Johana Bencomo

I am Emerge NM Class of 2018. As a long time community organizer, I knew the importance and urgency of representation in the political arena, I knew how to be an advocate, and how to fight for the things that mattered most to me and my community. I never imagined running for office, but after Emerge, I left with a whole new perspective on what fighting for my community could like. Emerge not only taught me how to run for public office, but also to win.

Las Cruces City Councilor - District 4

Johana was born in Chihuahua, MX and was raised in the small village of Colonia Aldama. Her family migrated to the United States when Johana was 8 years old and settled in the small town of Holyoke, CO; where Johana’s family still lives today. Her motivation to become the first college graduate in her family as well as to become an advocate for the immigrant community led Johana to New Mexico State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government. After graduating, Johana began working with TRiO Student Support Services, a federally funded program that advocates for first generation and low-income college students. Shortly after, she earned a Master of Social Work also from NMSU. Johana now serves as the Director of Organizing for NM Comunidades en Accion y de Fe (CAFé) where she has been organizing for the past 4 years. Johana is working to build power for marginalized communities in Southern NM, predominantly focusing on immigrant rights and racial and economic justice. She has proudly called NM home for the past 12 years.

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