A quick note: our democracy is seriously flawed, money has perverted campaigns and mainstream media misrepresents the candidates and the stakes. Many have given up on the election process. But, there are very real and important opportunities to slow our nation’s decline. At a state level, we have an absolute opportunity to play offense for once. So, please don’t just read this Guide, use it to organize a small group of friends, pick a race and help Retake Our Democracy.

If you value the work we do, please consider a contribution. We are all volunteers, but we do have some monthly expenses for web and email services, printing, and occasional rental of space for meetings. It is nice if those costs are shared. Thanks so much.

Reaction to the Retake Our Democracy’s Mid-Term Election

Strategy & Guide: I received many notes indicating that the Guide is a very a useful tool. Two examples illustrate what I hope is the outcome for this effort.  From Virginia Mudd:

“Wow! Thank you so much for this. It’s something I can pass on to my own list of folks. Such helpful work!!!  My partner and my engagement and activism takes the form of my website, newsletter and mailings. I’ve sited your work a couple of times in past newsletters. The October issue will focus on the midterms so your latest post, and the link to Swing Left, is a great addition.” Virginia.

The second reaction was from my son, Jesse, who lives in Santa Cruz, California. I sent him the link to Swing Left and after going over it, he used the tool to identify a swing district in Modesto where he will be working on a short term assignment. He is going to take a few extra days and canvass the district. A small individual step, but he will share his experience on his Facebook page where he has a large network of friends who are socially conscious and active but many of whom are not active in the partisan election process. Who knows where that goes? It is just a matter of using this tool as a stimulus to your individual and hopefully collective action.

How to Use This Guide

• Get a group of friends together, pick a campaign in NM or through Swing Left, elsewhere and get started;
• Click the url in the menu bar and share the full guide on your Facebook page with a comment asking friends to join you in getting to work;
• If you are part of a group like DSA, Indivisible or some form of interfaith or labor group, bring it to their attention;
• Use Swing Left to identify swing districts near places you have lived or where you have relatives and send that information to your friends in those communities, with encouragement to canvass, call and/or contribute.
• If you live in Santa Fe, attend one of the House Parties for two Democratic House candidates in key districts in Four Corners and in Southern NM (see below).

Lots you can do. Let’s do it.

The stakes are too high to sit at home and just voting is not enough. Hook up with a pal or two and pick a race or two, get out of your comfort zone and do something to help save our future and our planet. The video at the end of this post shows clearly how a small group of people can impact a close race.  Let’s do this.

Retake Our Democracy 2018 General Election Strategy

Retake Our Democracy has developed a 2018 General Election Strategy that is designed to make it easier for New Mexicans to target their time and donations strategically. Our strategy is not to pick 3-4 races and then coordinate canvassing and calling, but rather to do the research on national, statewide and local races, identify key, high impact races where an infusion of canvassing, calling and contributions could make a significant difference in races that are highly competitive.

During the primary election, Retake used this strategy and focused on defeating Debbie Rodella and Carl Trujillo in House races and in defeating Lynda Lovejoy and Sandy Jones in Public Regulation Commission races. Mission accomplished, as all four candidates were defeated.

The Election Strategy & Voter Guide below presents in order:

• Campaigns for national office with candidates in NM and outside NM, as it is increasingly easy for you to select a candidate anywhere in the US and provide meaningful support.
• Races for Governor, State Land Commission and the Public Regulation Commission race in District 5 (Steve Fischmann).
• Nine NM Roundhouse races, with a focus on races where there is a real opportunity for Democrats to elect not just Democrats to take previously GOP-held districts, but progressive Democrats. In all of these races, we have been told that these races are winnable….if we can generate a more active volunteer and/or donor base.
• An inspiring Swing Left video that captures just how rewarding canvassing for your favorite candidate can be.

Campaigns for National Offices with New Mexico Candidates

In New Mexico, we are fortunate to have mostly safe Democratic seats at the Federal level, allowing voters/volunteers/donors to focus their time and resources on other more competitive races. There is one competitive race in US House District 2 and that represents a potential ‘take-away’ from the GOP.

