New Mexico's First Secretary of State

Antonio J. Lucero - 10/06/1863 - 06/06/1921 - was New Mexico's first Secretary of State, from 1912 when New Mexico became a state, to 1916. Secretary Lucero was born thirty-five miles southwest of Las Vegas, New Mexico, near the Pecos River. His family later moved to Las Vegas, New Mexico, where Antonio earned his education.

Before becoming New Mexico's first Secretary of State, he worked as clerk in a dry goods store from 1884-1888. Antonio later became the editor of a Spanish-language publication called, La Voz del Pueblo. Subsequently, he became a Spanish-language professor at East Las Vegas High School and the New Mexico Normal University (which became Highlands University in 1941).

In 1893, Antonio married Julianita Romero. Seven children were born to the couple: Aurora R.; Antonio Jr.; Delia M.; Julia; Edmundo N.; Elenor; and Arturo Francis Paul. Antonio's daughter Aurora became a well-known author.

A leader in the Democratic Party, Antonio was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives in 1903. In 1912 he was elected New Mexico Secretary of State; and in 1916 he was re-elected to a second term.

Upon completion of his second term, Antonio returned to his hometown of Las Vegas, New Mexico, returned to teaching, and became President of La Voz del Pueblo. Antonio also served as the first prohibition director in New Mexico. In 1920, he ran an unsuccessful campaign for United States Congress. On June 6, 1921, Antonio passed away at his home.

*Special thanks to New Mexico State Historian Dr. Estevan Rael-Galvez for assisting our office with this important historical information.

New Mexico's Secretaries of State

Antonio Lucero	Manuel Martinez	Soledad C. Chacon	Jennie Fortune
E. A. Perrault	Marguerite P. Baca	Elizabeth F. Gonzales	Jesse M. Gonzales
Cecilia T. Cleveland	Alicia Valdez Romero	Beatrice Roach Gottlieb	Natalie Smith Buck
Betty Fiorina	Alberta Miller	Ernestine Duran Evans	Shirley Hooper
Clara Padilla Jones	Rebecca Vigil-Giron	Stephanie Gonzales	Mary Herrera
Dianna J. Duran	Brad Winter	Maggie Toulouse Oliver

Terms Served by New Mexico's Past Secretaries of State

(1912-Present)

The following historical chronology of New Mexico's Secretaries of State was researched and compiled by Dan D. Chávez, Ph.D., UNM Professor Emeritus. 

Five-Year Term1

Two-Year Terms

One Four-Year Term

Two Consecutive Four-Year Terms

Notes

1. Since the first state election was held in 1911 (an odd-numbered year), the first Secretary of State (and the other state executive officers) served a five-year term.
2. Projected end-of-term date.