Georgene Louis is seeking to make history as the next Native woman in Congress.
Louis, a New Mexico state lawmaker, hails from the Pueblo of Acoma. She says her tribal upbringing helped her succeed.
“I am a five term representative, an attorney, a single mom, a grandmother, and a member of the Pueblo of Acoma,” Louis said on a call with the media on March 30, 2021.
“Like so many new Mexicans, my family didn’t have much. But my parents always worked hard and provided for our family,” she said. “I was raised with three core values: culture, clan, and community.”
“So when I found myself pregnant at 16, I knew that my chances of succeeding needed to be tied to those three core values,” Louis continued. “So I got to work.”
Louis is among several Democratic candidates seeking to be placed on the ballot for New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District. The seat was recently vacated by Deb Haaland, a citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna who is now serving as Secretary of the Interior.
The New Mexico Democratic Party will announce its pick for the ballot sometime after March 30.
