Sour grapes are not political skills
Maggie Toulouse Oliver has shown she’s best candidate for secretary of state post
It’s the nature of elections that someone has to lose. I’ve been around long enough to know that. I’ve seen thrilling victories and disappointing defeats. What defines us as leaders, though, is how we handle those difficult times.
To be sure, Republican Secretary of State candidate Gavin Clarkson, former one-term Secretary of State Mary Herrera and former Secretary of State candidate Sandra Jeff have had their share of defeats.
Clarkson lost his misguided bid to become the Republican second Congressional District nominee after he (left) the Trump administration (after a harsh inspector general report). Herrera mishandled the Secretary of State’s Office to such an extreme extent during her time in office that voters ousted her, and voted in the first Republican secretary of state in 80 years. And Jeff lost her state House seat and even had trouble — of her own making — getting on the ballot to run again for office. She also violated campaign finance laws and was penalized for it.
Even Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver knows how hard campaigns can be. She lost a hard-fought race in 2014 to oust then-incumbent Secretary of State Dianna Duran — who ultimately went to jail for corruption.
The difference is that Toulouse Oliver accepted her loss, picked herself up and got back to her nationally-recognized work to improve elections in Bernalillo County. She didn’t blame anyone. She knew that only hard work, sound policy and steady leadership would advance our shared value of making it easier — not harder — for all eligible New Mexicans to vote. That’s why, when Duran went to jail, voters selected Toulouse Oliver to be our secretary of state; they knew the depth of Toulouse Oliver’s knowledge, her commitment to the work at hand and her unflinching commitment to doing the right thing — win or lose.
Clarkson, Herrera and Jeff have chosen a different route. They have blamed Toulouse Oliver for all of their own personal failings and missteps, and they have failed to stand by their own supposed values. They have called names, invoked race, and alleged wild and unbelievable conspiracy theories. And in so doing, they have not done right by our state.
Their collective sniping, name calling and blaming represents all that is wrong with politics today.
While they’ve been licking their wounds, Toulouse Oliver has been shining a light on dark money in New Mexico politics, putting the financial dealings of politicians online and making it easier for people with disabilities to cast their ballots.
When she is re-elected, Toulouse Oliver will continue her track record of cleaning up state government by overhauling our state’s campaign finance reporting system; advocating for open primaries so that every voice is heard on Election Day; and holding politicians accountable when they don’t follow the rules.
Voters see through the bitter pettiness of failed candidates — even if it makes for sensationalized fun for the media. And voters respect the hard work of smart, thoughtful leaders. I know that on Election Day, while Clarkson, Herrera and Jeff eat their sour grapes, voters will once again elect Maggie Toulouse Oliver to serve as their secretary of state because she has the experience, the skills and the unwavering professionalism to do what’s right for our state.