Richard Lucero

Richard L. Lucero, a New Mexico businessman, was the longest-serving mayor of Española, New Mexico, serving on and off for a total of 22 years.[1]

Lucero is the owner of Country Farm Supply, a store on Española's Riverside Drive, that his family have owned since the 1970s.[1] In 2004, he founded Española Military Academy, based on a similar school in Oakland, California, with the vision of improving academic achievement through the use military discipline. In 2008, the Academy underwent a funding crisis as State officials sought to withdraw funding based on students' performance and radical teaching methods.[3]

The Richard L. Lucero Center, Española's Public Library and Recreational Swim and Athletic Center, was named in his honor[2] during his administration.

In 2019, Richard L. Lucero was accused in two separate legal actions of having sexually abused boys in relation to his role as a Scoutmaster and Explorers troop leader in Española during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.[4][5]