Former Gallup mayor appointed to House seat

Gov. Bill Richardson has appointed former Gallup mayor John Peña to fill the House seat vacated when Irvin Harrison retired last month.

Peña, a Democrat, is an accountant. He will serve the remainder of Harrison’s term and has to run for election next year.

“John Peña is very familiar with the diverse communities that make up this district,” Richardson said in a news release. “I am confident that he will aggressively represent the people of McKinley and San Juan counties.”

Peña, a graduate of Gallup High School and the University of New Mexico, also serves as trustee for Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services and director of the Ceremonial Association. He is a founding member of Big Brothers-Big Sisters and is a member of the Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments.