Teresa Leger Fernández facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Teresa Leger Fernández
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico's 3rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2021
Preceded by	Ben Ray Luján
Personal details
Born	Teresa Isabel Leger (1959-07-01) July 1, 1959 (age 66) Las Vegas, New Mexico, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Luis Fernandez (divorced)
Children	3
Parents	Ray Leger (father) Mela Leger (mother)
Education	Yale University (BA) Stanford University (JD)
Signature
Website

Teresa Isabel Leger Fernández (born July 1, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician. Since 2021, she has served as the U.S. Representative for New Mexico's 3rd congressional district. This means she helps make laws for the United States and represents the people of her district in the United States House of Representatives.

Early Life and Schooling

Teresa Leger was born in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Her family was involved in public service. Her mother, Mela Leger, was a teacher who taught in two languages, and her father, Ray Leger, was a state senator in the New Mexico Senate.

After graduating from West Las Vegas High School, Teresa went to two of the most famous universities in the country. She earned her first degree from Yale University and then a law degree, called a Juris Doctor, from Stanford Law School.

Career as a Lawyer

After finishing law school, Leger Fernández moved back to New Mexico. She became a lawyer and spent 30 years helping her community. She focused on helping Native American tribes and fighting for people's rights.

Her work got her noticed, and she became a White House Fellow when Bill Clinton was president. Later, during the Obama administration, she served on a council that helps protect important historical places. For 30 years, she ran her own law firm in Santa Fe, where she worked on projects to improve communities and protect civil rights.

In 2017, she helped bring a new way of voting called ranked-choice voting to Santa Fe's local elections.

A Career in Congress

How She Was Elected

2020 Election

In 2020, the U.S. Representative for her district, Ben Ray Luján, decided to run for the United States Senate. This left his seat in the House of Representatives open. Leger Fernández announced she would run for it.

In the Democratic primary election, she competed against six other people. A primary is an election where voters choose which candidate from their party will run in the main election. She was supported by well-known politicians like Deb Haaland and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She won the primary with over 42% of the vote.

In the main election in November 2020, she defeated the Republican candidate, Alexis Johnson. She officially took office on January 3, 2021.

Her Work in Washington, D.C.

As a member of Congress, Leger Fernández serves on several important committees. Committees are small groups of representatives who focus on specific topics, like education or the environment.

Committee Work

• Committee on Natural Resources: Works on issues related to public lands, Native American affairs, and natural resources.
• Committee on Education and Labor: Deals with laws about schools, colleges, and workers' rights.
• Committee on Rules: A powerful committee that decides the rules for how bills are debated and voted on in the House.

Important Groups She Joined

In Congress, members can join groups called caucuses to work on issues they care about. Some of the caucuses Leger Fernández is a part of include:

• Congressional Hispanic Caucus
• Democratic Women's Caucus
• Congressional Progressive Caucus
• Native American Caucus
• Rural Broadband Caucus (works to get better internet for areas outside of big cities)

What She Believes In

Leger Fernández supports several key ideas. She wants to create a "New Mexico Green New Deal" to fight climate change with clean energy. She also supports Medicare for All, a plan for government-funded healthcare.

She has called for a move away from fracking (a method of getting oil and gas) toward green energy sources. She also supports stronger gun control laws. On immigration, she supports the DREAM Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for young immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.

According to an analysis by the website FiveThirtyEight, during the 117th Congress, she voted in line with President Joe Biden's positions 100% of the time.

Personal Life

Teresa Leger Fernández has three sons with her ex-husband, Luis Fernández.

Election Results

See Also

• List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
• Women in the United States House of Representatives