Ken Gonzales
U.S. senators unanimously confirmed the appointment of Ken Gonzales to be New Mexico’s new U.S. attorney on Thursday. Gonzales is expected to be sworn in and start the new job within days.
The announcement of Gonzales’ confirmation was made by U.S. Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, D-N.M.
“Ken Gonzales has all the right qualifications for this very important position and I commend President Obama for nominating him,” Bingaman said in a news release. “I’m very pleased that the Senate acted quickly – and unanimously – to approve Ken, and I wish him well in his new job.”
Udall said Gonzales, throughout his career, has “shown a commitment to the people of New Mexico and the pursuit of justice.”
“His legal expertise and decade of statewide service as an assistant U.S. attorney have prepared him well to lead this important office,” Udall said. “I congratulate Ken on his unanimous confirmation by the Senate and wish him great success serving as New Mexico’s U.S. attorney.”
Gonzales is a graduate of Pojoaque High School, and received his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of New Mexico. Before taking a position in 1999 as a career prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s New Mexico offices in Las Cruces and Albuquerque, he served as a judicial law clerk to a chief justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court, and was a legislative assistant to Bingaman on criminal justice, Indian affairs and other issues.
He has also been a judge advocate in the U.S. Army.