| Cristina Parajón | |
| State House: | New Mexico |
| District: | 25th[1] |
| Term Start: | August 11, 2023 |
| Predecessor: | Christine Trujillo |
| Birth Place: | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Nationality: | American |
| Occupation: | Politician |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Education: | Harvard University (BA) Tsinghua University, Schwarzman Scholars (MS) |
Cristina Parajón is an American politician currently serving in the New Mexico House of Representatives. She was appointed by the Bernalillo County Commission to represent House District 25, covering central I-40 in Bernalillo County, primarily in Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights.[2] Parajón is the youngest female New Mexico legislator in history.[3] She succeeded Rep. Christine Trujillo.[2]
Before her appointment to the New Mexico House, Parajón served as the strategy director for the New Mexico Department of Human Services.[3] She also held roles as the deputy incident commander for the emergency operations center,[4] and the gateway administrator for Albuquerque. In her capacity as the gateway administrator, Parajón managed projects addressing homelessness in Albuquerque.[5]
In 2023, following the resignation of Democratic lawmaker Christine Trujillo, the Bernalillo County Commission appointed Parajón to represent House District 25. Selected from a pool of seven candidates with a 4-to-1 vote, Parajón is the first Gen-Z Democrat in the New Mexico State Legislature. She will serve in this capacity until December 31, 2024.[6]
Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Parajón pursued her undergraduate studies at Harvard University, receiving a full scholarship. As a Schwarzman Scholar, she later obtained a master's degree from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, focusing on reproductive health and gender inequalities in Nicaragua. Parajón also worked in financial management consulting prior to entering public service.[7]