Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced on April 1 the appointment of John William Bernitz as the Eleventh Judicial District Attorney, Division II, serving McKinley County.
Bernitz’s appointment is effective immediately and will continue until the next general election, in accordance with state law. The announcement is part of the governor’s ongoing role in filling key positions within New Mexico’s executive branch.
Bernitz has been Chief Deputy District Attorney in the Office of the District Attorney for the Eleventh Judicial District since October 2025. Before that, he ran his own law office in Gallup from 2021 to 2023, focusing on criminal and family law cases. He has also held several roles within the Eleventh Judicial District Attorney’s Office since 2007, including senior trial attorney and deputy district attorney. His previous experience includes work as an assistant district attorney in both Hidalgo County and Otero County, as well as service as an assistant public defender in Gallup from 2012 to 2019.
The New Mexico State Executive oversees such appointments and manages public engagement through application processes while handling requests for assistance and records according to its official website. The office operates from Room 400 on the fourth floor of the New Mexico State Capitol at 490 Old Santa Fe Trail in Santa Fe as reported by its official website.
The executive branch promotes careers in public service to help meet administrative goals according to its official website. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham leads this branch alongside Lieutenant Governor Howie Morales and cabinet secretaries responsible for areas such as health and education according to its official website.
The New Mexico State Executive focuses operations within New Mexico as outlined by its official website, offering programs that include early childhood education initiatives, infrastructure tracking projects, and efforts aimed at reducing food insecurity according to its official website.
