Dr. Elaine Sena Cortez is a lifelong New Mexican, born in Roswell and raised in Hobbs, where she has made her home for the past 37 years. She has chosen to stay in Southeastern New Mexico to raise her family and build her professional career. From humble beginnings and a loving household, Elaine was always taught the blessing of living in America—a nation of free thinkers, builders, pioneers, and risk takers. Her entrepreneurial spirit was apparent when she started her own business—one of the best decisions of her life—which has given her firsthand insight into the challenges job creators face in New Mexico.

 

Elaine is the Owner and Business Consultant of Sena Cortez Consulting, LLC, and a Professor at the University of the Southwest and Eastern New Mexico University, her two alma maters.

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Elaine is married to her best friend and the love of her life, Efren Cortez. Together they share a loving home with their daughter, Layla, and their fur baby, Huckleberry. The daughter of pastors, Elaine is a faithful member of King’s Gate Church in Hobbs, a non-denominational Christian church founded by her family. She is a proud American, the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran, and a staunch believer that New Mexicans have the potential to move our nation forward.

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Committed to the opportunities available in Southeastern New Mexico, Elaine pursued her education locally and continues to advocate for higher education. She holds a Doctor in Business Administration from the University of the Southwest, a Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in Marketing from the University of the Southwest, a Master of Business Administration from Eastern New Mexico University, and graduated from the Maddox Leadership Institute in 2018. She is also an alumnus of the Leadership New Mexico Connect Program (2016).

 

She feels honored to have won the trust of her constituents and is proud of her work in the New Mexico House of Representatives, where she fights for values that lower everyday costs for families, create safe neighborhoods, protect our oil and gas heroes, and place power in the hands of New Mexicans, not government.