Matthew Garcia
Matthew Garcia is a judge on theUnited States District Court for the District of New Mexico.[1] He was nominated to the court by PresidentJoe Biden (D) on July 14, 2022, and confirmed by theUnited States Senate on February 14, 2023, by a vote of 53 - 46.[2] Garcia was one of 235Article III judges nominated by PresidentJoe Biden (D) and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. To see a full list of judges appointed byJoe Biden,click here.
Garcia was the chief of staff for the gubernatorial administration ofMichelle Lujan Grisham (D). Gov. Lujan Grisham appointed him interim chief of staff on October 5, 2020.[3] Garcia became the permanent chief of staff on November 12, 2020, whenJohn Bingaman resigned.[4] He left the position in September 2022.[5]
TheUnited States District Court for the District of New Mexico is one of 94U.S. District Courts. They are the generaltrial courts of theUnited States federal courts. To learn more about the court,click here.
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States District Court for the District of New Mexico (2023-Present)
On July 14, 2022, PresidentJoe Biden (D) nominated Garcia to theUnited States District Court for the District of New Mexico.[6] To read more about the federal nominations process,click here. The U.S. Senate confirmed Garcia by a vote of 53 - 46 on February 14, 2023.[2] He received commission on February 21, 2023.[1]
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Matthew Garcia |
| Court:United States District Court for the District of New Mexico |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 215 days after nomination. |
 ANominated: July 14, 2022 |
| AABA Rating:Well qualified |
| Questionnaire:Questionnaire |
| AHearing: October 12, 2022 |
| Hearing Transcript:Hearing Transcript |
| QFRs:(Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| AReported: February 2, 2023 |
| AConfirmed: February 14, 2023 |
| AVote: 53 - 46 |
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Garcia by a vote of 53 - 46 on February 14, 2023.[2] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website,SENATE.GOV click here.
| Matthew Garcia confirmation vote (February 14, 2023) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic | 47 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
 Republican | 3 | 46 | 0 | ||||||
 Independent | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 53 | 46 | 1 | ||||||
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
TheSenate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Garcia's nomination on October 12, 2022. Garcia was reported to the full Senate on December 1, 2022, after a 12-10 committee vote.[7]
Garcia's nomination was returned to the president at thesine die adjournment of theU.S. Senate on January 3, 2023.[8] The president renominated Garcia on the same day.[9] In a committee hearing on February 2, 2023, Garcia was reported to the full Senate, after a 11-9 committee vote.[10]
Nomination
Garcia was nominated on July 14, 2022, to replace JudgeJudith Herrera, who assumedsenior status on July 1, 2019.[6]
TheAmerican Bar Association (ABA) rated Garciawell qualified.[11] To read more about ABA ratings,click here.
Garcia's nomination was returned to the president at thesine die adjournment of theU.S. Senate on January 3, 2023.[12] The president renominated Garcia on the same day.[9]
Biography
Education
Garcia obtained a B.A.,magna cum laude, from the University of New Mexico in 1999, an M.P.P. from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in 2003, and aJ.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 2005.[13] He was also a Fulbright Fellow at the Helsinki School of Economics.[14]
Professional career
- 2023-present: Judge,United States District Court for the District of New Mexico
- 2019-2022: Administration of GovernorMichelle Lujan Grisham (D)
- 2020-2022: Chief of staff
- 2019-2020: General counsel
- 2011-2018: Senior partner at Garcia Ives Nowara
- 2009-2012: Partner, Bach & Garcia
- 2008-2009: Solo practitioner
- 2006-2008: Associate, Freedman Boyd Daniels[13]
Michelle Lujan Grisham chief of staff
 | Is this person no longer a chief of staff? Pleasecontact us with any updates. |
On October 5, 2020, former Chief of StaffJohn Bingaman announced that he would be taking a leave of absence. Gov. Lujan Grisham appointed Garcia interim chief of staff the same day.[3] Garcia became the permanent chief of staff on November 12, 2020, whenJohn Bingaman resigned.[4] He left the position in September 2022.[5]
Chief of staff
- See also:Gubernatorial chiefs of staff
In2020, Ballotpedia identifiedMatthew Garcia as a gubernatorial chief of staff. A chief of staff is the lead staff member of an administration and is responsible for implementing the governor's agenda.
The role is both a managerial and advisory position, although specific duties vary by each administration. The chief of staff typically has the following responsibilities, according to theNational Governors Association (NGA):[15]
- Control access to the governor and manage the governor's calendar;
- Monitor the flow of information to the governor on policy issues;
- Oversee gubernatorial Cabinet and staff; and
- Manage and communicate the governor's policy agenda to the state legislature and the public.
