandez said, “I just love the fact that we have the pledge of allegiance and what it means in the context of indivisible liberty and justice. And then we turn to the flag of the State of New Mexico. And in New Mexico, we understand that liberty and justice are married with diversity and with diverse cultures, and just this understanding of the richness of who we are, each in our own cultures that also share some traits with the cultures of our neighbors… It’s not always easy, but it is sometimes in that friction, where we are able to talk about the issues that are difficult, that we resolve issues.

“And that’s what we are doing here today. We are talking about the issues that we face, but also about how we together address them and find the solutions and a path to prosperity, which is what we need as Americans, and the promise of America.”

Leger Fernández spoke about how her father, Ray Leger, who served as a State Senator, inspired her own belief that through democracy – by electing people from communities that are too often left behind – we can bring about opportunities for those communities to progress.

Earlier in the day, A.J. Pacheco, Constituent Services Representative for the Congresswoman, held walk-in office hours at Northern New Mexico College. Pacheco plans to hold office hours on campus regularly. Leger Fernandez also met with NNMC President Hector Balderas and the College’s grant program directors. Follow Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández on Facebook or go to https://fernandez.house.gov/ to sign up for her newsletter to find out about upcoming office hours or events.