WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after the Senate confirmed Alexander M.M. Uballez by voice vote to be the next U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico. The nomination was previously reported out of committee on a strong bipartisan vote of 20 to 2.
“Mr. Uballez is the lead federal prosecutor we need to uphold the law and effectively take on New Mexico’s public safety challenges. With experience prosecuting both federal and state crimes, Mr. Uballez is familiar with the very real impacts of crime on the lives of New Mexicans. He has been at the forefront of advancing innovative approaches to help solve long-running public safety challenges in our state—both inside and beyond the courtroom. We thank our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee for the strong bipartisan support and are pleased to see Mr. Uballez’s nomination now confirmed by the full Senate,” said Heinrich and Luján.
Senators Heinrich and Luján both highly recommended Mr. Uballez for this position and welcomed President Biden’s nomination in January.
Mr. Uballez has served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico since 2016. From 2012 to 2016, Mr. Uballez was an Assistant District Attorney in the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Albuquerque. From 2011 to 2012, he served as an Assistant District Attorney for the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Santa Fe. In 2011, Mr. Uballez served as a fellow in the New Jersey State Attorney General’s Office. Mr. Uballez received his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law in 2011 and his B.A. from Pomona College in 2008.
U.S. Attorneys serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the U.S. Attorney General. They are appointed by, and serve at the discretion of, the President of the United States, with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. Each U.S. Attorney is the chief federal law enforcement officer of the U.S. within their particular jurisdiction.