Raúl Torrez

Raúl Torrez
32nd Attorney General of New Mexico
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2023
GovernorMichelle Lujan Grisham
Preceded byHector Balderas
District Attorney of Bernalillo County
In office
January 1, 2017 – January 1, 2023
Preceded byKari Brandenburg
Succeeded bySam Bregman
Personal details
Born (1976-07-24) July 24, 1976
Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
SpouseNasha
Children2
EducationHarvard University (AB)
London School of Economics (MS)
Stanford University (JD)

Raúl Torrez (born July 24, 1976)[1][2] is an American lawyer and politician from New Mexico. A member of the Democratic Party, Torrez is the Attorney General of New Mexico.

Early life and education

Torrez's father, Presiliano Torrez, was a federal prosecutor and his mother taught Spanish at Sandia Preparatory School. He graduated from Sandia Prep, and then attended Harvard University, where he graduated cum laude[3] with a Bachelor of Arts in government. He earned a Master of Science in IPE from the London School of Economics,[4] and then worked for the Cesar Chavez Foundation in Los Angeles before attending Stanford Law School, earning his Juris Doctor.[3][4]

Career

After graduating from Stanford Law School in 2005, Torrez became an assistant district attorney in Valencia County, New Mexico. The next year, he took a job in the office of the New Mexico attorney general. In 2008, Torrez was chief counsel to Ben Luján, the speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives, and then he served as a White House Fellow in the class of 2009–2010 during the presidency of Barack Obama.[3][5] He returned to Albuquerque to work in the United States attorney's office and operated a solo law firm.[3]

Torrez won the Democratic Party nomination for district attorney of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, in 2016. He won the general election without opposition from a Republican.[6][7]

Attorney General of New Mexico

With incumbent attorney general Hector Balderas unable to seek reelection in 2022 due to term limits, Torrez announced his candidacy to succeed him in May 2021.[8] Torrez won the Democratic nomination, defeating New Mexico State Auditor Brian Colón,[9] and faced Republican Jeremy Gay.[10] Torrez won the election and assumed office in January 2023.[11]

Tenure

Since taking office, Torrez has focused on issues including child safety, consumer protection, environmental enforcement, and government transparency.[12]

Environmental litigation and natural resources

The attorney general’s office has participated in litigation related to public access to waterways and environmental contamination. In March 2025, the Fourth Judicial District Court issued a permanent injunction preventing landowners in Terrero from blocking public access to the Pecos River.[13] The office has also filed lawsuits against DuPont and the United States Department of Defense regarding contamination associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).[14]

Consumer protection actions

During Torrez’s tenure, the attorney general’s office conducted investigations and enforcement actions involving consumer protection and healthcare access. These included an investigation into Memorial Medical Center concerning allegations that uninsured patients were denied certain medical services, which resulted in settlement agreements with the hospital.[15]

The office has also investigated alleged price gouging following natural disasters[16], addressed infrastructure and service issues affecting residents of mobile home parks in Alamogordo[17], and participated in regulatory proceedings concerning a proposed rate increase by the electric utility Public Service Company of New Mexico[18].

Multistate litigation

Torrez has participated in several multistate legal actions involving antitrust and federal policy issues. He joined attorneys general from multiple states in litigation opposing the proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons[19].

He has also joined multistate litigation involving Ticketmaster and lawsuits concerning alleged monopolistic practices by Google.[20]

In addition, Torrez joined attorneys general from several states in a lawsuit challenging the authority granted to Elon Musk in connection with the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), raising constitutional questions related to executive authority and oversight.[21]

Social media litigation and youth safety

During Torrez’s tenure, the New Mexico Department of Justice filed lawsuits against social media companies including Meta Platforms and Snap Inc[22]. The lawsuits allege that the companies’ platforms expose minors to harmful content and that their design and moderation practices do not adequately prevent exploitation or unsafe interactions involving young users[23].

