McKinley County District Attorney Bernadine Martin resigns amid petition effort

Bernadine Martin, the elected District Attorney for McKinley County in the Eleventh Judicial District, submitted her resignation from office on Feb. 26, 2026, and informed news outlets of the decision that day. The resignation is effective Feb. 27, 2026, removing Martin from the office she has held as of that effective date.

Martin’s departure comes amid a petition effort that has been active in McKinley County. The timing ties the formal resignation filing on Feb. 26 to the ongoing petition activity, leaving the county’s chief prosecutor’s office in transition as of Feb. 27, 2026.

The effective vacancy in the District Attorney’s office will begin Feb. 27, 2026. With Martin’s resignation taking effect that day, the Eleventh Judicial District’s McKinley County prosecutors, support staff and court partners will face an immediate leadership gap starting Feb. 27, 2026.

Local officials and court administrators in McKinley County now must address the vacancy created by Martin’s Feb. 27, 2026, departure. The resignation announced to news outlets on Feb. 26, 2026, sets a clear timeline for when the elected District Attorney’s office will change hands and when decisions about interim leadership and case management will be necessary.