Former Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales died Wednesday of cancer according to a statement released by Christus St. Vincent.
Elected in 2014, Gonzales served one term as the city’s mayor and was also the city’s first openly gay mayor.
Gonzales decided to not run for a second term, citing the desire to spend more time with his two daughters as the position of mayor shifted into a full-time role.
After his stint as mayor, Gonzales joined Christus St. Vincent as vice president and chief development office of its hospital foundation.
In a statement released by current Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber, he refers to Gonzales as a “true son of Santa Fe” and said on a personal note, he has lost “a friend, a mentor, an advisor, and a strong and steady presence in my life and in my work.”
Mayor Webber also sent a letter to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, asking that all flags be lowered to half-mast in honor of Mayor Gonzales life, and the significant contributions he made to the city and the state.