Melanie Stansbury

Melanie Stansbury is an American politician and scientist who has represented New Mexico's 1st congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since June 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, she was first elected in a special election to fill the vacancy created by Deb Haaland. Stansbury was raised in Albuquerque and earned a Bachelor of Arts in human ecology and natural science from Saint Mary's College of California, followed by a Master of Science in development sociology from Cornell University. Her academic work has frequently focused on the intersection of community development and natural resource management. Before her career in elected office, Stansbury worked in various policy and research roles. She served as a researcher at Sandia National Laboratories and as a program examiner in the White House Office of Management and Budget during the Obama administration. Additionally, she was a professional staff member for the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. In 2018, she was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives, serving from 2019 until her transition to the U.S. Congress. In the state legislature, she was known for her work on water security and environmental legislation.

Representative Stansbury's policy priorities are centered on climate change mitigation, water security, and environmental protection, advocating for a transition to a clean energy economy and sustainable resource management. In healthcare, she supports protecting and expanding the Affordable Care Act and has expressed support for a public health insurance option. Her economic platform includes raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and investing in infrastructure to create clean-energy jobs. Regarding immigration, she supports comprehensive reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and protections for DACA recipients. Stansbury is also a vocal advocate for reproductive rights, LGBTQIA+ equality, and federal voting rights legislation.