In terms of policymaking, the NGA notes that a chief of staff is responsible for bringing policy and communications together: "The chief is responsible for overseeing the development of the governor’s policy agenda. The policy director or advisor is typically responsible for shaping the general concepts and specific details of the agenda with input from the communications director, policy staff, and cabinet members. The chief often must take charge and bring the pieces together coherently."[15]
About the court
| District of New Mexico |
|---|
| Tenth Circuit |
 |
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 7 |
| Judges: 6 |
| Vacancies: 1 |
| Judges |
| Chief:William P. Johnson |
| Active judges:Sarah Davenport,Matthew Garcia,Kenneth John Gonzales,David Herrera Urias,Kea Riggs,Margaret Strickland Senior judges: |
TheUnited States District Court for the District of New Mexico is one of 94United States district courts. The district operates out of courtrooms in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Santa Fe, and Roswell,N.M. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit based in downtownDenver, Colorado at the Byron White Federal Courthouse.
The District of New Mexico hasoriginal jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The jurisdiction of the District of New Mexico consists of all thecounties in the state ofNew Mexico.
Court is held in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Roswell, Santa Fe, and Silver City.
To read opinions published by this court, clickhere.
The federal nomination process
Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:
- The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
- The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by theSenate Judiciary Committee.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
- As part of this process, the committee sends ablue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
- After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
- If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
- If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
- The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
- If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
- If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.
See also
- Michelle Lujan Grisham
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Gubernatorial chiefs of staff
- United States District Court for the District of New Mexico
External links
Officeholder United States District Court for the District of New Mexico |
- Biography from theFederal Judicial Center
Footnotes
- ↑1.01.1Federal Judicial Center, "Garcia, Matthew Lane," accessed February 21, 2023
- ↑2.02.12.2Congress.gov, "PN72 — Matthew L. Garcia — The Judiciary," February 14, 2023
- ↑3.03.1"SantaFeNewMexican.com" "Lujan Grisham's chief of staff to advise governor on Biden efforts," accessed October 16, 2020
- ↑4.04.1Office of the Governor, "Governor’s Office shifts leadership," November 12, 2020
- ↑5.05.1Office of the Governor, "Governor’s office announces new interim leadership," September 9, 2022
- ↑6.06.1Congress.gov, "PN2382 — Matthew L. Garcia — The Judiciary," accessed July 18, 2022
- ↑Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting – December 1, 2022," December 1, 2022
- ↑Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjourns sine die or recesses for more than 30 days.
- ↑9.09.1Congress.gov, "PN72 — Matthew L. Garcia — The Judiciary," accessed January 6, 2023
- ↑Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedvote2 - ↑American Bar Association, "RATINGS OF ARTICLE III AND ARTICLE IV JUDICIAL NOMINEES 117TH CONGRESS," last updated October 11, 2022
- ↑Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjourns sine die or recesses for more than 30 days.
- ↑13.013.1Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namednom - ↑LinkedIn, "Matthew Garcia", accessed October 26, 2020
- ↑15.015.1National Governors Association, "The Many Roles of the Governor’s Chief of Staff," accessed April 20, 2021
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Judith Herrera | United States District Court for the District of New Mexico 2023-Present | Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - | Chief of Staff to the Governor of New Mexico 2020-2022 | Succeeded by Courtney Kerster (D) |
Federal courts:
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court:District of New Mexico • U.S. Bankruptcy Court:District of New Mexico
State courts:
