Photo: nmlegis.govNM · Officeholder
DState Representative · District 43
On the ballot Nov 3, 2026: New Mexico House District 43
Chris Chandler, listed by Ballotpedia as Christine Chandler, is a Democratic state representative from District 43 who has represented the district since 2019 and is seeking re-election in the November 3, 2026 general election.[1] She is an attorney from Los Alamos and chairs the House Judiciary Committee.[1]
Chris Chandler received an undergraduate degree from Smith College, a J.D. from Boston College Law School in 1984, and a master's degree in international and comparative law from Georgetown University Law Center.[1] Ballotpedia lists her career as practice group leader at Los Alamos National Laboratory from 2002 to 2012, senior counsel at Los Alamos National Security, LLC, and partner at Chandler Law of Los Alamos from 2013.[1] She served on the Los Alamos County Council from 1997 to 2000 and again from 2016 to 2018, and as judge of the Los Alamos County Probate Court from 2013 to 2016.[1]
Chandler took office in the New Mexico House on January 1, 2019.[1] For 2025-2026 she is assigned to the Rules and Order of Business Committee, the Taxation and Revenue Committee and the House Judiciary Committee, which she chairs.[1]
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Chris Chandler is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for New Mexico House District 43 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
Their recorded votes on bills that divided the chamber (unanimous votes left out), grouped by topic. A bill can sit under more than one topic. "With" and "against" compare each vote with how most Democrats voted. How topics are assigned
Most contested
Innovation in State Government Fund
Creates an innovation in state government fund, run by the Department of Finance and Administration, to help agencies plan for net-zero emissions and climate policy. The passed version contains no appropriation.
Mar 20, 2025 · Passed 31–25 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Public Works Minimum Wage Definitions
Adds off-site fabrication of heating, cooling, ventilation and exhaust ducts for public works projects to the project "site", extending the Public Works Minimum Wage Act to those workers.
Mar 21, 2025 · Passed 34–27 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Creates a trust fund, with no initial appropriation, for children born in New Mexico since Jan. 1, 2025, for education, housing, business or retirement if they remain lifelong residents, obtain a high school equivalency credential and take a financial literacy course; exempts payouts from state income tax; creates a planning task force.
Mar 15, 2025 · Passed 38–26 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Bars New Mexico public bodies from entering, extending or renewing agreements to detain people for federal civil immigration violations or to let local officers perform federal immigration functions, and requires existing such agreements to end at the earliest permitted date.
Jan 30, 2026 · Passed 40–29 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order Changes
Lets law enforcement officers file petitions for extreme risk firearm protection orders based on information gathered in their official duties, and requires a person served with such an order to give up firearms immediately.
Feb 25, 2025 · Passed 41–27 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Sealing of Certain Court Records
Requires courts to seal eviction case records once an eviction case is filed, lets landlords seek unsealing at least 15 days after winning possession, requires resealing within three years, limits access to parties, court staff and authorized attorneys, and says tenants need not disclose sealed records.
Mar 10, 2025 · Passed 38–25 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Reporting of Induced Abortions
Repeals the requirement that induced abortions performed in New Mexico be reported to the state registrar within five days.
Feb 16, 2026 · Passed 39–27 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Paid Family & Medical Leave Act
As passed by the House, creates the Welcome Child and Family Wellness Leave Act: up to six weeks of paid family or medical leave within a 12-week limit per rolling 12 months, funded by employee and employer contributions, plus a $9,000 payment per child at birth or adoption.
Feb 28, 2025 · Passed 38–31 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Study Higher Ed Health Insurance Costs
Requests the Legislative Finance Committee to study options for extending health insurance to all public higher education educators and graduate student employees, with results requested by October 1, 2026.
Feb 19, 2026 · Passed 36–23 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Oil & Gas Royalty Rate Changes
Raises the maximum oil and gas royalty rate on premium state trust land in the Permian Basin from one-fifth to one-fourth of production value for leases issued on or after July 1, 2025.