That race and the other NM Federal candidates are summarized below along with a description of how NM voters can get involved with other federal elections in other states through Swing Left. At the end of the Strategy we provide a video highlighting the dramatic impact that Swing Left is having and how anyone can access it. The video is most worth watching as it shows how once reluctant, even fearful voters, overcame those fears and came to absolutely love canvassing, the precise experience I had. If you want to have a truly meaningful experience and directly impact a close race, there is nothing you can do more important than getting out of your comfort zone and canvassing.

US Senate. Martin Heinrich. We’ve had some disagreements about a few Heinrich votes and as with all our US representatives we would like to see more bold leadership in advancing Medicare for All, Democratic Party reform, peace in Palestine, tuition free college and a host of other issues. Nonetheless, Heinrich is head and shoulders above his GOP opponent and while it may too early to tell, I am guessing Gary Johnson will also not mount much of a challenge. Click here to find out more on his positions and his campaign.

District 1.  Deb Haaland.  It is no secret that Haaland and I have butted heads when she was the DPNM chair, but I’ve been following her at a distance and I respect her strong position in relation to Medicare for All, transition to renewable energy, her strong stand for Palestine and her favoring a return to post WWII income tax rates. Together these clearly stated positions represent a strong statement for achieving peace in the Middle East and addressing economic, social and racial injustice. In short, there is a good deal to like and it is time to move on from the 2016 primary. Click here to find out more about Haaland’s campaign and her positions.

District 2. Xochitl Torres Small.  In Northern NM, we have largely safe seats for Congress and Senate. In Southern NM, we have a decided opportunity to take a seat from the GOP and so for those of you who want to participate in ensuring that NM has ONLY Democratic representatives in the US House, and Senate, I’d encourage you to reach out to Xochitl Torres Small and see what you can do. Click here to see her video and find out about how you can support her campaign. It is a bit of a drive for our Taos, ABQ and Santa Fe supporters, but phone calls and contributions are also needed. For our supporters in Silver City and Las Cruces, this is a real opportunity to get something important done.

District 3. Ben Ray Lujan. Rep. Lujan is beyond safe and while he will certainly campaign, we feel that you can find more impactful places to invest your time and resources. His seat is entirely safe.  Click here to find out more on his campaign.

Important Campaigns for State and National Offices Outside New Mexico

Swing Left. If you are interested in being involved in key campaigns outside New Mexico, you can do no better than to work through Swing Left.org. Swing Left is a very sophisticated web-based system of support with a national scope. You plug in your zip code and it will tell you where the closest swing district is, provide you info on the candidate and the race, and help you get involved in that campaign. Swing Left claims that 75% of voters live within 50 miles of a swing district. This is a great site to share with friends in other states. At the bottom of this post is a short video describing the remarkable impact that Swing Left is having.  Click here for more information on Swing Left.

Beto O’Rourke. Texas Senate. While the focus of Swing Left is on the Congress, there are a few races outside NM that are really resonating nationally:  Beto O’Rourke in his neck and neck battle with Ted Cruz comes first to mind. A win by O’Rourke would send shock waves through the GOP, but despite a huge infusion of dark money, O’Rourke remains within a point or two.  Click here for more on that race and how you can contribute.

Andrew Gillum, Florida Governor. Running an unabashedly progressive campaign, Gillum stunned the pollsters winning the Democratic Party nomination for Governor. The GOP did him a favor and chose Ron DeSantis as their pick. An unapologetic, over the top Trump supporter, he may be too conservative even for Florida. But neo-Nazis have begun robo calls attacking Gillum and you can bet that Trump will step up his tweets, as well. This is another national race that could send a clear message AND make progressive change possible in Florida.  Click here for information on Gillum and his campaign.

