Rio Rancho Teacher Tonia Harris (Courtesy Photo)
A teacher in Rio Rancho announced an exploratory bid for House District 60 on Tuesday. The seat is currently held by freshman Democrat Jack Thomas.
Tonia Harris, a Republican, is the widow of Sandoval County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Joe Harris, who lost his life in the line of duty earlier this year.
“Joe always believed that it was important to get involved in our community and stand up for what we believe in,” Harris said. “I am concerned about the direction of our state and have been encouraged by friends, family and neighbors to consider doing something about it by running for the Legislature.”
Born and raised in Roswell, Harris earned bachelors’ and masters’ degrees in elementary education from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. She is currently on a leave of absence from her job as a literacy specialist at Enchanted Hills Elementary School in Rio Rancho.
Harris plans to make a final decision about whether to run in January.