Teresa Leger Fernandez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Teresa Leger Fernandez
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico's 3rd district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Ben Ray Luján |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Teresa Isabel Leger
July 1, 1959 Las Vegas, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Luis Fernandez (divorced) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents |
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| Education | Yale University (BA) Stanford University (JD) |
Teresa Isabel Leger Fernandez (born July 1, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician. She represents New Mexico's 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. This means she is one of the people who helps make laws for the country.
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Her Early Life and Education
Teresa Leger Fernandez was born in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Her mother, Mela Leger, taught in two languages. Her father, Ray Leger, was a member of the New Mexico Senate. This is like being a state senator.
After finishing high school, Teresa went to Yale University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree there. Later, she got a law degree from Stanford Law School.
What She Did Before Congress
After law school, Teresa Leger Fernandez went back to New Mexico. She worked as a lawyer, focusing on helping communities and Native American groups.
- She was a "White House Fellow" during the time Bill Clinton was president. This program lets talented people work in the government.
- She also helped the government protect historic places.
- For 30 years, she ran her own law firm called Leger Law and Strategy, LLC. Her firm worked on community projects, helping Native American tribes, and civil rights. Civil rights are about making sure everyone is treated fairly.
- In 2017, she helped bring a new way of voting, called ranked-choice voting, to Santa Fe.
Serving in Congress
Teresa Leger Fernandez is now a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. She started this job on January 3, 2021.
Getting Elected
In 2020, the person who held her seat, Ben Ray Luján, decided to run for a different job. So, Teresa Leger Fernandez decided to run for his spot.
She had six other people running against her in her own party. Many people supported her, including Congresswoman Deb Haaland. She won the first election with more than 42% of the votes.
In the final election in November, she won against her opponent, Alexis Johnson.
What She Works On in Congress
In Congress, Teresa Leger Fernandez works on different committees. These committees focus on specific topics.
- Committee on Natural Resources: This committee deals with things like national parks and land.
- She is part of groups that focus on federal lands and Native American issues.
- Committee on Education and Labor: This committee works on schools and jobs.
- She helps with higher education and job training.
- Committee on Rules: This committee decides how laws are made in the House.
- She is a leader (Ranking Member) in the group that looks at how laws are made and how money is spent.
Groups She Belongs To
Teresa Leger Fernandez is also part of many groups in Congress called caucuses. These groups bring together members of Congress who care about similar things.
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus (she helps with communications)
- Democratic Women's Caucus (she is a Vice Chair)
- National Labs Caucus (she is a Co-Chair)
- Rural Broadband Caucus (she is a Co-Chair)
- Congressional Progressive Caucus
- Diabetes Caucus
- Labor Caucus
- LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus
- Mental Health Caucus
- National Heritage Area Caucus
- Native American Caucus
- PFAS Caucus
- Rural Caucus
- Rare Disease Caucus
- Ski Caucus
Her Ideas and Beliefs
Teresa Leger Fernandez has strong ideas about what she wants to achieve.
- She supports a "New Mexico Green New Deal." This plan aims to fight climate change and create green jobs.
- She wants "Medicare for All," which would give everyone health insurance through the government.
- She wants to move away from fracking (a way to get oil and gas) and use more clean energy.
- She supports banning the sale of certain powerful rifles.
- She also supports making changes to immigration laws. She supports the DREAM Act, which helps young immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.
- She has voted with President Joe Biden's ideas almost all the time.
Her Family Life
Teresa Leger Fernandez has three sons with her ex-husband, Luis Fernandez.
See also
- List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