Stacy Abrams, Georgia Governor.  It is almost inconceivable that in three solid red southern states, strong progressive Democrats could win huge races and initiate a transformation not only of Southern politics but of national politics. If you want to learn more about this race, click here.   If you want information about how you can support her campaign, click here.

New Mexico State Races

Michelle Lujan Grisham. Governor.  If you are as sick as I am of playing defense, of considering a successful Roundhouse session to be one where we have prevented passage of the death penalty and stalled efforts to ban a woman’s right to choose, then the next two months are critical times. We have a chance to strengthen Democratic hold on the State House and to elect a Democrat Governor. And if we achieve that, so much is possible that has been utterly impossible for eight long years.

A word about voting, I have stated repeatedly that voting for and even actively supporting a candidate does not mean you are entirely charmed with all of a candidate’s positions. It means that given the choices, you’d rather operate in a political environment with one candidate in office than his/her opponent.

The Governor’s race represents an obvious instance of the need to very actively support a candidate despite where being disappointed with some of MLG’s positions. We have suffered under a buffoon as Governor for 8 years, reactionary and insensitive to the core. But she was not terribly competent and so she caused far less damage than was possible. Steve Pearce is not a buffoon and, if elected, he could inflict real damage on our state. And yet inexplicably, the race is close. (Since publishing this Strategy I have been told that MLG has surged to a 10% lead).

Michelle Lujan Grisham is taking money from gas and oil, she has disparaged progressives unnecessarily, and thus far she has been running a somewhat uninspiring campaign. Yet, there is absolutely no question that Lujan Grisham would be more inclined to support and sign the Health Security Act, significantly increase funding for education, increase our commitment to renewable energy, and finally develop a quality pre-K system. Steve Pearce would not. And yet the race is close and so I am asking Retake supporters to find time to actively support her campaign. It is simply too important to stand on the sidelines.  Click here for information on her campaign.

State Commissioner of Public Lands 

The New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands is an elected constitutional officer in the state executive branch in charge of managing all state lands and mineral rights, as well as overseeing leases and royalties on state land, in New Mexico. In these times it is vitally important to have a true guardian of the planet, not someone seeking to get a good return on the destruction of public land by the extractive industry. The Choice for Commissioner of Public Lands is an easy one.

Dem. Stephanie Garcia Richard. Garcia Richard has served three terms in the NM House of Representatives, representing Los Alamos County, District 43 where she was a tireless advocate for public education.

GOP Patrick Lyons.  Lyons served for seven years on the Public Regulation Commission where he was a tireless advocate and doormat for gas and oil generally and PNM specifically.

This is not a difficult choice at all and in a real democracy, Garcia Richards would win in a landslide. But expect Lyons to benefit from huge contributions from the gas and oil industries. We strongly recommend that you support Garcia Richards.

Public Regulation Commission District 5

Aside from the Governor’s race, we feel that this race is the single most important race in the state. In Roundhouse races, the choice between one candidate or the other represents one of seventy House Representatives. At the PRC this election is for one of five seats and, as constituted’ two PRC commissioners are strong environmentalists and three are consistent supporters of the extractive industries and nuclear energy.

Steve Fischmann. Dem. Fischmann is a strong environmentalist, served in the NM State Senate and understands the issues at stake at the PRC. He will not just be a solid vote for the planet, he will be an inspiring leader on the PRC.

Ben Hall GOP. From the Las Cruces Sun News Editorial Board:  “Hall served on the PRC from 2010 to 2014… But he never seemed to have a vision for the PRC then or now.” – Las Cruces Sun News Editorial Board primary endorsements (5/30/2018).  Hall still touts coal as a preferred source of electric power. This despite the fact that coal plants around the country are closing down because they cannot compete in open markets with renewables and gas. As recently as May 17, the Deming Headlight quotes Hall in an interview “…coal is the cheapest way to go.” WRONG.

