State Rep. Christine Chandler

By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com

Christine Chandler is re-elected State Representative for District 43, which includes Los Alamos. She ran unopposed and received 9,078 votes during Tuesday’s election.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve you again,” Chandler said in a column published in the Los Alamos Daily Post. “The state faces many challenges. I am committed to finding solutions, listening carefully, and advocating for outcomes that serve our collective good.”

This will be her third term as state representative. She was first elected in 2018. As representative of District 43, Chandler serves Los Alamos County and parts of Sandoval and Santa Fe counties.

She is a member of several house committees including the House Judiciary Committee and is chair of the House Taxation and Revenue Committee.

Tuesday night, Chandler told the Los Alamos Daily Post she was optimistic about the coming legislative session.

Her optimism also appeared in a separate column published in the Los Alamos Daily Post in August. In the column, Chandler wrote that in January to craft the annual budget, the state could have as much as $2.45 billion more than appropriated this year.

She added it is important to diversify and stabilize revenues, ensuring if New Mexico experiences a bust in finances, it will still be able to fund critical programs.

“We must use this once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure that our revenues are sustainable and can support the programs that matter most to our kids, families, and communities,” Chandler wrote.

Moving forward, Chandler wrote that a focus should be making the “tax system more equitable … Reducing taxes for middle-class workers will help families make ends meet, which means more money flowing into local economies. Lowering the state’s gross receipts tax (GRT) rate and making it easier to navigate would help both families and small businesses.”

She added that revenues should be used to build investments in classrooms, healthcare and infrastructure.

Prior to being on the state legislature, Chandler served as a Los Alamos County Councilor and as Probate Judge. She retired from working at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where she worked in the Office of General Counsel. Chandler has law degrees from Boston College and Georgetown University Law Schools.

Chandler has lived in Los Alamos for 25 years.