New Mexico Eleventh Judicial District Court, Division II
Background Bradly L. Keeler (commonly known as Brad Keeler) is a district court judge in Division II of the New Mexico Eleventh Judicial District Court, based in Gallup, McKinley County. He presides over general jurisdiction cases including criminal, civil, family, and domestic matters. He is a native Gallupian.
Education He graduated from Baylor University and earned his J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Prior Experience Keeler has more than 20 years of private practice experience in Gallup at Keeler & Keeler, LLP, where he focused on a broad range of legal matters.
Appointment & Current Role A Democrat, he was appointed to the bench in May 2024 by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Louis E. DePauli Jr. He was sworn in on July 19, 2024.
In the 2025 John Hannon Child Abuse Case, he presided over proceedings involving John Hannon, who was charged with child abuse resulting in death and tampering with evidence. Judge Keeler suspended the criminal proceedings and transferred the case to the competency docket after a defense motion. The case received local and national attention due to its severity.
He also presided over criminal proceedings in the Jesse Candelaria Jr. Case.
In 2025, he was named as a defendant (along with other judges) in the federal civil lawsuit Gonzales v. Pederson et al.
Election Status He is running in the 2026 election cycle. The Democratic primary is scheduled for June 2, 2026, and the general election for November 3, 2026.
Sources / Links:
- Governor’s Appointment Announcement: https://www.governor.state.nm.us/2024/05/21/governor-announces-judicial-appointment-of-brad-keeler/
- Eleventh Judicial District Court Judges (McKinley County): https://eleventhdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/mckinley-county-gallup-district-court-judges/
- Ballotpedia: https://ballotpedia.org/Bradley_Lyle_Keeler_(New_Mexico_11th_Judicial_District_Court_Division_2,_New_Mexico,_candidate_2026)
- NM Courts Swearing-In: https://nmcourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/New-district-court-judge-taking-office-in-McKinley-County.pdf
- Court Dockets and Local Coverage (e.g., competency case): Various local reports (2025)




















































