“We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Chavez to Bernalillo County. Her extensive experience in public administration and proven leadership abilities make her an ideal fit to guide our county into the future,” Barbara Baca, the commission chair, said in the statement.
“It’s bittersweet,” Chavez told KQED about taking on the new role.
“It has been such an honor to serve the people of San José and Santa Clara County. I love this beautiful community,” she said. “And I’m excited about the opportunity to serve the people of Bernalillo County as their county executive.”
Chavez, a decadeslong resident of Santa Clara County, was born in New Mexico. Her mother currently lives there, along with cousins and other family members, she said.
Chavez has served more than a decade on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors after first winning a special election in 2013 and being reelected twice.
She also served eight years on the San José City Council from 1998 to 2006, including a stint as vice mayor, before leading the South Bay Labor Council in 2009 and later the progressive policy group Working Partnerships USA.
Chavez is set to be termed out of her seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors at the end of this year.
Before looking farther afield for a new role, Chavez hoped to land another job in politics locally. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor of San José twice — in 2006 against her then-council colleague Chuck Reed and in 2022 in a close race against Matt Mahan.
Shortly after the 2022 election, Chavez was reported to have received a tentative offer to become the county administrator in San Diego.
But the appointment process was clouded by allegations of sexual assault against San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, one of Chavez’s backers, who later resigned, and the board restarted the search. They later selected Ebony Shelton for the role.
Chavez said she knew she wanted to continue to work in local government, and felt that Bernalillo County offered somewhat of a full-circle opportunity.