Gov. Bill Richardson announced today the appointment of Howie Morales to fill the state Senate seat formerly held by Ben Altamirano, who died in late December.
The appointment to the District 28 Senate seat is effective immediately. Morales has been Grant County clerk since 2005 and also teaches at Western New Mexico University.
“Howie Morales has worked closely with Senator Altamirano,” Richardson said in a news release. “I am confident that he will follow in Benny’s footsteps and serve the constituents of Grant, Catron and Socorro counties with the same compassion and commitment.”
Before taking his current jobs, Morales worked in special education for the Cobre Consolidated Schools and at Silver City High School. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in bilingual special education from Western New Mexico University and a doctorate in philosophy from New Mexico State University.
Morales is a lifelong resident of Grant County and is the longest serving volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters in the state. He has been named the district’s high-school baseball coach of the year five times and is a member of a number of activist organizations.