Tara Jaramillo
Tara Jaramillo | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from the 38th district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Rebecca Dow |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | New Mexico State University (BA, MS) |
Tara Jaramillo is an American politician, speech language pathologist, and businesswoman serving as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives for the 38th district. Elected in November 2022, she assumed office on January 1, 2023.
Education
Jaramillo earned a Bachelor of Arts in special education and Master of Science in speech language pathology from New Mexico State University.[1]
Career
From 1993 to 1997, Jaramillo worked as a speech language pathologist at La Vida Felicidad Early Intervention in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She worked at Presbyterian Hospital from 1997 to 1999. In 1999, she founded Positive Outcomes, a healthcare organization with over 400 employees.[2] She was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives in November 2022.[3][4]
In 2025, Tara Jaramillo faced scrutiny following the publication of a report by the Southwest Public Policy Institute alleging that her company, Positive Outcomes, Inc., operated an unlicensed employee loan program.[5] The report claimed the loans carried high effective interest rates and lacked required disclosures under federal lending laws. Jaramillo denied the allegations, stating the loans were intended as a low-interest employee benefit and were legally vetted. The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions opened an investigation, which remained ongoing as of mid-2025.[6][7]
References
- ^ "Q&A: House District 38 candidate Tara Jaramillo - Albuquerque Journal". www.abqjournal.com. 18 September 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
- ^ "Tara Jaramillo is a Democratic Candidate for New Mexico State Representative in District 38". KRWG Public Media. 2022-06-03. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
- ^ "Tara Jaramillo". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
- ^ "Tara Jaramillo, Sandy Hammack vie to represent a redrawn New Mexico House district 38". Las Cruces Sun-News. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
- ^ Millard, Taylor (2025-06-25). "Progressive Payday? New Mexico Democrat Probed for High-Interest Loans to Workers". RedState. Retrieved 2025-07-19.
- ^ Chacón, Daniel J. (2025-07-17). "Former lawmaker accused of lending scheme vows to go after accuser". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 2025-07-19.
- ^ Brenner, Patrick M. (2025-06-25). "Report: Black Market Payday". Southwest Public Policy Institute. Retrieved 2025-07-19.