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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
State Profile
New Mexico
NM · Region DAL
DDS approval rate
41.3%
+1.5 pts vs national
DDS approval rate
41.3%
National: 39.8%
3-year change
+6.0 pts
Annual receipts
13,138
FY2024
Hearing offices
2
22 ALJs
Latest monthly DDS data · 2026-06
Initial receipts
1,001
Initial determinations
699
Initial allowance rate
46.6%
Initial pending
6,065
Recon determinations
105
Recon allowance rate
23.8%
Hearing offices in New Mexico
| Office | Rank | Processing days | Pending | Approval | Judges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALBUQUERQUE | 97 | 264 | 2,145 | 53.7% | 18 |
| NHC ALBUQUERQUE | — | 317 | 291 | 49.1% | 6 |
ALJs in New Mexico (22)
Sorted by approval rate.
| Judge | Office | Approval | Decisions | Awards | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stults, Douglas | OKLAHOMA CITY | 81.7% | 295 | 241 | |
| Rauenzahn, MaryKay | SPECIAL REVIEW CADRE | 79.8% | 104 | 83 | |
| Suing, Timothy | HOUSTON WEST | 77.3% | 22 | 17 | |
| Fellabaum, Jennifer | ALBUQUERQUE | 62.3% | 207 | 129 | |
| Carr, Michael | SPECIAL REVIEW CADRE | 61.1% | 36 | 22 | |
| Hansen, Holly | METAIRIE | 60.2% | 319 | 192 | |
| Elias, Yasmin | PHOENIX NORTH | 58.0% | 50 | 29 | |
| Lough, Sarah | MINNEAPOLIS | 57.9% | 273 | 158 | |
| Wiedemann, Karen | METAIRIE | 57.1% | 240 | 137 | |
| Juge, Christopher H. | METAIRIE | 56.3% | 144 | 81 | |
| Benedict, David | METAIRIE | 52.8% | 286 | 151 | |
| Lindsay, Michelle | ALBUQUERQUE | 52.2% | 23 | 12 | |
| Exnicios, Richard M. | METAIRIE | 49.5% | 285 | 141 | |
| Leppala, Michael | ALBUQUERQUE | 49.4% | 259 | 128 | |
| Pierce, Katie H | NHC ALBUQUERQUE | 48.2% | 83 | 40 | |
| Hertzig, Michael S. | METAIRIE | 47.3% | 205 | 97 | |
| O'Melinn, Barry | NHC ALBUQUERQUE | 47.2% | 286 | 135 | |
| Midles, Matt | SAN FRANCISCO | 46.9% | 196 | 92 | |
| Timmins, Talia | ALBUQUERQUE | 46.9% | 228 | 107 | |
| Frost-Wolf, Joyce | NHC ALBUQUERQUE | 46.0% | 248 | 114 | |
| Freedman, Robert | ALBUQUERQUE | 43.3% | 305 | 132 | |
| Van Vleck, Deborah J | NHC ALBUQUERQUE | 39.7% | 234 | 93 |
Next step
Estimate approval odds
See SSA historical approval base rates for a New Mexico claim by condition, age, and stage.