Newly confirmed U.S. District Judge For NM Matthew L. Garcia
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) voted Tuesday to confirm Matthew L. Garcia of Albuquerque to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the District of New Mexico.
The senators recommended that President Joe Biden nominate Garcia for this seat, which is based in Albuquerque. The Senate voted to confirm Garcia by a final vote of 53 to 46.
Sens. Heinrich and Luján strongly recommended Garcia to join the District Court of New Mexico and welcomed President Joe Biden’s nomination. The senators introduced Garcia in a hearing with the full Senate Committee on the Judiciary last October.
“It is my honor to vote to confirm Matthew Garcia, President Biden’s nominee to fill the vacant seat on the U.S. District Court of New Mexico,” Heinrich said. Mr. Garcia was born, raised, and built his legal career in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where this District Court seat is based. An undergraduate and law school alum of the University of New Mexico, Mr. Garcia has cultivated a deep connection with the Land of Enchantment and genuinely cares for his fellow New Mexicans. I am confident that Mr. Garcia will continue a proud legacy of fair and committed federal judges in New Mexico.”
“I was proud to vote to confirm Matthew Garcia to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico,” Luján said. “Throughout the confirmation process, Mr. Garcia made it clear that he will be a fair and impartial judge for New Mexicans. Mr. Garcia brings to the bench deep roots in the community, strong professional experience, and a commitment public service. I look forward to his investiture on the court. Earlier today, the Senate confirmed the 100th judicial nominee, and I look forward to another Congress of confirming a historically diverse slate of judicial nominees.”
Garcia has served in the Office of New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham as Chief of Staff from 2020 to 2022 and General Counsel from 2019 to 2020.
From 2012 to 2018, he was a partner at Garcia Ives Nowara in Albuquerque and 2009 to 2012 he was a partner at Bach & Garcia in Albuquerque. Garcia had his own solo practice from 2008 to 2009. From 2006-2008, Garcia was an associate at Freedman Boyd Daniels Hollander Goldberg & Ives in Albuquerque.
Garcia received his J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 2005, an M.P.P. from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in 2003 and a B.A., magna cum laude from the University of New Mexico in 1999.
Garcia’s nomination received strong state and local support. Find a list with links to letters of support by clicking here.
