Janice Arnold Jones

Early life, education, and business career

She was born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, but raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her father was a U.S. Air Force officer, who died on active duty. She graduated from Albuquerque High School and the University of New Mexico. She earned a B.A. in Communications.

She married Ensign John L. Jones from the US Navy Reserve in July 1975 and departed Albuquerque as a Navy wife, returning in July 1994 when her husband took a final posting in the Logistics Directorate at Field Command, Defense Nuclear Agency, Kirtland AFB NM. During those years she owned two businesses and was a community activist everywhere they lived, working on issues ranging from rape intervention and counseling, education, community safety and served for almost 20 years as a soccer coach in Virginia, Rhode Island, Florida, and New Mexico.

She returned to the work force in Albuquerque as office manager for a small minority owned nuclear environmental business called Parallax, Inc and subsequently served as a mid- and senior grade executive at EnergySolutions, an international, cradle to grave, nuclear services company that assists the United States and other countries to achieve energy security while reducing carbon emissions and protecting the environment.

Elections

After redistricting and having served over 20 years, incumbent Republican State Representative George Buffett of New Mexico's 24th House District decided to retire. Representative Buffet suggest she run and she subsequently defeated Democrat Marilynn Cooper 59%-41%. In 2004, she was unopposed and won re-election to a second term. In 2006, she won re-election to a third term with 55% of the vote. In 2008, she again was unopposed and won re-election to a fourth term.

Tenure

Frustrated by backroom deals and late night finagling after the press corps went to bed, she brought a webcam to her committee meetings in the Legislature, and was eventually dubbed “Lady Sunlight” by the newspapers. The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government awarded her the William S. Dixon First Amendment Freedom Award. New Mexico's only conservative think tank, the Rio Grande Foundation, awarded her the Liberty Award.

Committee assignments

2010 gubernatorial election

She decided to retire from the legislature and run for Governor of New Mexico after incumbent Democratic Governor Bill Richardson was term limited. In the Republican primary, she ranked last in a five candidate field with 3% of the vote. Susana Martinez, District Attorney for Doña Ana County, won the primary with 51% of the vote.

2012 congressional election

After incumbent Democrat, U.S. Congressman Martin Heinrich of New Mexico's 1st congressional district, decided to retire in order to run for U.S. Senate, Arnold-Jones decided to run. She initially faced Albuquerque City Councilman Dan Lewis and new resident (and Army veteran) Gary Smith in the Republican primary, but Lewis dropped his candidacy after under performing in the Republican pre-primary convention and Smith was removed from the ballot when a New Mexico District Judge sustained a challenge, by 8 Republican voters, to the validity of Smith's petition signatures so she was formally unopposed in the primary. She faced Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham in the general election and was defeated 59% to 41%.

Appointment to Albuquerque City Council

On April 15, 2013, she was appointed by Mayor Richard J. Berry to the Albuquerque City Council, filling a seat vacated by Council member Michael Cook, who resigned earlier in the month. She said she would seek election to a full term as a council member in the October 8, 2013 city election.

2013 Albuquerque City Council general election and runoff

Earlier in the year, Albuquerque voters in a mail-in election approved an ordinance requiring 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff election, and in the general election on October 8, 2013, Arnold-Jones went on to win 49% of the vote, missing the 50% mark by 77 votes, triggering a runoff. In the runoff election on November 19, 2013, Arnold-Jones was defeated 51% to 49% by Democrat Diane Gibson.