NM GOVERNOR & LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR '22 VOTER'S GUIDE
At the New Mexico Business Coalition, we understand that it’s important that each voter is educated in every election, so they can be well-informed, and vote correctly; the person and their positions are more important than the party.
We believe that it’s important that voter’s are careful who they vote for as decisions made by those in authoritative, Government positions will affect all parts of life for New Mexicans from laws and legislation, to financial stability, state development, and even crime-related efforts. Since their positions hold major influence in New Mexico, it’s vital that all voters to look at the qualifications, experience, and stated positions of each major candidate, not their party affiliation, so strong leadership is elected in our state. Listed below are only the major candidates running for these positions.
NEW MEXICO STATE GOVERNOR
CURRENT JOB PERFORMANCE
- NM is now #1 in the nation for having the most people on welfare; more HERE.
- NM has had the highest unemployment rate in the nation for months and was recently listed worst in the nation on WalletHub’s list of hardest working states; more HERE.
- Only 31% of NM children are able to read at grade level and only 25% are competent in math; more HERE.
- Governor Lujan Grisham seems obsessed with a narrative that ‘abortion is healthcare,’ recently issuing an executive order pledging $10 million tax dollars to expand abortion access; more HERE. How about putting that money towards something we all agree on, like fighting crime?
- Under her authority, NM judges are releasing repeat offenders under the context of ‘judicial and bail reform,’ even those accused of killing multiple people; more HERE.
POSITIONS
- Investing in Education- dedicated to uplifting every student, parent, educator, and school in New Mexico.
- Growing our Economy & Creating Jobs- top priority has been to grow and diversify New Mexico’s economy—because booming industry and job opportunities all across the state are critical.
- Promoting Public Safety- addressing the root causes of crime, and ensuring law enforcement offices across New Mexico have the resources and the tools they need to keep communities safe.
- Affordable Healthcare & Public Health- committed to making affordable, high-quality, and comprehensive health care available to every New Mexican.
- Protecting our Air, Land, & Water- continue to take bold action to address the climate crisis, create clean energy jobs, and protect critical natural resources.
- Saving Money for Families & Businesses- believes in putting money directly into their pockets and addressing the issues people care about most.
SOURCES
QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION
- Bachelors Degree from Washington State University in 1996
- GrDip in Meteorology from Mississippi State University
EXPERIENCE
- Certified meteorologist in 1998 and the Chief Meteorologist for Albuquerque’s CBS and FOX affiliates (KRQE) soon after.
- Ran for NM Senate in 2020, lost by a 6.1% margin to Ben Ray Lujan
POSITIONS
- Crime- End Catch & Release, Fight for Tougher Laws, Secure the Border, Fund & Support the Police, Target Illegal Drugs
- Economy- Permanent Tax Relief for the Middle Class and Working Families, Expand the health care workforce, Focus on re-employment, not un-employment, Unleash New Mexico Oil and Gas Production, Gross Receipts Tax Cut for Consumers
- Oil & Gas- believes every
New Mexican should share in the
significant revenue contributions
of the energy industry every year;
in a predictable, recurring way. - Abortion- pro-life, will seek a middle ground with the legislature that ends late-term abortion, only permitted up to 15 weeks and in cases involving rape, incest, and when a mother’s life is at risk.
- Election Integrity- believes we must make it easy to vote, hard to cheat, and strongly supports Voter ID measures, requiring voters to show photo ID to vote.
- Education- believes in giving parents a stronger voice when it comes to their children’s education, by empowering parents, emphasizing local control, and getting money out of bureaucracy and into the classroom.
- Freedoms- believes that we need to restore the balance by putting government back in its place and allowing freedom to flourish once again in our 2nd Amendment rights and circumstances like COVID.
SOURCES
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION
- Lieutenant Governor since 2019
- Attended Western New Mexico University in Silver City
- PhD at NMSU in Education
EXPERIENCE
- Served in the State Senate from 2008-2018, advocating for Education, Universal Healthcare, and Mental Health Programs, along with others
- Oversaw the State Public Education Department (PED), calling for a $500 million budget investment in public school classrooms
PRIORITIES
- Education
- Healthcare
- Veterans
- Snior Services
- Mental Health Programs
SOURCES
QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION
- Ph.D., School of Aeronautics & Astronautics, Purdue University
- M.S., engineering (aero/mech interdisciplinary), Stanford University
- B.S., aerospace engineering sciences, University of Colorado
EXPERIENCE
- Served as an NM senate analyst for the 60-day 2021 legislative session
- A certified member of the International Ombudsman Association trained since 2016.
- Led multi-million dollar programs at Sandia National Laboratories and Lockheed Martin, allowing him to implement key initiatives tasked by the governor.
- Elected as 1st vice chair of Bernalillo County in 2021
- Led the effort to develop and deliver a 6 year strategic plan for the Republican Party of Bernalillo County.
PRIORITIES
- Education- We have no hope of improving and diversifying our economy without improving the education of our children.
- Public Safety- In order to attract the best people and businesses to our state, including the healthcare providers that our people need, we must address the rising crime wave in our cities.
- Jobs- Any small business operating in New Mexico is at an extreme disadvantage compared to our neighbors because of the burden of Gross Receipts Tax (GRT). The entire thing should be repealed.
- Election Integrity- will advocate for localized pilot programs in our state to utilize blockchain technology to ensure election integrity