Rio Rancho judge announces re-election campaign

RIO RANCHO — Rio Rancho Municipal Judge G. Robert Cook announced he is running for a fifth term next year.

Cook, elected to the bench in 2010, made his intentions known for the March 3, 2026, election on his official campaign page on Facebook.

“I understand the challenges Rio Rancho families face — and I’m dedicated to delivering fair, informed decisions,” Cook stated.

Cook is a nonpartisan judge who serves as the only elected judicial officer in Rio Rancho Municipal Court, which also includes two alternate judges, according to the city’s website. The court hears traffic citations and arrests, animal control cases, code enforcement cases, and other petty misdemeanors, the website said.

According to his resume, Cook counts his creation of environmental court to address code enforcement and animal control cases as one of his top accomplishments during his tenure as municipal court judge. He is also proud of a first offender program that allows for potential dismissal of cases for defendants who have never committed crimes before.

Before Cook was elected as municipal court judge, he was an alternate from 2006 to 2009. From 1984 to 2006, he rose through the ranks of the New Mexico Police from patrolman to sergeant. Those years, spent mostly in Gallup, “shaped my commitment to fairness, safety, and service — and I bring that experience to the bench every single day,” Cook said.