Profiles of the candidates.
Democratic primary voters in Española and a large, rural swath of Northern New Mexico will face a stark choice in the June 5 contest for House District 41: Vote to retain a popular, right-leaning incumbent backed by a slew of corporate interests, or take a chance on a political newcomer who hopes to usher in an era of progressive policymaking.
In a solidly blue district known for old-school values, it’s anyone’s game.
The race pits incumbent Rep. Debbie Rodella, who has served since 1993, against Susan Herrera, a retired former CEO of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation.
This is the first time Rodella has faced a primary contest in more than a decade. She won her two most recent primary bouts — in 2006 and 2002 — by thin margins.
The victor is expected to face a rubber-stamp vote in November. The race is uncontested by a Republican.
In the end, the election is likely to be a referendum on Rodella’s accessibility and voting record over the course of a quarter-century. The 56-year-old La Mesilla resident chairs the House’s Business and Industry Committee. Over the years, she’s proved a powerful if controversial voice in the legislature, championing education initiatives, expanded access to broadband and an increased minimum wage.
But she’s also earned the ire of her party’s liberal set, crossing the aisle on issues of gun control, expanded voter registration and abortion.
In 2017, Rodella sided with payday lenders in tabling a bill that would have capped interest rates at 36 percent. She also has voted to ban late-term abortions and is against same-sex marriage.
The National Rifle Association gave Rodella an A-plus rating in 2015 and earlier this month sponsored a campaign meet-and-greet for the candidate. In an email, Rodella declined a New
Mexican reporter’s request to be interviewed, saying she’s focusing instead on door-to-door face time with constituents. “As important as responding to interviews is to me, talking directly to voters as we get closer to the primary election is more important,” she wrote.
Herrera, a 70-year-old Embudo resident, paints Rodella’s record as out of touch and says after 25 years, it’s time to put the “Rodella machine” out to pasture.
When no one else stepped up to challenge Rodella in the primary, Herrera jumped in, saying she “wasn’t going to let her run unopposed again.”
“I really didn’t like her voting record,” Herrera said. “I think she’s much more conservative than the district. I really do.”
With the exception of Española, the 41st district is a mostly rural stretch the size of Connecticut. It spans eastern Rio Arriba County, including Chama and Tierra Amarilla, and the western half of Taos County. The district also includes a tiny sliver of northern Santa Fe County.
As of January 2017, nearly three-quarters of the district’s residents identified
themselves as Democrats, compared to 12 percent who said they’re Republicans. The balance either declined to specify or aligned themselves with a third party.
But in rural Northern New Mexico, Democrat doesn’t necessarily mean liberal — especially when it comes to social issues. Herrera is banking on shifting political winds.
As she’s traveled the district, Herrera said she’s heard concerns about its aging acequias and underfunded, volunteer-led water districts. She hopes to fight for funding for oversight and repairs.
“We need to fix the problem before it’s an emergency,” she said. “And you know what, it’s an emergency in a lot of places. People are quietly struggling with how to maintain systems on a volunteer basis.”
Herrera grew up in Southern California, where her father sat on the Pomona City Council. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico in 1997. Earlier in her career, she served as director of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in Washington, D.C.
As of May 14, the latest filing deadline, Rodella’s campaign had raised more than $55,000 — one-third of which came from out-of-state lobbyists and corporate interests, including Walmart and a bevy of oil and pharmaceutical companies. Her average donation totaled $545, compared to Herrera’s average of $189.