1. Rebecca Vigil-Giron was born on September 4,1954 and is an American politician who served as the secretary of state of New Mexico from 1987 to 1990 and again from 1999 to 2006.
22 Facts About Rebecca Vigil-Giron
1. 2.
Rebecca Vigil-Giron is the longest-serving Secretary of State in New Mexico history.
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In 2009, Vigil-Giron was indicted by a grand jury on several counts of embezzlement, but the charges were dropped in 2012.
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Rebecca Vigil was born and raised in Taos, New Mexico, Vigil-Giron is an 11th-generation New Mexican.
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Rebecca Vigil-Giron earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and social science from New Mexico Highlands University and is a graduate of the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University.
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Rebecca Vigil-Giron was first elected New Mexico secretary of state in 1986.
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Rebecca Vigil-Giron ran unsuccessfully against Republican Congressman Steve Schiff for a seat in the United States House of Representatives in 1990.
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Rebecca Vigil-Giron was re-elected New Mexico Secretary of State in 1998 and served through 2006 when she was term-limited.
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In 2004, Rebecca Vigil-Giron became the first Hispanic President in the 100-year history of the National Association of Secretaries of State.
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Rebecca Vigil-Giron has served as a member of the United States Election Assistance Commission's Standards Board and Board of Advisors.
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Rebecca Vigil-Giron once said she became interested in politics after running a successful campaign for homecoming queen at New Mexico Highlands University in 1975.
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Rebecca Vigil-Giron campaigned for the law to be amended to a 14-day minimum registration period, but was forced to compromise with New Mexico legislators and the registration requirement was changed to 28 days prior to election day, which is the current law.
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Rebecca Vigil-Giron left office in 1990, limited to one term by New Mexico law.
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Rebecca Vigil-Giron ran unsuccessfully for Congress against Republican Steve Schiff in 1990, and worked as a consultant for the International Foundation for Electoral Systems in Nicaragua, Equatorial Guinea, and the Dominican Republic.
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Rebecca Vigil-Giron served as a Member State Delegate with the United Nations in Angola, Africa's presidential elections, and as Executive Director of the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women.
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Rebecca Vigil-Giron made New Mexico history in 2003, by becoming the first Secretary of State in New Mexico elected to three terms.
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Rebecca Vigil-Giron served on the Standards Board of the US Election Assistance Commission until 2006.
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Rebecca Vigil-Giron aided Governor Bill Richardson in the passage of a paper-ballot requirement in New Mexico in 2006.
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Rebecca Vigil-Giron implemented paper ballots statewide in New Mexico for the 2006 General Election.
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Rebecca Vigil-Giron was criticised by Republicans in the New Mexico State Legislature for mismanagement of funds for that election.
21.
Rebecca Vigil-Giron ran for the United States House of Representatives in the 2008 elections, losing in the Democratic primary to Martin Heinrich.
22.
In November, 2012, New Mexico District Judge Reed Sheppard dropped the charges against Rebecca Vigil-Giron, ruling that the 39-month delay in bringing the charges to trial weighed heavily against the prosecution.