Electing Fischmann would create a 3-2 majority for environmentalists and that will be huge. Since 2016, New Energy Economy has tirelessly advocated on behalf of rate payers and the planet. Since 2016, NEE has won over the PRC hearing examiners every single time and every single time the PRC commissioners overturned NEE and the hearing examiners. If Fischmann is elected, the PRC will uphold the hearing examiners. There is a reason that PNM spent $400K to try to defeat Fischmann in the primary and you can bet they will find a way to pour more money into this race now, only perhaps with a bit more subtlety.  The nearest community to Santa Fe and ABQ that is within Steve’s district is in Los Lunas but for our supporters in Las Cruces and Silver City you are part of Steve’s district. We need a win here folks, so please share this with friends in District 5.

By far the most impactful thing you can do to support Fischmann is to canvass on his behalf, but if this is too distant, please consider making calls and contributions. This is just too important a race to stand on the sidelines.  Click here to get in touch with Fischmann’s campaign.

2018 General Election Strategy. The Roundhouse

The next section of the Strategy & Guide presents eleven crucial NM Roundhouse races, with a focus on races where there is a real opportunity for Democrats to elect not just Democrats in previously GOP-held districts, but progressive Democrats. In all of these races, we have been told that these races are very winnable….if they can expand on their volunteer and/or donor base.

Targeting key races was an effective strategy in the primary election in June. In June, our primary goals were to replace Debbie Rodella and Carl Trujillo in the House and to defeat Lynda Lovejoy and Sandy Jones in the Public Regulation Commission. Mission accomplished.

For the general election, we have worked with the NM House Democratic campaign operation to identify key races where an infusion of canvassing, calling or contributions could put a key candidate over the top. The list below is not a list of the 6-8 best candidates for the legislature. There are other very good candidates who look to be well organized, well-funded and primed to win and others who, even with more support, would have a very tough path to victory. We must be realistic. It isn’t as if our outreach is going to turn out hundreds of volunteers each week. So, we  honed our list to races that are relatively near to areas where we have a base of support and where the races are close and your involvement could bring home a win.

You may have already identified a candidate or two who you plan to support and even if that candidate has not made our list, we encourage you to be involved. But if you are looking for how best to use your time and financial resources to advance equity and justice at a state level, read on.

I don’t want to overplay this, but many of us have marched, we have petitioned, we have called. We have a national government out of touch with reality and us. But here in NM, we have a real opportunity to take a firm grip on our future. To achieve this end, we absolutely need some of you to get out of your comfort zones and write checks, make calls and most of all, to canvass. Without question in most every district what is most needed is YOU–to devote a few weeknights or weekends to door-knocking. And before you think, “That just isn’t my thing,” I want to ask you this: is watching the Health Security Act, early childhood funding, and commitments to renewables going down in flames your thing? Likely not.

Once you take the leap and knock on a few doors, canvassing is absolutely addictive. You have tremendous conversations with people much like you and and people very different from you. Most importantly, you can motivate people to vote and to get engaged. At the bottom of this Strategy & Gide I have included a short video from Swing Left with testimonials from folks who had never canvassed before. A link to the video can also be found on our Facebook page. So, let’s do this.

Northern New Mexico

Dist. 43. Los Alamos. Open seat to replace Democrat Stephanie Garcia Richards in a traditionally swing district that is trending more Democratic.

Dem. Chris Chandler. Chandler, an attorney and county councilor who has long engaged in community and philanthropic work, is running a very strong field campaign. However, like many down-ballot candidates in an election cycle dominated by statewide and congressional races, she is experiencing significant fundraising challenges. One way to help would be to make calls encouraging Democrats to attend her events and house parties. To reach her campaign, click here.

GOP.  Lisa Shin. Shin is an ultra conservative GOP, far out of alignment with her community. She was head of Korean Americans for Trump, has had her photo taken with Steve Bannon, and proudly waves a “lock her up” sign.

Dist. 50.  A torturously twisted district that includes: Eldorado, Lamy, Galisteo, Stanley, Edgewood, Moriarty, McIntosh, Chilili, Tajique, Manzano, Torreon, Mountainair, and Rio Communities. Matthew told me there are also other “smaller’ communities in between. I told you it was torturous.

