Some Thoughts on Primary Election June 4

Early voting is in process throughout our county, overseen by our able and experienced County Clerk Amanda Askin. Primary Election Day is June 4.

Since her race is one of the few contested ones: Askin does a tough job well, and seems committed to openness in government. It’s an age of election challenges, with losing candidates scouring the evidence for wrongdoing by her. They found nothing. Further, she seems to have handled these challenges with the right mix of competence, confidence, courtesy, and compassion. Voters chose her over challenger Andrew Ostic in 2020. Her four years of stellar work don’t suggest a change.

I wrote at more length (in last week’s column) about why we should re-elect Angelica Rubio. That’s my district. Angelica has done well, and Gabe has no record.

A tougher call for me is District 53. Both men are friends. Each is a appealing in a different way.

If I were hiring someone to set some state agency’s policy, I’d likely hire Jon Hill. He’s better educated and we likely agree more closely about issues. His minimal campaign budget comes from Climate Cabinet, individuals, and himself. Incumbent Willie Madrid’s larger budget now has more oil companies mixed in with unions and individuals.

But voters in several communities are making this hire. The position is representing them, and Willie’s has long experience there and works well with those constituents. They likely know better than I who would represent them best. Those communities haven’t always elected Democrats. We’ve worked with Willie through a loss and wins. I’ve no confidence that Jon would be more likely than Willie to be elected in November. Yes, I’ve found some of Willie’s votes disappointing. I can’t endorse Jon over Willie. District 53 voters know all this, and should vote as they feel is right.

The district attorney’s race is important. I voted in 2020 for Gerald Byers, now the incumbent, but have also criticized him (see 9/26/21 column). Initially, Shaharazad (Shari) Booth and Ramona Martinez announced runs to succeed him. I wished only one had announced. Then Doña Ana County Manager Fernando Macias got sacked and jumped into the race.

I’ll vote for Booth. If I didn’t, I’d likely vote for Martinez. Both bring qualities we could use in a District Attorney. Other lawyers I know agree. However, without polls or expertise, and noting the low turnout so far, I’m guessing Mr. Macias will win.

Fernando has tremendous ability, charm, and political savvy, and a unique range of experience, though he’s not specifically a prosecutor. (My only case before Judge Macias was a delightful: in an adoption case for a gay couple adopting a child from another country, Macias let the kid sit up in the Judge’s seat, banging the gavel for photos.) However, both Macias and Byers have management styles that present problems. When I’ve left jobs, I hope my former co-workers haven’t felt about me as some do about Mr. Macias at Third Judicial District Court (where the judges voted to replace him as Chief Judge, and he soon departed) or the County (where the Commission chose to say “Adios!”, others had complained to me about him, some citizens blamed him for certain questionable decisions, and I’m doubting Sheriff Kim Stewart shed any tears. Some friction comes with the territory, politics; but we’ve seen more than that here.

Despite so many unopposed races, please do vote. And vote in November.

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[The above column appeared Sunday, 26May, 2024, in the Las Cruces Sun-News and on the newspaper's website and on KRWG’s website, under Local Viewpoints. A shortened and sharpened radio commentary version will air during the week on KRWG (90.1 FM) and on KTAL-LP (101.5 FM, streaming at www.lccommunityradio.org/). ]

[Not a lot to add to this one: Rubio has represented us admirably.  There's no reason to change.  If there were, Duran would be an appealing young man about whose values and political beliefs I'd have grave uncertainty.]

[Is he being used to beguile us into voting against our own values? Given how content District 35 voters are with Rubio, one wonders why wealthy business folks are pumping money into Duran’s campaign. A conservative friend says it’s concern about public safety; but I see no brilliant proposals on that subject coming from Duran. It’s a more complex issue than most folks realize, involving as it does constitutional issues, practical issues, and values. I wouldn’t pick a legislator solely over that one issue, particularly because a single legislator has little impact on that issue; and I see folks in charge doing a lot right now to try to confront that problem [which, of course, is national in scope], such as a special legislative session, work on fixing the competency problem, a new NM Supreme Court clarification on bail reform. (On “Speak Up, Las Cruces!” we’ll discuss a state pilot program set to start its trial run in our judicial district June 7. That radio show is on KTAL-LP, 1015 FM, 8-10 a.m. Wednesday, June 5, repeating at 2 pm. We’ll talk with judges, criminal lawyers, and county officials how the program should help in a key issue, which is how to make sure that, where feasible, we provide treatment and other services to addicted or mentally addled defendants, rather than automatically just incarcerate them.]

[You can review the campaign finance records I mentioned (and others) yourself at our secretary of state’s website or at http://www.followthemoney.org/.]

[First, you can vote at the County Office Complex on Motel Boulevard and at various satellite locations. Early voting ends after Staturday, June 1. A list of satellite and election day sites and voting times is available here. 

Most of our local legislators are running unopposed, as are the members of our Congressional delegation who are on this year’s primary ballot. (Most do have serious Republican challengers awaiting them for the general election.) ]