Catron County, NM elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Catron County: 8 seats on 6 elected bodies. 4 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Catron County Board of County Commissioners

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, At-Large Position 1Buster Floyd Green Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, At-Large Position 2Audrey H. McQueen Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 3Haydn R. Forward Republican source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AssessorLillie M Laney Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County ClerkSherry M. Perez Republican source
SheriffKeith Shannon Hughes Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County TreasurerJoyce R. Laney Republican source
District Attorney, 7th Judicial DistrictClint Wellborn Republican source

How many local governments Catron County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 22 local governments in Catron County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships10
School districts (school boards)20
Special districts (elected boards)180

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Catron County

3,743people
63.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$49,864 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
24.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
31.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$167,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.2%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
5.1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
17.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
6.3%U.S.: 8.4%
49.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
45.9%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 15.7% · White 74.4% · Black 1.8% · Asian 0.3% · Other or more than one race 7.8% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Catron County

6.8%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.2%. New Mexico: 4.8%.
69people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
951people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
1,020in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Catron County 0.0%2.3%4.7%7.0%9.3% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)6.8%699511,020
August 20266.2%629421,004
July 20267.3%769621,038
June 20266.3%649601,024
May 20266.3%649591,023
April 20265.7%579461,003
March 20265.5%569671,023
February 20266.7%689511,019
January 20267.0%719501,021
December 20255.7%609921,052
November 20256.1%661,0091,075
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20255.2%549911,045
August 20255.4%569821,038
July 20256.4%689981,066
June 20255.6%601,0041,064
May 20254.9%519951,046
April 20254.8%509881,038
March 20254.7%499851,034
February 20255.6%589781,036
January 20256.8%719751,046
December 20245.1%541,0101,064
November 20246.2%671,0131,080
October 20245.7%601,0001,060
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.5%589911,049
20245.4%571,0041,061
20235.4%559721,027
20225.5%601,0381,098
20217.4%799911,070
20207.7%809561,036
20197.0%729631,035
20187.0%719461,017
20177.5%809871,067
20168.9%991,0141,113

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. New Mexico's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.7% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Catron County

127.2 per 100,0002024. New Mexico: 725.3.
381.5 per 100,0002024. New Mexico: 2,787.6.
0murders2024, 5 violent crimes in all.

2024 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
20245127.215381.5
2023125.322557.5
202215389.421545.2
2019128.215422.3
20185140.014392.0
2017386.331891.6
20167206.617501.6
By police agency (1)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Catron County Sheriff's Office20245153,932

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in New Mexico · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.53 per 1,000 residents2024, 1 agency serving 3,932 people.
6sworn officers2024, full-time, as of October 31.
7civilian staff2024, full-time.

2024 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (1), 2024
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Catron County Sheriff's Office673,932
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
202461.5371
202382.0361
202271.8211
202161.6611
202061.7141
201871.9641
201782.3041
201682.3651

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Catron County County Assessor?
Lillie M Laney (Republican) is the County Assessor of Catron County, New Mexico. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Catron County County Clerk?
Sherry M. Perez (Republican) is the County Clerk of Catron County, New Mexico.
Who is the Catron County Sheriff?
Keith Shannon Hughes (Republican) is the Sheriff of Catron County, New Mexico. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Catron County County Treasurer?
Joyce R. Laney (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Catron County, New Mexico.
Who is the Catron County District Attorney, 7th Judicial District?
Clint Wellborn (Republican) is the District Attorney, 7th Judicial District of Catron County, New Mexico.
Who are the Catron County commissioners?
Buster Floyd Green (At-Large Position 1); Audrey H. McQueen (At-Large Position 2); Haydn R. Forward (District 3).
What is the population of Catron County?
About 3,743 people, with a median age of 63.8; the median household income is $49,864 and 24.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Catron County?
6.8% in September 2026 (preliminary): 69 people unemployed in a labor force of 1,020, against 5.2% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Catron County?
22 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 1 municipal, 2 school district and 18 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Secretary of State's official results of each seat's last general election (November 2022 or November 2024, electionresults.sos.nm.gov and the certified canvass in the elections database at electionstats.sos.nm.gov); officials appointed since then may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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