Jacob Candelaria

Jacob Candelaria
Member of the New Mexico Senate
from the 26th district
In office
2013 – October 19, 2022
Preceded byBernadette Sanchez
Succeeded byMoe Maestas
Personal details
Born
Jacob Rodney Candelaria

1986 or 1987 (age 37–38)[1]
Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic (until 2021)
Independent (2021–present)
SpouseKory Tillery
EducationPrinceton University (AB)
University of New Mexico (JD)

Jacob Rodney Candelaria (born 1987)[1] is an American politician and attorney who served as a member of the New Mexico Senate for the 26th district from 2013 to 2022. First elected in 2012 as a Democrat,[2] he later left the party in 2021 to become an independent.[3]

On December 6, 2021, Candelaria announced that he was changing his party affiliation from "Democrat" to "Decline to State".[4]

Candelaria was the first openly gay man elected to the New Mexico Legislature.

  1. ^ a b "40 Under Forty: Under 30 honorees - Jacob R. Candelaria". Albuquerque Business Journal. June 12, 2015. Age: 28
  2. ^ "Progressive Dems Suffer Setback". Albuquerque Journal. June 7, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  3. ^ Lyman, Andy. "Sen. Jacob Candelaria leaves Dem party, registers as decline to state". Las Cruces Sun-News. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  4. ^ "Sen. Jacob Candelaria changes party affiliation". KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.