Journal continues endorsements for N.M. Legislature

Today, the Journal continues its endorsements in contested primary races for the New Mexico Legislature. For information including candidate Q&As, district maps and news stories as they are published, go to ABQJournal.com/ election2020.

NEW MEXICO SENATE

District 20 — Democratic primary, Martin Hickey

Hickey, a retired physician, wants to bring his medical experience to the Senate to help ensure New Mexicans can actually get an appointment with a primary care doctor or specialist. The former CEO and chief medical officer of Lovelace Health Systems told the Journal Editorial Board the state lacks physicians because it is not competitive in salaries and needs medical malpractice reform, as well as more medical residencies and loan forgiveness for medical school.

Hickey says when he returned to the state from New York and Nebraska, “New Mexico was stuck,” and his business experience will help “figure out opportunity in this crisis.”

District 20 — Republican primary, Karin Foster

Foster is an advocate for transparency in government, which is much-needed with lawmakers rolling back access to public records in recent sessions. She says there’s too much secrecy in state budgeting, and the capital outlay process needs to be revised. A former lobbyist for the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, she knows of what she speaks.

But Foster has other strong credentials. She’s been a homicide prosecutor, and an oil and gas attorney. She has worked with small businesses, and she has taught law at N.M. Tech and New Mexico Highlands University. Now an estate planning attorney, she puts crime among the top issues on her to-address list, including ensuring the worst of the worst are the ones kept behind bars.

The district includes East Albuquerque and the Sandia foothills. Republican Sen. William Payne is not seeking reelection.

NEW MEXICO HOUSE

District 13 — Democratic primary, Edwina Cisneros

Cisneros, a business management specialist at Sandia National Labs, wants to build up manufacturing and technology jobs so more people are working and open up primaries so more New Mexicans have a voice. She says she opposes any budgeting process that doesn’t have full transparency, and supports disclosure of capital outlay sponsors and lobbyist advocacy for specific bills.

Cisneros says her West Mesa district has been neglected by incumbent Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero and needs better roads, more streetlights and other infrastructure.

The Democratic primary winner will face Republican Kayla Marshall in the general election.

District 14 — Democratic primary, Robert Chavez

Chavez, who served 21 years with the Albuquerque Police Department, says the district’s current representative, Miguel Garcia, has been inactive. Chavez told the Editorial Board the West Albuquerque district is plagued with buckling sidewalks, crumbling roads, out-of-control weeds and a serious drug problem. He says placing a needle dropbox is an inadequate response to children getting poked with stray needles on Little League fields, and retirees should not lose their pension COLAs but should have to contribute a bit more to keep them.

The Democratic primary winner faces no opposition in the general election to represent the district, which includes the mid-North Valley.

District 17 — Democratic primary, Rep. Deborah Armstrong

Armstrong, an attorney, has been involved in every facet of health care over 40 years. The chair of the House Health & Human Services Committee told the Editorial Board the coronavirus has revealed inadequate oversight of nursing homes, and she wants to revisit state laws and regulations governing them, with more staff to follow up on complaints.

She also wants to inject transparency into medical costs and outcomes to determine “what are we paying, figure out the real cost.” The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican Kimberly Ann Kaehr-Macmillan and Libertarian Scott Goodman in the general election.