Mar 20, 2025 · Passed 37–31 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Distribution System and Electrification Plans
Requires electric utilities to file distribution system plans and beneficial electrification plans with the Public Regulation Commission, and lets them recover related costs; the committee amendment removes the proposed virtual power plant program.
Mar 8, 2025 · Passed 36–23 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Public Utility Rate Structures
Lets the Public Regulation Commission approve utility rates and programs that reduce the burden of energy costs on low-income customers.
Feb 25, 2025 · Passed 42–25 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Creates a trust fund, with no initial appropriation, for children born in New Mexico since Jan. 1, 2025, for education, housing, business or retirement if they remain lifelong residents, obtain a high school equivalency credential and take a financial literacy course; exempts payouts from state income tax; creates a planning task force.
Mar 15, 2025 · Passed 38–26 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Study Higher Ed Health Insurance Costs
Requests the Legislative Finance Committee to study options for extending health insurance to all public higher education educators and graduate student employees, with results requested by October 1, 2026.
Feb 19, 2026 · Passed 36–23 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Graduate Scholarship Act Changes
Changes the Graduate Scholarship Act to require New Mexico residency and a bachelor's degree with a 3.0 GPA, prioritize students from groups underrepresented in graduate education, drop citizenship requirements, and cap awards at the full cost of tuition and fees instead of $7,200 a year.
Mar 1, 2025 · Passed 40–25 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Requires mobile home park owners to notify residents and the Mortgage Finance Authority of an offer they intend to accept, giving residents a chance to buy first if 51 percent signal intent within 75 days and secure financing within 90 more.
Mar 17, 2025 · Passed 37–26 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Housing Discrimination & Human Rights Act
As passed by the House, adds source of income, including wages, Social Security and housing vouchers, as a protected category in the Human Rights Act, treats screening that omits some income sources as discrimination, and sends public and housing accommodation complaints to the Attorney General.
Mar 1, 2025 · Passed 42–24 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Housing Creditworthiness Assistance Program
Adds a creditworthiness assistance program to the Affordable Housing Act, run by the Mortgage Finance Authority, with a fund for grants covering participants' unpaid rent and rental property damage; participants must complete budgeting and financial training.
Mar 10, 2025 · Passed 47–16 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Motor Vehicle Code "Personal Info
Adds sex, gender identity, immigration status and national origin to the Motor Vehicle Code's definition of personal information, making them confidential.
Feb 18, 2026 · Passed 37–24 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Require Bicycle Stops for Safety
Lets bicyclists treat red lights as stop signs and stop signs as yield signs: proceed through a red light after stopping if safe, and pass a stop sign without stopping if no one is approaching. Takes effect July 1, 2025.
Mar 17, 2025 · Passed 39–27 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Sets rules for automated license plate readers, barring sharing of data a user reasonably believes may be used for immigration enforcement or to investigate or prosecute protected health care activity, requiring use reporting, and allowing civil enforcement by the attorney general and district attorneys.
Feb 17, 2026 · Passed 42–22 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Motor Vehicle Code "Personal Info
Adds sex, gender identity, immigration status and national origin to the Motor Vehicle Code's definition of personal information, making them confidential.
Feb 18, 2026 · Passed 37–24 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Sensitive Personal Information Nondisclosure
Bars state agency employees from disclosing sensitive personal information to outsiders except in listed cases, and bars Taxation and Revenue Department and Traffic Safety Bureau employees from disclosing driver and vehicle records to enforce the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, except its felony provisions.
Mar 18, 2025 · Passed 42–23 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Sets rules for automated license plate readers, barring sharing of data a user reasonably believes may be used for immigration enforcement or to investigate or prosecute protected health care activity, requiring use reporting, and allowing civil enforcement by the attorney general and district attorneys.
Feb 17, 2026 · Passed 42–22 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Voted against most of their party on 1 of 84 party-divided votes on file.
