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NM House Rep. Joseph Hernandez acknowledges, apologizes for police incident at Chicago hotel

District 4 Democrat says he will seek professional help for 'challenges with alcohol'

Rep. Joseph Hernandez, D-Shiprock, talks with other representatives on the House Floor, March 22.
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New Mexico House Rep. Joseph Hernandez, D-Shiprock, apologized late Sunday after the Journal reported he was allegedly found naked and banging on doors at a Chicago hotel last month before being removed from the premises.

鈥淚 want to sincerely apologize to my family and my community for my behavior during a recent stay in Chicago,鈥 Hernandez wrote in a Facebook post. 鈥淢y conduct was not reflective of my role as a state representative or my duty to you 鈥 my constituents, and I accept full responsibility for my actions.鈥

Before details of the episode emerged, Hernandez had issued a two-sentence statement through New Mexico House Democrats.

He vaguely refered to a 鈥渘egative experience鈥 he had with security and police that caused him to leave the Holiday Inn at Wolf Point on July 29. A National Conference of State Legislatures summit was being held in Chicago at the time, though organizers have not released a list of attendees.

Hernandez鈥檚 initial response left much open to interpretation, suggesting that the representative might not have been culpable in the incident and that he possibly left the hotel of his own accord.

A Chicago Police Department report recently released to the Journal and two eyewitnesses allege that the representative was naked, running around the 17th floor of the hotel and 鈥渂anging and knocking on other guests鈥 doors.鈥 Police were called and escorted the representative from the premises.

One of the witnesses also claimed the representative pushed him near an elevator before officers responded, but the representative does not appear to have been charged in connection with the incident.

Both eyewitnesses, who spoke to the Journal on the condition of anonymity to protect their employment, stated that Hernandez had 鈥減assed out鈥 on a couch in the lobby of the hotel on a previous night of his stay, leading to his first encounter with security.

In his statement, Hernandez said he was 鈥渟eeking professional help to address my challenges with alcohol,鈥 describing the incident as a 鈥渞egretful lapse in judgement.鈥

鈥淚 am truly sorry for disappointing all those who put their faith in me, and I am committed to making meaningful changes to recover my health, regain your trust, and uphold the high standards you deserve from your elected representative,鈥 he wrote.

The representative could not be reached for further comment on Monday.

Details of the incident prompted backlash across social media, with some constituents and even fellow House officials calling for Hernandez鈥檚 resignation 鈥 which neither Hernandez nor House Democrats have addressed directly.

鈥淲e鈥檙e very disappointed in what transpired in Chicago,鈥 Democratic House Speaker Javier Mart铆nez said in a statement Monday. 鈥淲e also want to make sure that Representative Hernandez gets the help he needs to show up as the best version of himself for his family and community.鈥

Speaking to the Journal last month, Mart铆nez said he had planned to speak with Hernandez about the incident directly. The speaker added that he could not speak to whether a complaint about the representative鈥檚 behavior had been filed with the New Mexico Interim Legislative Ethics Committee.

Sen. Jim Townsend, R-Artesia, called the incident 鈥渁n embarrassment鈥 on social media and said he was concerned that the Democrat-led Legislature would not take disciplinary action against one of its own.

鈥淗e is a Democrat, so chances are it will be immediately forgotten,鈥 Townsend wrote in a Facebook post.

Hernandez took office in 2025. After winning the Democratic primary in June, the one-term representative is now up against Republican challenger Heather Ellison in the November general to retain his District 4 seat.

Last month, Ellison joined calls for the representative 鈥渢o tell the truth and take accountability for what happened.鈥

John Miller is the Journal鈥檚 northern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at jmiller@abqjournal.com.