New Mexico Supreme Court•New Mexico Court of Appeals•New Mexico District Courts•New Mexico Magistrate Court•New Mexico Municipal Courts•New Mexico Probate Courts•New Mexico Problem-Solving Courts•New Mexico Workers' Compensation Administration Court•Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court
State resources:
Courts in New Mexico •New Mexico judicial elections •Judicial selection in New Mexico
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioned in 2025 | |||
| Commissioned in 2024 | John Kazen •John Russell •Margaret Garnett •Cristal Brisco •Jacquelyn Austin •Gretchen Hess Lund •Micah Smith •Joshua Kolar •Karoline Mehalchick •Kirk Sherriff •Lisa Wang •David Leibowitz •Jacqueline Becerra •Julie Sneed •Melissa Damian •Kelly H. Rankin •Nicole Berner •Sunil Harjani •Leon Schydlower •Ernesto Gonzalez •Susan Bazis •Robert White •Ann Marie McIff Allen •Eumi Lee •Krissa Lanham •Eric Schulte •Camela Theeler •Angela Martinez •Jasmine Yoon •Nancy Maldonado •Meredith Vacca •Georgia Alexakis •Joseph Saporito •Amy Baggio •Stacey Neumann •Mary Kay Lanthier •Adam Abelson •Laura Provinzino •Mary Kay Costello •Dena Coggins •Kevin Ritz •Shanlyn A. S. Park •Byron Conway •Jeannette Vargas •Michelle Williams Court •Jonathan E. Hawley •April Perry •Mustafa Kasubhai •Sarah Russell •Amir Ali •Rebecca Pennell •Anthony Brindisi •Elizabeth Coombe •Cynthia Valenzuela •Anne Hwang •Brian Murphy •Noël Wise •Sanket Bulsara •Tiffany Johnson •Sparkle Sooknanan •Gail Weilheimer •Embry Kidd •Melissa DuBose •Sharad Desai •Serena R. Murillo •Benjamin Cheeks •Sarah Davenport | ||
| Commissioned in 2023 | Kai Scott •Tamika Montgomery-Reeves •Margaret R. Guzman •Daniel Calabretta •Matthew Garcia •DeAndrea G. Benjamin •Cindy Chung •Adrienne Nelson •Lindsay Jenkins •Gina Méndez-Miró •Araceli Martínez-Olguín •Jamar Walker •Ana Reyes •Jamal Whitehead •Gordon Gallagher •Matthew Brookman•Maria Araujo Kahn• James Simmons •Robert Ballou• Andrew Schopler •Jonathan Grey•Colleen Lawless •Arun Subramanian •Jessica Clarke •Robert Kirsch •Michael Farbiarz •Anthony Johnstone •Orelia Merchant •Wesley Hsu •Bradley Garcia •LaShonda A. Hunt •Nancy Gbana Abudu •Amanda Brailsford •Darrel Papillion •Jeremy Daniel •Hernan D. Vera •Julie Rikelman •Nusrat Choudhury •P. Casey Pitts •Myong Joun •Kymberly Evanson •Tiffany Cartwright •Rachel Bloomekatz •Natasha Merle •Dale Ho •Philip Hadji •Rita Lin •Brendan Hurson •Vernon D. Oliver •Matthew Maddox •Julia Munley •Brandy McMillion •Susan DeClercq •Julia Kobick •Ramon Reyes, Jr. •Ana de Alba •Kenly Kiya Kato •Mónica Ramírez Almadani •Jeffrey M. Bryan •Jamel Semper •Irma Ramirez •Richard Federico •Loren AliKhan •Brandon Long •Jerry Edwards Jr.•Sara Hill •Joseph Laroski | ||
| Commissioned in 2022 | David Herrera Urias •Gabriel Sanchez •Holly Thomas •Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong •David Ruiz •Charles Fleming •Bridget Brennan •Leonard Stark •Alison J. Nathan •John Chun •Julie Rubin •Jacqueline Scott Corley •Ruth Bermudez Montenegro •Victoria Calvert •Georgette Castner •Anne Traum •Cristina Silva •Ketanji Brown Jackson (Supreme Court) •Sarah Geraghty •Hector Gonzalez •Fred Slaughter •Jennifer Rochon •Robert Huie •Sunshine S. Sykes • Stephanie Dawkins Davis • Evelyn Padin • Sherilyn P. Garnett • Ana de Alba • J. Michelle Childs • Trina Thompson • Elizabeth Hanes • Nancy Maldonado • Nina Morrison • Gregory Williams • John Z. Lee • Sal Mendoza, Jr. • Lara Montecalvo • Florence Pan • Andre Mathis • Sarah A.L. Merriam •Jennifer Rearden • Roopali Desai • María Antongiorgi-Jordán • Camille Vélez-Rivé • Doris Pryor • Frances Kay Behm • Dana Douglas • Mia Roberts Perez • Anne Nardacci •Jeffery P. Hopkins | ||
| Commissioned in 2021 | Ketanji Brown Jackson • Zahid Quraishi •Julien Xavier Neals • Deborah Boardman • Regina Rodriguez • Candace Jackson-Akiwumi • Lydia Kay Griggsby • Tiffany Cunningham • Eunice Lee • Angel Kelley •Florence Pan •Veronica Rossman • David G. Estudillo • Sarah A.L. Merriam •Gustavo Gelpí • Christine O'Hearn •Margaret Strickland • Karen McGlashan Williams •Patricia Tolliver Giles • Toby Heytens •Michael Nachmanoff •Sarala Nagala • Beth Robinson • Omar A. Williams • Myrna Pérez • Jia Cobb • Tana Lin • Lauren King • Lucy H. Koh • Jennifer Sung • Samantha Elliott • Katherine Menendez • Mary Dimke • Linda Lopez • Shalina Kumar • Jane Beckering • Jinsook Ohta • Jennifer L. Thurston •Stephen Locher •Charlotte Sweeney •Nina Nin-Yuen Wang •Arianna Freeman •Jerry Blackwell | ||
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