Raúl Torrez

Raúl Torrez is a Democratic politician serving as the 32nd Attorney General of New Mexico, representing the entire state statewide. Born July 24, 1976, and raised in Albuquerque, he assumed office on January 1, 2023, after winning the 2022 election.

Torrez is a career prosecutor who has worked at every level of the criminal justice system. He previously served as District Attorney for Bernalillo County from 2017 to 2022, leading one of New Mexico's largest law offices and handling over 20,000 criminal referrals annually. A national leader in "smart on crime" policies, he solved decades-old rape cases, pioneered transparency on police misconduct and demographic outcomes in criminal justice, and adopted advanced data analytics for efficiency. As Attorney General, he focuses on child safety, consumer protection, environmental enforcement, and government transparency. Notable achievements include filing lawsuits against corporate polluters like DuPont and the U.S. Department of Defense over PFAS contamination, securing a permanent injunction for public access to the Pecos River, defending reproductive rights, suing over a Dogecoin cryptocurrency fraud scheme, and leading the state's first Cold Case Unit.

Education and Political Experience

Torrez earned his J.D. from Stanford Law School in 2005. His career began as an assistant district attorney in Valencia County, followed by roles in the New Mexico Attorney General's office and as chief counsel to Speaker Ben Luján. In 2009–2010, he served as a White House Fellow and Special Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General under President Obama, addressing border violence, drug cartels, and crime in Indian Country. He also worked nearly a decade as an Assistant United States Attorney and Assistant Attorney General, prosecuting child pornographers, bank robbers, and sexual predators. Elected Bernalillo County District Attorney in 2016 without Republican opposition, he ran for Attorney General in 2022, defeating Brian Colón in the Democratic primary and Jeremy Gay in the general election.