Why I Am Running

I am running for NM House District 8 because I believe a progressive voice should represent our district. We need to address root causes of the problems in NM to improve our healthcare system and economy and make our state a better place to live. This is why I was endorsed very early by the National Education Association of NM. They realize I will champion improving our education system and supporting our teachers. If we don't educate our children well, we have no future.

My incumbent opponent, Alonzo Baldonado, obviously has more experience in the legislative process than I do. If we were to talk about specific bills, he would run circles around me. Our differences are in our core values and beliefs about what is important, and those values and beliefs determine how we vote. My values and beliefs are that the state should work to continually improve the quality of life for all New Mexicans. My opponent’s votes do not support such improvement. For example, in 2017 he opposed studying a plan to implement universal healthcare in NM. He seems to consistently vote against renewable energy projects. He votes for big government to get involved with a woman's health decisions. Please visit my Compare the Candidates page to see how we differ.Mark Twain Quote

"In a sound democracy, our rulers ought to be changed routinely, like diapers, for the same reason." - Mark Twain

I support term limits for all politicians to help accomplish beneficial turnover on a regular basis. My opponent has been in the state legislature since 2010. I think it's time for a change for the better -- a change to a progressive voice to improve our state’s services - as the COVID-19 crisis has shown we must do.

I will work to address New Mexico's lack of good and affordable healthcare for many of our residents. COVID-19 has highlighted the failure of the Federal Government to establish universal healthcare, requiring us to do it ourselves. I strongly support the http://www.NMHealthSecurity.org plan. Not only do we need universal healthcare in NM, we also need improved access to behavioral healthcare so we can address the root causes of the state’s growing substance abuse epidemic (opioid, alcohol, etc.).

I will work with others to eliminate money from being a corrupting influence on our elections. Why should money from secretly funded PACs and for-profit corporations, often not even located in our state, be allowed to influence our elections by contributing large sums of money to local candidates? My opponent's list of donors include out-of-state-corporations and big oil companies. My list of donors includes no for-profit corporations.

I will work to improve access to the internet for our rural neighbors. Internet access should now be regarded as a necessity, just like electricity. Without broadband access, our rural communities will be left even further behind. If commercial vendors won’t service these areas, the state should implement the service.

I will be available to my constituents for conversations about my positions and votes. I think all politicians should be accessible to their constituents. If elected, I will establish a blog that I will constantly update with what I’m doing to represent my constituents.

We all have a responsibility to speak out and do what we can to make the world a better place. This means we must speak out against what is wrong with the world and work to improve it. The COVID-19 crisis has made the lack of universal healthcare and economic disparity in our state even more obvious than it was before.

We act as though the economy can expand forever - that’s insanity on a finite planet. The wealthy continue to get even more wealthy while millions of American children are homeless, go to bed hungry, and have no healthcare. On the other hand, we have millions of empty houses. How is that an economic system that works for most Americans?

"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." --Albert Einstein

"Every time we witness an injustice and do not act, we train our character to be passive in its presence and thereby eventually lose all ability to defend ourselves and those we love." -- Julian Assange

"If your success is defined as being well adjusted to injustice and well adapted to indifference, then we don't want successful leaders. We want great leaders -- who love the people enough and respect the people enough to be unbought, unbound, unafraid, and unintimidated to tell the truth." --Dr Cornel West

And this is how we must change if we are to change the world:

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." --Jimi Hendrix