Day Hochman-Vigil
NM State Representative
District 15
Dayan “Day” M. Hochman-Vigil serves as a New Mexico State Representative for District 15, which encompasses Albuquerque’s beautiful North Valley and NE Heights.
She was elected to the position in 2018 and immediately became a leader in criminal justice reform and transparency in government. She has dedicated her time in the NM State Legislature to work on court reform, protections of the confidentiality of crime victims, and increased funding for sexual assault survivor services.
Day has fought for legislation to increase transparency in political lobbying and to fund more career-technical programs in New Mexico public schools.
In the 2020 Legislative Session, Day co-sponsored, and the Governor signed, HB6 the “Safer Communities Act.” This bi-partisan legislation allows judges to impose stiffer penalties for gun-related crimes and expands the potential resources for community policing. The legislation took a multi-pronged approach to prevent crime while also holding criminals more accountable.
Day also sponsored HB21, the “Protect Our Voices Act,” signed by the Governor, to level the playing field for victims of harassment, retaliation or discrimination, preventing employers from forcing nondisclosure agreements as part of the settlement.
Day worked with the Governor to sponsor the “Threats and Acts of Mass Violence” bill to expand the state’s Anti-Terrorism Act to criminalize terroristic threats and conduct. It created penalties for those make threats disrupting public educational or governmental institutions, including those who engage in cyberattacks against public institutions. The legislation originated from a bi-partisan Domestic Terrorism Summit convened by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham in 2019.
Day is a native New Mexican, born and raised in Santa Fe, and is the only certified aviation and space attorney in the State of New Mexico. She practices law as a commercial aviation safety and security specialist and has been recognized for her work providing pro bono community legal services. She graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Law and holds a Master of Law degree in Aviation and Space Law from McGill University.
Day comes from hard-working New Mexican roots. Her father was a local doctor, rancher and small business owner outside of Glorieta, NM, while her mother managed a restaurant on the Santa Fe Plaza. At an early age, Day became interested in language, political science and the arts. After graduating with her Bachelor of Arts, Day witnessed the social and political realities for four countries, learning to speak three languages fluently.
Day has served as a Public Interest Fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union in Denver, CO, where she worked on several public policy issues including voter rights and preservation of free speech. She became interested in criminal law and was recognized for her work and dedication to providing pro bono legal services to the community, including working for the release of a falsely accused man who had been wrongly incarcerated for 28 years.
After law school, Day continued to serve her community as an American Bar Association Young Lawyers’ Division National Scholar and was named the youngest serving President of the Board of Directors of the New Mexico Womens’ Bar Association in 2013. Following her Masters program, Day acquired experience at the Federal level in Washington, D.C. practicing regulatory law and interacting with the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Day manages her own law firm, DHV Law LLC, specializing in Aviation & Space Law.
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