Dem.  Matthew McQueen.  The biggest challenge McQueen faces is in running against a candidate who is Independent, self-funded and enjoys support from folks who are advocating for Open Primaries. McQueen is a solid, very accessible candidate who actually listens to constituents and should be retained. More than anything, they need field help, volunteers to canvass and call and he has a good team coordinating that effort. It would be good to get some of those who canvassed for Yazzie to renew their efforts canvassing in La Cienega, Madrid and Eldorado. Click here to contribute to his campaign or if you’d like to call or knock on doors (yes) contact Wendy Pomeroy Field Director at (505) 690-4887, fieldmcqueenfornm@gmail.com

Independent.  Jarratt Applewhite.  Applewhite is wealthy, and his campaign appears to be largely self-funded.  He’s focused almost exclusively on open primaries, to the detriment of any substantive information about his other policy positions.  Because there is no Republican in the race, Applewhite poses more of a challenge to McQueen than would otherwise be the case.

Dist. 46. Northern Santa Fe, Nambe, Pojoaque, Española Valley.

Dem. Andrea Romero.  In a most instances, this race would not be on this list, as Romero is challenged only be a write-in candidate. But persistent and strangely biased media coverage of the Regional Coalition audit has been unrelenting.  So, we do not want to take any chances. The media and social media bias has been covered in the Retake blog and on the radio. Perhaps the most important thing anyone can do to support her campaign is to circulate links to a Retake blog that provided more balanced coverage of the audit and unallowable expenditures and the reasons to support Romero. Click here to reach her campaign.

Albuquerque

Albuquerque is where there are six races where, with a bit of canvassing, calling and contributing, we could take six seats from the GOP moving from a narrow 38-32 majority to a dominating 44-26 majority, where a few defections by Democrats can be overcome and where committees won’t be tied or split 6-5. This will make passing progressive legislation far easier.  Plus the districts are all in and around ABQ and there are some mighty fine Democrats to support.

Dist. 15.  North Valley, Northeast Heights. Open seat to replace Republican Sarah Maestas Barnes in a swing district that tilts Democratic.

Dem. Dayan ‘Day’ Hochman-Vigil.  Day is a strong progressive, and her campaign needs both volunteers and contributions.  Although she’s a new candidate and her opponent (Brad Winter) is very well-known, the race is close and she could easily defeat him with some help. This is a major pick up opportunity in a seat we should be able to hold in future cycles.  Click here to get in contact with her campaign.

GOP. Brad Winter.  As a two-decade city councilor, and former interim Secretary of State, Winter is perhaps the best known of the GOP newcomers and he is well funded. But he is also about as unfriendly to labor as you can get. As a City Councilor in ABQ he consistently voted against any increase in the minimum wage. He also ran for Mayor in 2005. There is a reason he didn’t win that race: he campaigned on his opposition to any increases to the minimum wage. Want more? Winter is consistently pro-life, pro-concealed carry, and just loves voter ID laws. Go Day!

Dist. 28.  Northeast Heights.

Dem. Melanie Ann Stansbury.  Melanie is a water policy and natural resources expert, who served the Senate Energy Committee and in Obama’s Office of Management and Budget.  She is a great candidate, who is working hard with a great network of volunteers, but she can always use more!  She has been an effective fundraiser, which is critical in a Republican-leaning seat. HRC won this district by 1.2%, and the House race is very tight. Click here to contact her campaign.

GOP. Jimmie Hall is not the worst GOP legislator, although a 30% CVNM lifetime rating, hardly inspiring. He has a long list of terrible votes: favors killing coyotes for fun (HB 316), consistently votes for corporate tax cuts and giveaways, while opposing funding increases for behavioral health, teachers, Medicaid, veterans. He has never really faced any serious competition, but he is now and the race is close.

