Rep. Youngblood faces tough re-election bid after DWI
Democrat Karen Bash takes on GOP incumbent in HD 68
SANTA FE — Dubbed a rising star just a few years ago, Monica Youngblood is fighting against a possible early twilight to her political career.
The Albuquerque Republican, a threeterm incumbent lawmaker, was convicted of aggravated drunken driving last month after being arrested in May at a sobriety checkpoint.
Although she denied drinking, Youngblood refused to submit to a breath test and police said she performed poorly on field sobriety tests. She was ultimately sentenced to one day in jail and a year of probation.
Youngblood, 42, a real estate agent, has ignored calls for her to resign and is now locked in a tough re-election bid in House District 68 against Democrat Karen Bash, 72, a retired faith leader making her first run for elected office.
Although Youngblood declined to do a phone interview, she told the Journal in an email that she does not believe her DWI conviction would affect her ability to get legislation passed and advocate for
public safety issues.
She also said she has learned from her mistakes.
“Of course, I regret this situation every single day and have said from the very beginning I most regret not taking the breathalyzer. … I’ve been held accountable for that decision and have accepted the consequences,” said Youngblood, who also recently sent a letter to district residents asking for their forgiveness.
She also said DWI convictions haven’t prevented Democrats from running for office and holding leadership posts — an apparent reference to Senate Majority Whip Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, who pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated in 1999 and was sentenced as a first-time offender.
However, Youngblood’s legal troubles have given Democrats hope of a November upset.
Several pro-Democratic political committees have sent out hard-hitting mailers targeting Youngblood. One even featured a pair of handcuffs, while accusing the incumbent of trying to be “above the law.”
Bash has largely steered clear of the issue, though she said in a social media post last month that Youngblood “failed to take advantage of the many alternatives to driving while intoxicated,” and sought to use her status as a legislator to avoid arrest. She said that would be her only comment on the issue.
In a Monday interview, Bash cited crime and education-related issues as her top priorities if she is elected. Specifically, she said she would push to hire more teachers and law enforcement officers, while limiting standardized test time for public school students.
A self-described “political junkie,” she moved to New Mexico from Iowa several years ago with her husband and ran a bed-and-breakfast in Albuquerque before selling the business and eventually deciding to run for the Legislature.
“It’s an uphill battle, but I think we have a good message and can pull this off,” she said.
For her part, Youngblood said she would focus on bills dealing with child abuse and pretrial release if she is elected to a fourth term. She also said she has not decided whether she would reintroduce a proposal to bring back New Mexico’s death penalty for certain violent crimes.
The House District 68 seat encompasses a swath of Northwest Albuquerque, including the Paradise Hills neighborhood. Registered Democrats narrowly outnumber Republicans in the district, though Youngblood was unopposed in winning re-election in 2014 and 2016.