New Mexico Rep. Reeb backtracks on resignation from Legislature

New Mexico state Rep. Andrea Reeb (R-Clovis) on Thursday announced she would not be resigning from the state Legislature after all.

Reeb announced her resignation from the state House of Representatives on Oct. 15 following a ruling by a federal judge that her role in the House represented a conflict with her work as a special prosecutor in the involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin.

In a statement accompanying her resignation, Reeb said she “respectfully” disagrees with the Court “but I respect our Constitution and the institutions that uphold it.” As such, she said she was resigning to continue her work as a special prosecutor and resigning, effective immediately.

In the weeks since, according to a news release, Reeb said “constituents, local leaders, and fellow lawmakers” urged her to stay.

Voters reelected Reeb in Tuesday’s election for House District 64 in an uncontested race.

“I have been humbled by how many people called, wrote, and stopped me in town to ask me to come back,” Reeb said in a statement. “The voters re-elected me knowing exactly what had happened. They made their wishes clear, and I couldn’t ignore that. The people of District 64 asked me to serve, and I’m going to. I’m ready to get back to work for them.”

According to a news release, Reeb will continue working as a special prosecutor work through the end of the year while “transitioning her pending cases to other attorneys.” In January, she will join the law firm of Payne, Powell, Truitt, and Chandler as a partner, “resolving the conflict ahead of the legislative session.”

At the time of her resignation, Reeb noted that she had “relied” on guidance from both the State Ethics Commission and the New Mexico Attorney General to continue serving in both roles.

State Rep. Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe), with whom Reeb serves on a special investigatory committee examining Jeffrey Epstein’s activities in the state, also cited Attorney General Raúl Torrez’s opinion when she was criticized for taking a job in Carmack-Altwies’ office while serving in the Legislature. She subsequently resigned after Torrez issued a letter that his 2024 opinion had “been read more broadly than intended.”

Reeb’s resignation last night prompted a valley of criticism between Republican and Democratic state House leadership.

This is a developing story.