Kristina Ortez is the New Mexico State Representative of the 42nd district. Kristina originally from the central San Joaquin Valley of California. However, she’s lived here in Taos for a total of 11 years now. When COVID hit, Kristina got involved in helping families take care of each other.At the state, Kristina and her group put a lot of money into helping people who lost their jobs and helping small local businesses to keep functioning during such unprecedented times. She truly loves the work the Governor did to keep people safe, distributing vaccines quickly, and getting children back to school as soon as possible as well.

‍Kristina’s Advice to Young Women Aspiring to Become Politicians‍

Her advice to young women is that they should do the thing that they are passionate about. Additionally, you should ignore anyone who is discouraging you from pursuing your dreams. If it’s politics you want to get into, you must have a voice and love for the community you wish to represent at a higher level. ‍

Her Thoughts on Women in Politics

‍Kristina believes that the era of only men running the political scene is coming to an end. She especially encourages young women who are interested in politics to come up in large numbers. This is because if women are to make significant decisions in the community, then their voices need to be heard.‍

How She Reflects Her Actions to the Needs and Wants of the Community‍

Kristina takes time to listen to the community and understand their struggles as well as ideas. She also reads texts and gathers relevant information concerning her community through social media platforms.With such details, Kristina and her team can go to work and deliver the needs of the community they represent.‍

Kristina’s Representation Ideology

‍As mentioned earlier, Kristina loves the idea of young women in the political scene. Also, she thinks it’s critical for the community to feel represented at the state, local, and even the federal level by someone who understands their culture and interests.

‍Initiatives She’s Working On‍

While she plans to work on initiatives on the state level, Kristian also values making Taos a better place to live in. She plans to implement better practices when it comes to land and water, and electricity as well.Kristina is also concerned about the rate of substance abuse in Taos and wants to develop initiatives to curb the use of harmful substances.To summarize what she’s most stressed about, Kristina explains that not being able to be everywhere at once is the most stressful part of her job.‍

Her Roles in Taos Land Trust‍

Kristian is the executive director of the Taos Land Trust, which is a non-profit organization. Her primary role as the executive director is to work with other staff members to come up with decisions regarding land and water. Kristina feels that this role is essential because they have green places that you can go to, and you can have fun and protect the critters that live there.

‍Kristina’s Final Views‍

While she doesn’t think people should take such numbers negatively, it can be something to learn from and work towards becoming a better town in the future. It’s one of the main reasons why she decided to fight for a better town at a higher state level.Kristina believes that we are nothing without our community. So, she emphasizes loving, caring, and understanding each other for an easier life in Taos.

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Interview and photos by: True Kids 1