New Mexico First Judicial District Court, Division IV
Background Denise Thomas is a district court judge in Division IV (Family Court) of the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico. The district covers Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, and Santa Fe counties. She primarily handles family law matters such as divorce, child custody, domestic violence, and guardianship cases. She serves in Santa Fe.
Education She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and earned her Juris Doctor from Tulane Law School.
Prior Experience Thomas began her career as a law clerk for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. She later entered private practice, specializing in family law, mediation, adoption, and estate planning at Denise Thomas Law, LLC.
Appointment & Current Role A Democrat, she is an alumna of Emerge New Mexico, class of 2025. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed her to the bench on March 25, 2024, to fill a vacancy in the First Judicial District. She assumed office shortly thereafter.
In June 2025 she issued a temporary restraining order on June 27 prohibiting Española Mayor John Ramon Vigil from coming within 100 yards of a city employee who accused him of sexual assault at a Santa Fe restaurant in 2024. The order was extended through the end of 2025. Vigil was permitted to attend city council meetings in person until at least August 2025, when a final hearing was scheduled. The case arose from a petition for protection amid an ongoing New Mexico State Police investigation. No criminal charges had been filed as of the latest reports available in the source material.
Election Status Thomas is seeking to be retained in the November 2026 general election.




















































