Former colleagues, friends, and family are remembering Jerry Apodaca for his dedication to public service and being the first Hispanic person elected as governor of New Mexico. Apodaca died on April 26 at age 88.
A lifelong Democrat, he served as governor from 1975 to 1979 after defeating Republican Joe Skeen in the 1974 general election.
“I am saddened to hear of the passing of former Gov. Jerry Apodaca,” New Mexico’s current Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, said in a statement. “As the state’s first Hispanic governor, he paved the way for more New Mexicans to enter public office, making sure that our diversity is better represented in our leadership. He was also a stalwart advocate for the rights of patients and was instrumental in the creation of the state’s first medical cannabis program nearly half a century ago. I am grateful for his many years of service to the people of New Mexico, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”
Apodaca had five children — Cindy, Carolyn, Jerry Jr., Jeff, and Judy — with his then-wife Clara Apodaca, who later served as a cabinet secretary in New Mexico and in President Bill Clinton’s administration.
Jeff Apodaca said his father died at his Santa Fe home, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Early indications are that he had a stroke.
During his tenure as governor, Apodaca focused on education, environmental protection, and supporting minorities, according to a KRQE report. He also signed a law that allowed, for a limited time, research into the medical uses of cannabis.
Under the constitutional term limits at the time, Apodaca couldn’t run for reelection in 1978. Upon leaving office, he continued in politics by serving as the chairman of the New Mexico Democratic Party. Colleagues and friends remember him as a “trailblazer” and dedicated public servant.
Apodaca’s son Jeff said his father enjoyed serving people.
“My father’s legacy was not being the first Latino governor in the country or restructuring New Mexico government that we know today,” Jeff wrote in a statement sent to KRQE. “His legacy will be [that] he opened opportunities for people. He was the first governor to appoint Latinos, women, and people of color into leadership roles in New Mexico. After he left politics, he spent 20 years opening doors in corporate America for Latinos and minorities. That’s his legacy.”
Albuquerque Mayor, Tim Keller, said Jerry will be missed.
“Like so many New Mexicans, we are mourning the loss of former Governor Apodaca,” Keller wrote in a statement. “I was fortunate to first meet Jerry when I was an intern in the state Senate. Governor Apodaca, already Emeritus by a few decades, was passionately fighting for medical cannabis. Although controversial at the time, he advocated for its benefits for cancer patients and others with chronic pain. He was a man ahead of his time in many ways.”
