A ‘WalkAway’ Democrat’s guide to the 2020 New Mexico elections
2020 is a turning point for New Mexico families. We have two choices: continue “business as usual” voting for the same out-of-touch Democrat politicians who have neglected New Mexico while focusing on their careers, such as current Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (NM-03), or we vote our values and elect true conservative champions. For far too long, the politicians in New Mexico have forgotten who they work for and instead focused only on their own careers and political ambitions. 2020 is the year that we, the voters, must unite and Drain the Santa Fe Swamp by firing the career politicians who have neglected New Mexico families.
I come from a generational Democrat family. I always voted Democrat because that’s what my family did. Although I didn’t vote for Donald Trump in 2016, I listened to his inauguration speech in January 2017 and what he was saying resonated with me, especially “America First.” I have grown to respect and appreciate our great president Donald Trump because he is a businessman, and he went to Washington D.C. to “drain the swamp” of the career politicians. He has done great so far, and delivered for American families.
Recently, Trump targeted Albuquerque for “Operation Legend,” where Federal Law Enforcement is working with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office to apprehend and prosecute the most dangerous criminals in Albuquerque. I am now a Republican because the Republican Party best represents what I care about as a mother: reducing crime, increasing economic opportunity, and education. I walked away from the Democrat Party because I am pro-life, and much of their agenda—such as the Green New Deal—would directly affect the pocketbooks of New Mexico families. In 2020 I will be voting for candidates who best represent my conservative values.
President of the United States
In 2016, New Mexico went for Hillary Clinton, partially explained by Libertarian Gary Johnson (former Governor of New Mexico during the 1990s and early 2000s) running for President in 2016 who received 9% of votes. In 2020 there is an unbridled enthusiasm for President Donald Trump in New Mexico, due to his achievements in office such as the lowest Hispanic unemployment ever recorded, the building of over 300 miles of border wall, and putting New Mexico Families first. The Joe Biden / Kamala Harris ticket is entirely detached from New Mexico politics, with the only connection being that Kamala Harris previously endorsed Democrat Third Congressional District candidate Teresa Leger Fernandez.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was previously considered a top vice presidential contender for Biden, however, with his choice of Harris, there is nothing appealing to New Mexico voters about Biden other than the typical “Vote Blue No Matter Who” tribal mentality of New Mexico politics. I believe that Donald Trump will “Flip NM Red” in 2020 due to his concentrated “boots on the ground” grassroots campaign in our state. Also, due to the general frustration by the government’s overreach through Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will help his chances.
United States Senate
In the U.S. Senate race, we have a former meteorologist who appeared daily on television for nearly 2 decades, Mark Ronchetti, as the Republican Nominee against the Democrat nominee Re. Ben Ray Lujan, who held the seat for 12 years, and who climbed to the top of the Democrat ranks, second behind Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and her “Assistant Speaker.” Mark Ronchetti has the benefit of Donald Trump’s reelection campaign efforts, a general “anti-establishment” vibe among New Mexico voters who are eager to “vote out the career politicians,” and the fact that Ben Ray Lujan is virtually the poster boy for career Democrat politicians (partially due to the fact that Tom Udall is retiring and Martin Heinrich isn’t up for reelection until 2022), we have the potential for a huge upset with Mark Ronchetti stopping career politician Ben Ray Lujan in his attempted jump from the U.S. House to the U.S. Senate.
Mark Ronchetti has my full support because he would be the best senator to represent New Mexico families. His dedication to the campaign trail demonstrates that he will continue to listen to the voters of New Mexico, and if we allow Ben Ray Lujan to become our U.S. senator, we can expect him in the U.S. Senate for decades, while ignoring the needs of New Mexico’s families, as he has done for over a decade in the lower chamber.
United States House of Representatives, Congressional District 1
Congressional District 1 is the district where Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was elected before taking the governorship. Currently, we have Deb Haaland as the first-term incumbent in the district, who has demonstrated her loyalty to the Democrat D.C. Machine rather than working for New Mexico families.
In November 2019, Haaland was chosen as the campaign co-chair for Elizabeth Warren’s failed presidential run, until she dropped out due to poor showings, even losing her home state of Massachusetts. In the months leading up to the COVID19 pandemic, Deb Haaland was going door to door in Iowa and travelling across the country working for Elizabeth Warren’s campaign rather than doing her job advocating for New Mexico in Washington.
2020 is our year to send a message to the politicians that they need to be doing their job that we pay them to do, or we will vote them out of office. The Republican nominee for CD-1 is Michelle Garcia Holmes, who is a former Albuquerque Police Department Officer / Detective, and former Chief of Staff at the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office, Michelle has the qualifications to make our communities safer in New Mexico.
United States House of Representatives, Congressional District 2
In one of the most highly contested races in the country, we have first-term incumbent Xochitl Torres Small, a Democrat in a Republican-leaning district who was recently named the most vulnerable Democrat in the U.S. House. She is being challenged by real estate professional and former New Mexico Rep. Yvette Herrell, who has the support of leaders in the Republican Party, including Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), the National Republican Congressional Committee, and even former Democrat Rep. Harry Teague, who previously represented the Second District.
The Republican Primary between Yvette Herrell and Claire Chase was a hard-hitting fight, but since Herrell’s victory, New Mexico Republicans have united behind her. I supported Yvette Herrell before the primary and I will continue until the election due to her previous work as a legislator, her conservative values, and the fact that CD-2 leans Republican.
United States House of Representatives, Congressional District 3
The Third Congressional District leans heavily Democrat, comprising Northern New Mexico, with a mixture of Native American tribal land (Navajo Nation, Jicarilla Apache, a number of pueblos), multi-generational Hispanic families tracing back hundreds of years, and others. CD-3 has only ever elected Democrats, except once during a special election and the Republican incumbent, Rep. Bill Redmond, lost in the following general election to the now-retiring Sen. Tom Udall.
The Democrat nominee, Teresa Leger Fernandez, faced an incredibly difficult Democrat Primary and defeated well funded, big name opponents including former CIA agent Valerie Plame, who received over one million dollars in donations. Teresa Leger Fernandez is the “chosen one” by the Democrat elite and has been endorsed by Ben Ray Luján (current NM CD-3 Representative).
Leger Fernandez will face Republican Alexis Martinez Johnson in the general election. She won the 2020 Republican Primary over other GOP contenders Harry Montoya and Karen Bedonie. Alexis was not the insider party favorite, not making it on the ballot at the pre-primary convention, but gathering petitions to appear on the ballot and winning the primary with less than $9000 dollars. She was outspent 10:1. For the first time in years, CD-3 is in-play for a Republican to win this November!
In 2020, we—the voters of New Mexico—have the opportunity to fire the out-of-touch career politicians and send a message that New Mexico families deserve a seat at the table. For far too long, our politicians have listened to their out-of-state donors and neglected the interests of New Mexico voters.
I believe we will see Republicans elected up and down the ballot because the average New Mexican is tired of government overreach and being “mask shamed” by our Democrat Governor. I believe that 2020 is the year New Mexico will vote our values and elect conservative leaders who will put ‘New Mexico families first.
Allison is a mother and proud American patriot who loves the U.S.A. She believes in protecting conservative values and maintaining a strong and independent America. You can follow her at www.facebook.com/Allie4NM.
Opinions offered by Piñon Post contributors do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the publication or its editorial staff. Submit an op-ed to the Piñon Post at news@pinonpost.com.
