Former longtime New Mexico lawmaker Nick Salazar dies at 91
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Former New Mexico state Rep. Nick Salazar, who served in the Legislature for 46 years until his retirement in 2018, has died. He was 91.
State officials said Salazar died late Friday. No cause of death was immediately available.
But when Salazar announced his intention to retire, he said he had developed problems with his heart and vision.
Salazar, a Democrat, served District 40 representing parts of Colfax, Mora, Rio Arriba, and San Miguel counties.
He’s credited with his work on behalf of New Mexico’s seniors including sponsoring the creation of the Aging and Long Term Services Department.
“Personally, I considered Nick to be something of a father figure,” New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said. “He believed in me and mentored me and so many others.”
State Attorney General Hector Balderas said Salazar was a “great leader who leaves a legacy of service that strengthened northern New Mexico and many rural communities across the state.”
Salazar, of Ohkay Owingeh, served on the Rio Arriba County Commission in the 1960s before he was elected to the House in 1972.
Funeral plans and a list of his survivors wasn't immediately available Sunday.