Pence calls for ‘red wall’ to block ‘blue wave’
Vice president stops in Roswell to support Pearce, Herrell during Western campaign trip
ROSWELL — Vice President Mike Pence rallied Republicans in New Mexico on Friday with a stop in Roswell in a show of support for gubernatorial candidate Steve Pearce and congressional candidate Yvette Herrell.
Several hundred people cheered for the vice president as he touted the Trump administration’s success in creating jobs and its commitment to border security.
“With Pearce and Herrell in office, we’re going to build that wall. We’re going to secure our border, and we’re going to fix this broken immigration system,” Pence said. “I don’t need to tell New Mexico what the crisis on
the border poses to our country and to our communities.”
Pence said the migrant caravan making its way through Mexico toward the U.S. border would not be allowed into the country.
“Turn around,” he said, as the crowd chanted, “Build that wall.”
The vice president responded, “Oh, we’re doing it. We started it.”
President Donald Trump’s administration hasn’t been able to get Congress to approve $1 billion to pay for a wall. So construction has been limited to extending the existing barrier in Santa Teresa and upgrading barriers along other stretches of border.
Immigration is a top issue for Republican voters, such as Vera Lim, who drove nearly 200 miles from Las Cruces to catch a glimpse of Pence during his stop at the airport in Roswell.
“We want him to build a wall,” she said.
Sarah Santana, 21, drove from Albuquerque with her 17-year-old sister to see Pence and support Pearce. Her boyfriend works on Pearce’s campaign.
“I think it’s really important for the younger generation to get involved, because you don’t really see that,” Santana said.
Pence’s visit to New Mexico was part of a swing through Western states in support of Republican candidates.
“They keep talking about a blue wave. Let’s make sure it hits a red wall in New Mexico,” the vice president told the crowd.
Estancia Mayor Nathan Dial said he hopes the vice president’s visit will help motivate Republican voters to turn out.
“My whole thing is, Trump gave us life, because it’s an uphill battle in New Mexico as a Republican. Maybe we can keep a Republican governor,” Dial said.
Pearce told the crowd, “I’m going to win the race. I’m not here to win your vote; I’m here to win your heart.”
Pearce faces stiff competition from Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham, who has outraised him and had a lead in the race as of early September, according to a Journal Poll. Both U.S. House members decided to forgo re-election bids to run for governor.
Herrell is trying to keep the 2nd Congressional District in GOP control but is in a hard-fought race with Democrat Xochitl Torres Small for the seat currently held by Pearce. The district has long been a Republican stronghold, and Torres Small’s campaign is aggressively appealing to independent and Republican voters to choose “the person, not the party” this election.
Pence repeated Trump’s assertion that the choice for voters is between “jobs and mobs.”
The vice president struck a more conciliatory tone in condemning politically motivated violence. During his stop in New Mexico, he praised the quick action of federal law enforcement in arresting a Florida man suspected of sending package bombs to at least a dozen high-profile Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Democratic members of Congress.