The attorney general’s office has also conducted undercover investigations into online child exploitation through initiatives described as Operation MetaPhile and Operation Overwatch. According to the office, the operations targeted individuals suspected of online exploitation and resulted in arrests in several cases.[24]

Anti-hazing and cyberbullying legislation

Torrez has supported legislation addressing hazing and cyberbullying in schools and youth organizations in New Mexico. The proposal categorizes hazing offenses by severity and establishes penalties ranging from misdemeanors to second-degree felonies in cases involving death[25]. The legislation also includes provisions requiring educational and prevention programs in schools and youth organizations.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous People initiative

The New Mexico Department of Justice launched an online portal focused on cases involving Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP). The portal provides case information and updates and is intended to assist coordination between law enforcement agencies and Indigenous communities.[26]

Personal life

Torrez's wife, Nasha, is also an attorney and is a dean at the University of New Mexico.[3] They have two children.[4]

Electoral history

2022 New Mexico Attorney General election[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Raúl Torrez 388,592 55.3
Republican Jeremy Gay 314,023 44.6
Total votes 702,615 100.0

References

  1. ^ Haywood, Phaedra (October 12, 2022). "Approach to Crime Divides Attorney General Candidates". The Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  2. ^ "Raúl Torrez on Facebook". Facebook. July 24, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e Walz, Kent (September 8, 2018). "'Remember who you're fighting for' - Albuquerque Journal". Abqjournal.com. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Torrez: Willingness to ruffle feathers is an asset, not a liability - Albuquerque Journal". Abqjournal.com. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  5. ^ "President Obama Appoints 2009-2010 Class of White House Fellows, 6-25-09". June 25, 2009.
  6. ^ "Only one candidate for DA in Bernalillo County". The NM Political Report. September 16, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  7. ^ "Torrez wins AG's office, continuing Democratic control - Albuquerque Journal". Abqjournal.com. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  8. ^ "District Attorney Torrez enters AG race - Albuquerque Journal". Abqjournal.com. May 17, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  9. ^ "Raúl Torrez wins Democratic primary for attorney general". AP News. June 8, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  10. ^ "Raúl Torrez on what he would do as New Mexico Attorney General". Lcsun-news.com. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  11. ^ "Raul Torrez wins New Mexico's Attorney General race". Krqe.com. November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  12. ^ "Home - New Mexico Department of Justice". Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  13. ^ "Judge permanently orders landowners to keep Pecos clear in state stream access lawsuit • Source New Mexico". Source New Mexico. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  14. ^ "Attorney General Raúl Torrez Files a Lawsuit Against Major Manufacturing Companies for Knowingly Contaminating New Mexico's Natural Resources with the "Forever Chemical" - New Mexico Department of Justice". Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  15. ^ Bottaro, Oriana (July 17, 2024). "Las Cruces hospital accused of refusing treatment to cancer patients". KRQE News. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  16. ^ Hasman, Gregory (June 26, 2024). "'That won't be tolerated': New Mexico AG warns businesses about price gouging amidst Ruidoso area fires". www.abqjournal.com. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  17. ^ Begay, Mesha (March 14, 2025). "4 Investigates: Mobile home utility crisis". KOB.com. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  18. ^ Fjeld, Jonathan (September 22, 2023). "State regulators approve $115M in credits for PNM customers". KOB.com. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  19. ^ Munoz, Alyssa (February 27, 2024). "New Mexico joins lawsuit against Kroger and Albertson's merger". KOAT. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  20. ^ Shapero, Julia (August 20, 2024). "10 more states join DOJ antitrust case against Live Nation, Ticketmaster". The Hill. Archived from the original on September 23, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  21. ^ "New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez Leads Landmark Multistate Lawsuit to Stop Elon Musk's Unconstitutional Power Grab - New Mexico Department of Justice". Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  22. ^ "Attorney General Raúl Torrez Files Unredacted Complaint Against Snapchat, Exposing Internal Messages that Snap Knowingly Contributed to Harm Amongst Children - New Mexico Department of Justice". Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  23. ^ "New Mexico attorney general accuses Meta of being 'breeding ground' for child predators in new lawsuit". NBC News. December 6, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  24. ^ Egbuonu, Faith (October 16, 2024). "Albuquerque middle school teacher among 8 charged in child predator operation". KOAT. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  25. ^ Coppola, Jason Groves and Nick. "New Mexico AG Raúl Torrez announces anti-hazing, anti-cyberbullying legislation". Las Cruces Sun-News. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  26. ^ "New Mexico launches real-time data portal for missing and murdered Indigenous people". KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. March 12, 2024. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  27. ^ "2022 General New Mexico - Official Results". New Mexico Secretary of State.
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