'He was a fighter': Former NM state Rep. Eliseo Alcon dies at age 74

SANTA FE — Former New Mexico state Rep. Eliseo Alcon, a Milan Democrat who served eight terms in the state House before stepping down in November, died Monday after a battle with liver cancer.

He was 74.

His son, David Alcon, said his father had been receiving home hospice care and was surrounded by family members when he died Monday morning.

“He was a fighter,” said the younger Alcon, saying his father fought hard for labor rights, acequias, land grants and Native American sovereignty.

Eliseo Alcon served in recent years as chairman of the House Labor, Veterans’ and Military Affairs Committee. He previously was chairman of a different House panel, the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee.

A former municipal and magistrate judge in Cibola County, Alcon was known at the Roundhouse for his folksy demeanor and outspoken nature.

He caused a stir in 2011 with his comments that then-Gov. Susana Martinez lacked compassion and would “kick you in the kidneys” if you were lying outside the state Capitol.

Alcon was also a combat medic during the Vietnam War and was awarded a Bronze Star for his valor.

He occasionally referenced his combat experiences at the Legislature, including during a 2021 debate on whether firearms should be barred from the Roundhouse.

“I have a fear of guns because I know what guns can do to a human body,” Alcon said at the time.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Monday that Alcon improved the lives of veterans, workers and families during his legislative tenure.

“Rep. Alcon served our state with honor, distinction and longstanding dedication to his constituents in western New Mexico,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement.

New Mexico House Democrats also released a statement lamenting Alcon’s death, describing him as a “tireless champion” for veterans and his House District 6 constituents.

“We deeply appreciated the warmth, kindness, good humor and dedication he brought to the Roundhouse,” House Democrats said in their statement.

Alcon stepped down from the Legislature in late November due to health issues, just weeks after winning reelection to a new two-year term.

County commissioners in the two counties encompassed by the district — McKinley and Cibola — have nominated former Rep. Harry Garcia, a Grants Democrat, for the vacant seat.

But Lujan Grisham has expressed concern about Garcia’s residency status, since he changed his voter registration to an address within the district after Alcon stepped down. The governor is awaiting an opinion from Attorney General Raúl Torrez’s office before making an appointment decision, a spokesman said.

Funeral services for Alcon were still being finalized Monday, his son said.