Dist. 20. Southeast ABQ, Four Hills

Dem. Abbas Akhil. Akhil was a post-primary ballot replacement, so he got a later start than most other candidates. But he is such a personable candidate that he is turning heads. A retired scientist from Sandia Labs, Abbas specializes in renewable energy storage and is a solid progressive. When people hear his message, he is very compelling. This is a great pickup opportunity, and Abbas would provide strong leadership. He needs grassroots donors, as well as volunteers to walk his district. Click here for more information on his campaign.

GOP.  Jim Dines. Lifetime 31% rating by Conservation Voters of NM.  He also has a long list of bad votes, but suffice to say in 2017 he received a 97% rating from the NRA, 100% from the NM Association of Commerce & Industry, voted to require parent notification before a teenager could obtain an abortion and voted to ban abortions after 20 weeks. Ugh.

Dist 68. Northwest ABQ

Dem.  Karen Bash is working extremely hard, is unabashedly progressive, and a retired minister. She doesn’t have a robust network of volunteers to knock on doors, but by herself she has knocked on over 4000 doors.  With a couple handfuls of door knockers, we can win this race and free Youngblood to focus on her DUI defense. Click here to reach Karen’s campaign.

GOP. Monica Youngblood. Youngblood has been one of the Roundhouse’s most hostile legislators when it comes to criminal justice and climate. She never met a death penalty she doesn’t embrace. 20% Lifetime rating from Conservation Voters of NM. Her DUI was bad enough, but her embarrassing effort to use her stature as a legislator to try to convince the officer to let her off, is not exactly the kind of video you want circulating and there are multiple versions available on YouTube.

Dist. 29. Northwest ABQ

Dem. Joy Garratt is a lifelong teacher and mentor, who has worked with students from pre-K through the university level.  She currently serves as an instructional coach helping teachers improve their effectiveness.  She is running in a critical swing district that represents one of our best pick-up opportunities; in 2016, the House Democratic candidate lost by a mere nine (9) votes (no, that’s not a typo).

GOP. David Adkins. She’s running against two-term incumbent David Adkins, who proudly promotes his status as the legislature’s most conservative member.  In two out of the three years the so-called “Freedom Index” was published by the Koch-funded Rio Grande Foundation, Adkins was ranked the most conservative legislator—making him one of the most reliable votes for the Koch brothers’ priorities. Pretty good reason to remove him, I’d say.  Click here to reach Garratt’s campaign.

Dist. 30.  Northeast ABQ

Dem. Natalie Figueroa is a master teacher with a passion for serving others. An innovative educator who has been awarded grants and scholarships in three states, Natalie also serves as a mentor teacher for the University of New Mexico’s School of Education, helping to train the next generation of teachers. In 2016, Natalie courageously stepped forward to challenge entrenched incumbent House Majority Leader Nate Gentry.  Despite being outspent more than 6-1 (Gentry’s $630,000 to Natalie’s $100,000), she came within 600 votes of unseating the chamber’s most powerful Republican.

GOP. John James. This cycle, Gentry is retiring from the legislature, so HD30 is an open seat. Natalie is facing John Jones, a former lobbyist, water & wastewater association executive, and husband of Janice Arnold-Jones, the Republican candidate for Congressional District 1. Although he hasn’t served in office, so we don’t have a record of his votes on specific issues, his social media posts are hostile to environmental regulation, mocks welfare and suicide hotlines, and demonstrates a shocking tolerance for homophobia, racism and sexism. Click here to reach the Figueroa campaign.

Southern & Far Northern NM

Why canvassing is tough in Southern NM

As if it were not enough to have opportunities to take six seats in ABQ, there are two real opportunities to win seats in Southern NM and in the Four Corners. In both of these races, canvassing is difficult to virtually impossible, and even phone banking is a challenge, as phone numbers are unavailable and/or change often. Given that both communities are very poor, fundraising is the most significant challenge. Santa Fe will be hosting ‘meet and greet’ fundraisers for the candidates from Northern and Southern NM in September. Details below and I really encourage you to attend one or both. Info on the meet and greets is provided below.