Non-Major Party Voters in Primary Elections
What it does: Lets voters who declined to designate a party affiliation choose a participating major party's ballot in a primary election, without changing their voter registration unless they request it.
Voted no · most Democrats voted yes · Democrats 34–9, Republicans 2–24
Mar 21, 2025Official record ↗
The votes in their chamber that came out closest and most divided by party, among those they voted on. How we rank
Innovation in State Government Fund
With most of their party · Passed 31–25 · Yes 31–No 25 · Democrats 31–1, Republicans 0–24
Mar 20, 2025Official record ↗
Public Works Minimum Wage Definitions
With most of their party · Passed 34–27 · Yes 34–No 27 · Democrats 34–1, Republicans 0–26
Mar 21, 2025Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed 38–26 · Yes 38–No 26 · Democrats 38–0, Republicans 0–26
Mar 15, 2025Official record ↗
Tax on Property Owned by Nm Reta
With most of their party · Passed 38–27 · Yes 38–No 27 · Democrats 38–1, Republicans 0–26
Mar 11, 2025Official record ↗
Reporting of Induced Abortions
With most of their party · Passed 39–27 · Yes 39–No 27 · Democrats 39–1, Republicans 0–26
Feb 16, 2026Official record ↗
Oil & Gas Royalty Rate Changes
With most of their party · Passed 37–31 · Yes 37–No 31 · Democrats 37–5, Republicans 0–26
Mar 20, 2025Official record ↗
Motor Vehicle Code "Personal Info
With most of their party · Passed 37–24 · Yes 37–No 24 · Democrats 37–0, Republicans 0–24
Feb 18, 2026Official record ↗
Paid Family & Medical Leave Act
With most of their party · Passed 38–31 · Yes 38–No 31 · Democrats 38–5, Republicans 0–26
Feb 28, 2025Official record ↗
Substantive votes concern legislation or nominations; procedural votes concern how the chamber considers them. A Yes vote applies to the motion shown, which may not be final passage.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Defines "structure" for burglary and aggravated burglary as a protected space enclosed enough to confine people or property and carrying an expectation of privacy, which may include a partially enclosed extension of a dwelling.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Appropriates about $11.9 million in FY27 to local governments, including Torrance County and Estancia, for revenue lost under the law barring local governments' new contracts with private immigration detention facilities, plus $9.7 million (FY26) and $24 million (FY27) to state agencies.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Requests the Legislative Finance Committee to study options for extending health insurance to all public higher education educators and graduate student employees, with results requested by October 1, 2026.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Invites state agencies, including Game and Fish, the State Land Office and Agriculture, to join an insect identification and education workshop run by UNM's Wild Friends Program and the Xerces Society, and share insect education materials.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Repeals the scheduled July 1, 2026 end of the spay and neuter program fee on registered pet food, so the fee continues to be collected.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Decouples corporate income tax from three 2025 federal provisions from 2027, creates credits for local news organizations, local news printers and physicians, adds a gross receipts deduction for affordable multifamily housing construction, extends the high-wage jobs credit, and funds a 1 percent pay raise.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Authorizes the State Fairgrounds District to issue revenue bonds with up to $92 million in net proceeds, repaid from state gross receipts and gaming tax revenue attributable to economic activity within the district.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Bars prior authorization and step therapy for drugs treating serious mental illness, bars repeat prior authorization for chronic maintenance drugs for three years, deems drug requests approved if not decided within three business days, and covers certain pharmacy benefit managers, starting Jan. 1, 2027.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Requires approved driver's education courses, starting Jan. 1, 2027, to include at least three hours on driving around vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, roadside workers, people riding or leading animals and riders of less-protected vehicles, with the Transportation Department setting standards.
Motion: FINAL PASSAGE
Proposes a constitutional amendment to remove the requirement that school elections be held at different times from partisan elections, for voters to decide.
Showing 10 of 222 votes in this collection. Coverage may be incomplete; each entry links to the official record.