Councilor Alma Castro

Alma Castro

District 1 Councilor

Alma Castro is a proud Santa Fesine who is deeply connected to Northern New Mexico, tracing their family's origins to Cañoncito and the villages of Agua Fria and Lamy, where Alma’s grandparents once called home. In the 1980s, Alma's father made a perilous journey from El Salvador to Santa Fe, escaping the civil war. Alma’s mother followed her parents to Santa Fe in the mid-1970s.

Growing up, she witnessed the strength, resilience, and commitment to social justice of their parents, drawing powerful inspiration from them. This influence, combined with the support of educators at St. Michael’s and Santa Fe High Schools, as well as Oberlin College, laid a solid foundation for Alma’s unwavering commitment to grassroots leadership. She pursued a career in organizing and community activism, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative American Studies and Politics.

Dedicated to advocating for workers' rights, Alma has tirelessly fought for better working conditions and higher wages for low-wage workers. She gained new skills in advocacy at the Public Allies Program at Somos Un Pueblo Unido, where she led successful campaigns, along with Santa Fe workers, against wage theft and unsafe working conditions in the city. Alma also took a strong stand against policies that aimed to revoke driver's licenses from undocumented residents in New Mexico, further solidifying a commitment to improving the quality of life of the community at large.

Alma expanded their expertise in labor rights during their tenure as an organizer with The Chicago Workers Collaborative. There, she collaborated with city and state officials to draft legislation targeting racial discrimination in the workplace. This experience enriched their understanding of the broader labor movement.

In 2019, Alma brought their wealth of experience back to Santa Fe, playing a pivotal role in transforming Café Castro from a small family business into a democratically managed LLC. This transition aims to make Café Castro a 100% employee-owned enterprise. As a strong supporter of alternative business models and community investment, Alma continues to strengthen and build a resilient local economy in Santa Fe.

Alma won their first political campaign in 2023, using public financing to become Santa Fe's youngest city council member and first democratic socialist-endorsed candidate to hold office.