Urban and suburban districts are more likely to draw attention and engagement, but these rural communities are really suffering with right wing GOP representatives who don’t care about serving or investing in their communities. The impacts of these elections—if we’re successful in winning them—are likely to have more ‘real world’ impacts on families’ daily lives than any other race on this list.

So, the best way to support either of these Democratic candidates is by providing donations to purchase radio and digital ads. Your donation need not be huge. In these districts, a $25 or $50 donation can go a very long way as campaign budgets are 25-50% of those in hotly-contested ABQ and Santa Fe races. Coupled with wins in the four races in ABQ, we could wind up with a 44-26 House split in 2019.

Dist. 4.  Four Corners

Dem. Anthony Allison. Anthony Allison is a former union member who spent his career in the coal mines and as a supervisor for BHP; yet he wants to transition to renewable energy, and ease the impact of that shift on workers in the fossil fuel industry. He’s a co-founder of the Navajo Voters Coalition, and he enjoys strong labor support. His position is that the mines and power plants are going to inevitably close, so if we don’t begin to develop a comprehensive transition plan that protects workers and communities, we are losing valuable time and Four Corners will wind up being a sacrifice zone. He is campaigning on a platform of keeping transition and clean up jobs local and paying good wages. Click here to reach Anthony’s Facebook page.

GOP.  Clahchischilliage. In 2016, she won by less than 800 votes against a different challenger. Her 21% CVNM rating is close to the worst in the House and she is a strong advocate for coal at any cost, resisting efforts to plan for a just transition to renewables.

Want to support Allison’s campaign:

Meet Anthony Allison in Santa Fe, Tuesday, September 11, 2018, 6:00 to 7:30 pm, at the home of Inaugural Navajo Nation Poet Laureate and UNM Professor Emerita Luci Tapahonso, 26 West Saddleback Mesa Santa Fe, NM 87508. Appetizers and refreshments will be served.  Suggested Contributions:
Host: $500 ~ Co-Host: $250 ~ Guest: $100 ~ Friend: $50 ~ Grassroots: $25
RSVP to Gabrielle Schultz at gabby@nmhdcc.com or 505-570-5857.

House Dist. 53.  Chaparral, Las Cruces, Alamogordo.  Canvassing this district is very difficult, but the campaign is highly motivated, and working hard on field—especially in Chaparral. Phone contact is almost impossible, and although some mail is valuable, it isn’t the critical tool that is so important in other districts.

Dem. Willie Madrid. Willie is an educator and football coach. He was a late ballot replacement in 2016, but even with the late start, he only lost by 138 votes. He is working very hard and is a solid Democrat. This district will likely be the lowest turnout in the state; in the 2014 midterms, the turnout was a mere 28%. As a result, a few votes can make the entire difference in this race. So, your donations will have a huge impact, and we encourage you to contribute. Willie will be in Santa Fe and ABQ for fundraisers on Sept 22 click here for details on Santa Fe, and click here for details about the ABQ event. Click here to get to Willie’s campaign Facebook page.

GOP. Ricky Little. This guy really needs to go. He literally says things like “I don’t understand why we teach theories like evolution or climate change.” He is perhaps the single most out of touch legislator in the Roundhouse. His lifetime CVNM rating is 27%.  And he can be beaten.

Meet Willie Madrid in Santa Fe, Saturday, September 22nd 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the home of
Richard Ellenberg and Margaret Wood, 1714 Canyon Road Santa Fe, NM 87501. Appetizers and refreshments will be served. Suggested Contributions: Host: $250 ~ Guest: $100 ~ Friend: $50 ~ Grassroots: $25.  RSVP to Gabrielle Schultz at gabby@nmhdcc.com or 505-570-5857.
Contributions can also be made online at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/20180922_sf or mailed to: Elect Willie Madrid for State Representative,108 Hendrich Rd, Chaparral, NM 88081.

Swing Left:  Ten Minutes of Inspiring Information on How You Can Help Retake the US House