Education
A native of Albuquerque, Herrera graduated from West Mesa High School in 1977.
A native of Albuquerque, Herrera graduated from West Mesa High School in 1977.
She received both her Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Business Administration from the College of Santa Fe (now Santa Fe University of Art and Design). She has also received a Certificate of Program Administration for Senior Executives from Harvard University and Certificates in Labor, Employment, and Benefits Law from the Institute for Applied Management. Prior to being elected Secretary, Herrera held many offices within the Bernalillo County government holding positions as typist, Assistant Comptroller and Director of Human Resources.
In 2000, she was elected county clerk of Bernalillo county and re-elected in 2004.
Mary Herrera was the first sitting Democrat Secretary of State to lose the office to a Republican in 80 years. Herrera lost by 90,000 votes, a margin greater than any other New Mexico race in the 2010 election.
Under New Mexico law, at the time of her tenure Herrera was second in line of succession for governor after former Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish, who lost a bid for Governor.