County Commission elects new leadership
Hughes also announces bid to seek reelection
In the first move of what will be a year of change for the Santa Fe County Commission, the panel Monday elected Hank Hughes to serve as its chairman for 2024.
The commission will undergo a makeover after the November election, with Commissioners Anna Hansen and Anna Hamilton term-limited, leaving their seats up for grabs.
The terms of Commissioners Camilla Bustamante in District 3 and Justin Greene in District 1 do not expire until 2026.
Commissioners unanimously voted Bustamante as vice chair and Hughes as chairman at a County Commission meeting Tuesday afternoon. Hughes succeeds Hansen, who served as chair of the commission for 2023, and has had other stints in the position during her tenure.
Hughes, 66, was appointed to the commission by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in 2020 to succeed Ed Moreno, who was retiring. Hughes won the seat later that year.
Hughes, who lives in Eldorado, served as executive director of Santa Fe’s St. Elizabeth Shelters & Supportive Housing before he co-founded the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness in 2000.
He served as the organization’s executive director until retiring in early 2023.
He also served as past president and vice president of Santa Fe Search and Rescue.
“I have always had a concern for the most vulnerable among us, and I will continue to advocate for County programs that help those with disabilities and those who live in poverty,” Hughes said in a news release announcing his intent to run for another term, adding he will continue to work toward more affordable housing in the county.