New Mexico State Rep. Michelle Paulene Abeyta Nominated for EMILYs List’s Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, announced that New Mexico state Rep. Michelle Paulene Abeyta is a nominee for the 2026 Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award. Named in honor of the courageous Gabrielle Giffords, the Rising Star Award celebrates an extraordinary woman serving in state or local office.
“Michelle Paulene Abeyta represents exactly the kind of bold, community-driven leadership the Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award was created to recognize, and EMILYs List is proud to nominate her. State Rep. Abeyta took on a nearly 10-year anti-choice incumbent, won by a wide margin and then got to work fighting for reproductive freedom, health care, and Indigenous women. In her first session, she sponsored seven bills signed into law, and her work for communities too often left behind is just getting started,” said EMILYs List President Jessica Mackler.
Rep. Michelle Paulene Abeyta is a member of the Navajo Nation from To’Hajiilee, New Mexico, and the New Mexico House of Representatives, representing District 69. A lifelong Democrat and proud graduate of Emerge New Mexico’s Class of 2017, Rep. Abeyta was elected to the state House in 2024. Before her election, Rep. Abeyta centered her commitment to service and advocacy in her education, graduating from the University of New Mexico summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Native American studies and communication with a minor in geography. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, and a certificate in Indigenous peoples law & policy. In the legislature, she works every day to be a strong voice for the people of her district — advocating for investments in education, health care, infrastructure, and economic opportunity that deliver results for her constituents. Rep. Abeyta has also served on the To’Hajiilee Community School Board of Education, the National Native American Bar Association Board, and the National Native American Law Students Association. She currently serves as a Commissioner of the Navajo Nation Bar Association. Rep. Abeyta has dedicated her career to public service, and ensuring the voices of rural and tribal communities are heard at the Roundhouse. Her passion for and advocating for her community continues to guide her work as she fights for the people of her district and builds a stronger future for New Mexico.
The Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award winner will be chosen with community input. Online voting will open on March 23, and can be found here. State Rep. Michelle Paulene Abeyta is nominated alongside: Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, Georgia Rep. Tanya Miller, Indiana state Rep. Carey Hamilton, and Minnesota state Sen. Zaynab Mohamed.
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