Dede FeldmanDede Feldman was not born a progressive reformer, but her crooked path to the New Mexico Senate, through door-to-door politics, early women's campaigns, and alternative newspapers took her there. Dede grew up outside of Philadelphia and moved to Albuuerque's North Valley in 1976 where she and her husband built a pioneering solar adobe home. She was elected to the Senate in 1996, one of the first women to represent the largely Hispanic area. During her 16 years in Santa Fe, she became a champion of healthcare and democracy reforms, environmental and consumer protection, causes she still fights for outside of the legislature. A former teacher and journalist, she is the author of two award- winning books, Inside the New Mexico Senate: Boots Suits and Citizens and Another Way Forward: Grassroots Solutions from New Mexico. With a BA and MA from the University of Pennsylvania, Dede is currently a political commentator and non-profit consultant in Albuquerque. Read More Read Less