LOST LEADER

Leader Lost

Former Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales dies at 55, less than two years after cancer diagnosis

BY WILLIAM MELHADO william@sfreporter.com

Javier Gonzales made an outsized impact on Santa Fe through his role as a mayor, political leader and community member.

At the time of his death last week, the 55-year-old was a Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center patient following a cancer diagnosis less than two years ago. He also worked as the vice president and chief development officer for the hospital’s foundation.

Following in his father’s footsteps— George Gonzales was Santa Fe’s mayor from 1968 to 1972—Gonzales announced his candidacy for mayor in August 2013, later defeating then-City Councilors Patti Bushee and Bill Dimas.

Despite an upbringing steeped in politics, Gonzales’ road to the mayor’s seat was marked by firsts. He was the first mayor of Santa Fe to succeed a father in the role, and he was the first openly gay mayor of the City Different.

“He was balanced, he was thoughtful, he respected everybody’s opinion,” Cyndi Conn, a friend of Gonzales’, tells SFR. “I mean, his biggest flaw was always trying to make everybody happy.” Conn says she and Gonzales met during his campaign and became fast friends, always “at each other’s side.”

Gonzales remained active and thoughtful in the past few years, telling SFR in a recent interview: “One of the things we’ve learned over the pandemic has been this bond that the community naturally feels toward health care workers. The community wants to figure out a way to lighten the load.”

His most prominent political role as mayor followed two terms on the Santa Fe County Commission, from 1995 to 2002, and a stint as chairman of the state Democratic Party, from 2009 to 2013.

In addition to his work in local politics, Gonzales served on the Board of Regents for New Mexico Highlands University and New Mexico State University, his alma mater, where he received a degree in accounting after graduating from Pojoaque High School in 1984.

Prior to announcing his run for mayor, Gonzales came out publicly as gay in a blog post embracing his sexual identity and faith in the Santa Fe community, noting that his “failed marriage” was a consequence of his attempts to hide his sexuality, having grown up in a traditional, extended Catholic family in Santa Fe. “Our very existence as a community is proof that we are better when we value and accept one another for who we are without judgment,” he wrote in 2013.

City Councilor Signe Lindell, who sat on Gonzales’ council as his mayor pro-tem, describes him as “a terrific mentor”, but says “he was also a fabulous friend. He’s the kind of guy that half of Santa Fe thought that they were his best friend. He had that kind of magic.”

Longtime friend and Zozobra Event Chair Ray Sandoval says “what always amazed” him about his relationship with Gonzales was “he always made me feel like it was symbiotic, that he was learning just as much from me as what he was teaching me. His love for our city, our community, our traditions, it was impressive to watch somebody who cared so much and was able to really accomplish things that were difficult.”

Gonzales’ effort to tax sugary drinks left a notable footprint on his political career.

JULIA GOLDBERG

Gonzales, circa 2015, with puppies from the Santa Fe Animal Shelter and Humane Society after he appeared on “The Julia Goldberg Show” at Hutton Broadcasting.

MATT GRUBS

His love for our city, our community, our traditions, it was impressive to watch somebody who cared so much and was able to really accomplish things that were difficult.

-Ray Sandoval, longtime friend and Zozobra Event Chair

He posited a 2% tax on sugar beverages, which failed at the ballot box, as a way to finance early childhood education in Santa Fe.

Kate Noble, who worked in Gonzales’ administration for three years on his economic development initiatives, notes his “brilliant” communication skills and his less-well-known gift for writing, which made him a “unifying force” in Santa Fe.

“I don’t think anybody could exceed his charisma and magnetism in a room when he was talking about something he felt passionate about and believed in,” Noble says.

Opting to serve only one term as mayor to devote more time to raising his youngest daughter, Gonzales endorsed Alan Webber, who would become the city’s first full-time mayor in 2018.

“Santa Fe has lost a home-grown, hometown hero,” Webber said in a statement. “He was a true son of Santa Fe, the son of a former mayor and a dedicated and loving father.”

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham also issued a statement following Gonzales’ death: “Javier Gonzales was a trailblazer, a fierce advocate, and a dedicated leader— he was also a beloved son, a remarkable father, and an incredible friend, including to me.”

Following his time as a public servant, Gonzales took up work with Descartes Labs. It was there, away from the public spotlight, that he learned of the source of aches and pains that had recently plagued him.

In October 2020 Gonzales publicly shared his stage 4 cancer diagnosis with the Santa Fe New Mexican.

Gonzales’ death marks the first Santa Fe mayoral death since Louis Montaño, who served from 1982 to 1986, died in 2008. Gonzales is survived by his two daughters, Cameron and Cadence, and two brothers, Estevan and Patricio Gonzales.

In her last text exchange with her friend, Conn says Gonzales wrote to her, “Live your best life. Be kind to everybody.”

An obituary published by Rivera Family Funerals notes that due to COVID-19, a public memorial service will be held at a future day to be announced.

Mayor Javier Gonzales occupied the office at City Hall for one term beginning in 2014.