ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque community is mourning the loss of a powerhouse politician and one of the founders of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Former New Mexico state senator Tom Rutherford died earlier this week from natural causes at the age of 77. He served in the Roundhouse from 1972 to 1996. He championed human rights and LGBT equality.
His son, Jeremy Rutherford, remembered him as a great father and leader who loved New Mexico. “He traveled the world both as a balloonist, and a politician, and as a lawyer, and he never missed an opportunity to promote New Mexico, promote Albuquerque, promote Balloon Fiesta. He loved his adopted home state,” said Rutherford.
He also served as majority leader and was a Bernalillo County commissioner.
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