Garcia Richard Has an Opponent

Geoff Rodgers

State Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard now has a Republican opponent in this year's general election.

Geoff Rodgers, the chairman of the Los Alamos County Council announced today that he is running for the District 43 seat. His press release doesn't say so, but he's a Republican.

District 43 is one seat state Republicans, who once again will try to wrest control of the House from the Democrats, are especially interested in. Richard in 2012 won a close race against Jim Hall, who had been appointed by Gov. Susana Martinez.

Last year, after Richard voted against a procedural move to blast the controversial immigrant driver's license bill out of a committee, Republicans ran robo-calls in her district blasting her for her vote.

Rodgers served on the County Council from 2001-2004 and was elected again in 2010.  In 2013 he was elected as Council chairman.

He also served as the Director of Transportation for Los Alamos Public Schools for twelve years and was on the board of directors for the North Central Regional Transit District for two years.

Rodgers served for five years in the U.S Army and eight years in the U.S Army Reserves as a helicopter pilot.

House District 43 includes the entire county of Los Alamos and parts of Santa Fe, Rio Ariba, and Sandoval Counties.