Carmen J. Lopez

Carmen J. López is the President of CL Strategies, a firm dedicated to supporting communities in building and engaging in representative and accessible democracy. She has held this position since September 2022 and is based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.23

Professional Background

López has over 25 years of experience in democratic political reform, focusing on improving access to voting and elections. Her previous roles include:

• Senior Director of Democracy at the State Innovation Exchange, where she led initiatives to empower state legislators.2
• Democracy Policy Officer at the Thornburg Foundation, managing good government reform efforts.14
• Deputy Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Higher Education Department, where she worked on equity and outcomes in higher education.24

López is also involved with the New Mexico Redistricting Taskforce, which aims to ensure fair political boundaries and representation.2 Additionally, she co-leads the Observe New Mexico Elections initiative, which focuses on enhancing public confidence in election integrity through nonpartisan monitoring.34

Education

Carmen holds a Master of Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Women’s Studies from Mount Holyoke College. Her academic work includes a thesis on campaign financing in the United States.14

Personal Life

A tenth-generation New Mexican, López resides in Santa Fe with her partner.1 She is committed to fostering a participatory democracy where all voices are heard and valued.