Otero County, New Mexico

Otero County (Spanish: Condado de Otero) is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,839. Its county seat is Alamogordo. Its southern boundary is the Texas state line. It is named for Miguel Antonio Otero, the territorial governor when the county was created.

Otero County includes the Alamogordo Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History
The western part of Otero County was handed over to the United States Army as the US was preparing to enter World War II and eventually became part of White Sands Missile Range. This did not significantly hinder the growth of the county, whose population more than doubled in the 1950s.

The county declared a state of emergency in April 2019 when the federal inspection stations on U.S. Route 70 and U.S. Route 54 were left unstaffed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as part of the temporary closure of all six checkpoints in the El Paso Sector, which covers West Texas and New Mexico. The county was concerned about the possibility of illegal narcotics flowing north unchecked since the checkpoint agents had been shifted to the border to help process migrant asylum-seekers. The inspection stations reopened August 5, 2019.

On Monday June 13, 2022, the county commissioners attracted nationwide attention by refusing to certify the results of the local 2022 primary election on June 7, 2022. In response, the New Mexico Secretary of State filed a lawsuit and writ of mandamus against the commissioners for their refusal. By Friday June 17, 2022, two of the three commissioners agreed to certify the election results, which defused the crisis.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 6628 sqmi, of which 6613 sqmi is land and 14 sqmi (0.2%) is water. It is the third-largest county in New Mexico by area.

Adjacent counties

 * Doña Ana County – west
 * Sierra County – northwest
 * Lincoln County – north
 * Chaves County – east
 * Eddy County – east
 * Culberson County, Texas – southeast
 * Hudspeth County, Texas – south
 * El Paso County, Texas – southwest

National protected areas

 * Lincoln National Forest (part)
 * White Sands National Park (part)

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 62,298 people, 22,984 households, and 16,801 families living in the county. The population density was 9 /mi2. There were 29,272 housing units at an average density of 4 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 71.73% White, 3.92% Black or African American, 5.80% Native American, 1.17% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 11.67% from other races, and 3.60% from two or more races. 32.16% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 22,984 households, out of which 37.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.50% were married couples living together, 11.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.90% were non-families. 23.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.50% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 21.00% from 45 to 64, and 11.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,861, and the median income for a family was $34,781. Males had a median income of $27,657 versus $18,470 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,345. About 15.60% of families and 19.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.90% of those under age 18 and 12.80% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 63,797 people, 24,464 households, and 16,641 families living in the county. The population density was 9.6 PD/sqmi. There were 30,992 housing units at an average density of 4.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 70.7% white, 6.7% American Indian, 3.5% black or African American, 1.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific islander, 11.5% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 34.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 13.4% were German, 8.1% were English, 8.0% were Irish, and 4.4% were American.

Of the 24,464 households, 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.0% were non-families, and 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age was 36.5 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,615 and the median income for a family was $46,210. Males had a median income of $32,939 versus $25,965 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,255. About 15.2% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.0% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
School districts in the county include:
 * Alamogordo Public Schools
 * Cloudcroft Municipal Schools
 * Gadsden Independent Schools
 * Tularosa Municipal Schools

While the southeast portion of the county is in the Alamogordo district, that district contracts education of residents there to the Dell City Independent School District of Dell City, Texas, due to the distances involved, as the mileage to Alamogordo from the former Cienega School was 100 mi while the distance to Dell City is 20 mi.

Tribal schools affiliated with the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE):
 * Mescalero Apache Schools

State-operated schools:
 * New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Schools operated by foreign governments:
 * Deutsche Schule Alamogordo (closed)

Tertiary:
 * New Mexico State University Alamogordo

Public libraries:
 * Alamogordo Public Library

City

 * Alamogordo (county seat)

Villages

 * Cloudcroft
 * Tularosa

Census-designated places

 * Bent
 * Boles Acres
 * Chaparral
 * High Rolls
 * Holloman AFB
 * La Luz
 * Mayhill
 * Mescalero
 * Orogrande
 * Piñon
 * Sacramento
 * Timberon
 * Twin Forks
 * Weed

Other communities

 * Hortonville
 * Mountain Park
 * Newman
 * Sunspot
 * Three Rivers

Other places

 * Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation
 * National Solar Observatory
 * Otero County Prison Facility
 * White Sands National Park
 * White Sands Ranch (private land)

Politics and government
Governance of the county is under a three-member county commission.

County commissioner Couy Griffin
In early 2021, Commissioner Couy Griffin, a former street preacher, was banned from entering the sizable Mescalero Apache Reservation in his own jurisdiction, because he participated in the January 6 United States Capitol attack. On January 19, the other two commissioners called for his resignation.

In a bench trial on March 21, 2022, Griffin was convicted of trespassing, but acquitted on the more serious charge of disorderly conduct. In 2022, the county commission refused to certify primary election results. After a court order from the New Mexico state Supreme Court, the commission eventually did certify the election results, but Commissioner Griffin continued with his refusal, voting "No". Commissioner Griffin justified his refusal by saying, "My vote to just remain a no isn't based on any evidence. It's not based on any facts, it's only based on my gut feeling and my own intuition, and that's all I need".

On September 6, 2022, Griffin became the first public official in more than a century to be debarred from office under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The debarment from holding public office is "for life".

Stephanie Dubois, the Democratic candidate for Otero County District 2 Commission, was appointed by Governor Michelle Lynn Lujan Grisham and sworn in October 28, 2022. Dubois was facing Republican Amy Barela and the appointment took place in the final weeks of the election to replace Couy Griffin for the District 2, Otero County, New Mexico Commission Seat. The County leans heavily Republican. Barela won the November general election.