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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Rio Arriba County: 9 seats on 7 elected bodies. 5 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Rio Arriba County Board of County Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, District 1Brandon M. Bustos Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 2Alex M. Naranjo Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 3Moises A. Morales, Jr. Democratic source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
District Attorney, 1st Judicial DistrictMary Virginia Carmack-Altwies Democratic source
County AssessorJoaquin Valdez Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County ClerkSarah Archuleta Democratic source
Probate JudgeElias Coriz Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SheriffBilly A. Merrifield Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County TreasurerJoshua Marlo Martinez Democratic source

How many local governments Rio Arriba County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 161 local governments in Rio Arriba 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 townships20
School districts (school boards)40
Special districts (elected boards)1540

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 Rio Arriba County

40,070people
42median ageU.S.: 38.9
$57,155 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
18.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%
19%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$243,700median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
6.3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
8.7%U.S.: 8.4%
34.4%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
30.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 67.2% · White 14% · Black 0.6% · Asian 0.6% · Other or more than one race 17.7% (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 Rio Arriba County

4.8%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.8%. New Mexico: 4.8%.
771people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
15,155people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
15,926in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Rio Arriba County 0.0%2.2%4.4%6.5%8.7% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.8%77115,15515,926
August 20264.8%76315,20615,969
July 20265.5%89215,34516,237
June 20264.8%77915,32816,107
May 20264.5%71515,23115,946
April 20264.4%69515,20615,901
March 20264.2%66615,24715,913
February 20265.0%80615,20316,009
January 20265.1%81515,23616,051
December 20254.0%64715,57316,220
November 20254.7%76215,53516,297
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.8%61615,57816,194
August 20254.0%64315,52416,167
July 20254.8%79315,71516,508
June 20254.3%71615,78916,505
May 20253.7%60015,53616,136
April 20253.5%56915,58216,151
March 20253.6%57015,35715,927
February 20254.2%66715,22115,888
January 20254.4%70015,23415,934
December 20243.6%57615,51916,095
November 20244.1%66115,42516,086
October 20244.0%64415,50016,144
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.1%66215,51316,175
20244.1%65415,47016,124
20233.7%58715,40915,996
20224.8%74214,64915,391
20218.0%1,23714,15215,389
20208.3%1,27314,13015,403
20195.9%92314,73515,658
20185.7%88714,60815,495
20176.9%1,09614,68415,780
20168.2%1,28214,42515,707

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 Rio Arriba County

843.0 per 100,0002017. New Mexico: 778.6.
1,816.8 per 100,0002017. New Mexico: 3,910.6.
5murders2017, 374 violent crimes in all.

2017 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.

By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office20186319732,362
Espanola Police Department2025415710,465

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

1.17 per 1,000 residents2022, 2 agencies serving 43,450 people.
51sworn officers2022, full-time, as of October 31.
14civilian staff2022, full-time.

2022 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (2), 2022
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Espanola Police Department281110,460
Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office23332,990
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2022511.17142
2021521.24152

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 Rio Arriba County District Attorney, 1st Judicial District?
Mary Virginia Carmack-Altwies (Democratic) is the District Attorney, 1st Judicial District of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.
Who is the Rio Arriba County County Assessor?
Joaquin Valdez (Democratic) is the County Assessor of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Rio Arriba County County Clerk?
Sarah Archuleta (Democratic) is the County Clerk of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.
Who is the Rio Arriba County Probate Judge?
Elias Coriz (Democratic) is the Probate Judge of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Rio Arriba County Sheriff?
Billy A. Merrifield (Democratic) is the Sheriff of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Rio Arriba County County Treasurer?
Joshua Marlo Martinez (Democratic) is the County Treasurer of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.
Who are the Rio Arriba County commissioners?
Brandon M. Bustos (District 1); Alex M. Naranjo (District 2); Moises A. Morales, Jr. (District 3).
What is the population of Rio Arriba County?
About 40,070 people, with a median age of 42; the median household income is $57,155 and 18.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Rio Arriba County?
4.8% in September 2026 (preliminary): 771 people unemployed in a labor force of 15,926, against 3.8% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Rio Arriba County?
161 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 2 municipal, 4 school district and 154 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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