Jeff Steinborn

Jeff Steinborn (born 1970), is a Democratic member of the New Mexico State Senate, serving since 2017.

Steinborn previously served in the New Mexico House of Representatives from 2006–10 and from 2013–17. Steinborn took office as Representative for the second time after defeating incumbent Antonio Lujan in the Democratic primary in June, 2012. In 2016 Steinborn defeated Republican incumbent Senator Lee Cotter to become the State Senator for District 36, and was re-elected in 2020.

Steinborn has worked as an aide to former Governor Bill Richardson, a field representative for former Senator Jeff Bingaman, and was chairman of the Democratic Party of Doña Ana County. He is Executive Director of Outdoor New Mexico. In 2015 Steinborn co-founded Film Las Cruces, where he serves as Board President. The organization is credited with helping increase film production in Las Cruces and Dona Ana County. In 2023 and 2024 Las Cruces was named by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the "Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker" in America.

As a legislator he has passed diverse legislation including establishing the Rio Grande Trail, the ‘Outdoor Recreation' and 'Creative Industries' Divisions of the New Mexico Economic Development Department, increased legislative and lobbying transparency, advanced clean up of abandoned uranium mine sites, increased youth participation in government, and created a new rural film incentive. Steinborn also led New Mexico's efforts to ban the transportation and storage of high level nuclear waste in the state, successfully passing legislation in the 2023 legislative session.

Steinborn has been recognized for his long time advocacy for open government, being given the ‘1st Amendment Freedom’ award by the NM Foundation for Open Government, and ‘Best in Government’ award by Common Cause NM.

In his professional conservation capacity he led the campaign to establish the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.

Family
Jeff Steinborn was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He has three sisters and two brothers, including his identical twin brother Daniel Steinborn.