For City Council: Garcia and Cassutt-Sanchez
With expanded early voting beginning this weekend, The New Mexican is offering its endorsements in contested races for the Santa Fe City Council. On Monday, we will publish our picks for Santa Fe Public Schools Board of Education and the governing board for Santa Fe Community College.
Incumbents Renee Villarreal, District 1, and Chris Rivera, District 3, are running unopposed, as is Municipal Judge Virginia Vigil. That leaves only two contested council races, with voters selecting replacements for well-regarded incumbents. We were encouraged by the commitment and enthusiasm of all the candidates and are pleased that voters have choices. Every race should feature choices for voters; otherwise, the campaign season feels flat. This is the first consolidated local election since the Legislature changed the law — the best way to make that decision seem wise is for people to vote.
District 2: Michael J. Garcia
We see plenty of potential in City Council District 2 candidate Michael J. Garcia, which is to say that while his thoughtful, reasonable approach to government will be welcomed, there’s evidence this first-time office-seeker also will need to grow into the job.
Still, Garcia’s open-arms and open-ears approach to constituents should serve District 2 well. The bar is high: The man leaving the seat, outgoing councilor Peter Ives, was a thoughtful, hardworking member of the council, dedicated to serving constituents, always ready to listen and present thoughtful policy choices
Garcia, whose background is in community organizing, says District 2 will come first. We understand the sentiment but hope the overall needs of the city, not just neighborhoods in his district, will be taken into account.
At 40, Garcia will give the council some new and young ideas. He’ll also need to bone up on the details quickly — many of the issues facing District 2 and the city as a whole require an eye for the minutiae, not merely a willingness to chat up unhappy constituents.
Fortunately, Garcia is sharp, motivated and understands Santa Fe well, having grown up here — and like many people of his generation, he is trying to navigate the changes in a city where the young and vulnerable, not just the old and established, must have a voice.
Michael J. Garcia embodies the potential of Santa Fe’s future. In District 2, The New Mexican endorses Michael J. Garcia.
District 4: Jamie Cassutt-Sanchez
The three-person race for a seat in District 4 is a win for voters. All the candidates would add a unique perspective to the Santa Fe City Council, something useful in replacing outgoing Councilor Mike Harris. Harris served the district by poring over the details, challenging city department heads and the administration when explanations were necessary, and eschewing the me-me-me that sometimes comes with city politics.
The top two candidates are Xavier Anderson, 46, who has a public safety background and works at the Los Alamos Fire Department, and Jamie Cassutt-Sanchez, 34, who worked in public health before choosing to stay home with her baby after she and her husband returned to Santa Fe. These are smart people. They might not know everything about running the city, but these candidates have decided ideas about what is working and what should change. Cassutt-Sanchez, however, brings a fresh set of eyes to the problems and challenges of Santa Fe as a hometown girl who moved away and returned to raise her family.
In the public health field, her expertise is observing a problem, taking it apart and then finding solutions in a collaborative manner. Her slogan, “All policy is health policy,” is more than a catchphrase. She wants to use public policy as a way to improve life for residents.
Park maintenance isn’t just about appearance, it’s about ensuring that children aren’t exposed to needles dropped in the grass. She walks pushing a stroller, making her particularly aware of weeds and broken sidewalks. She also is committed to growing a police force whose members truly are members of the community, not commuters from out of town. Housing availability improves life for workers who no longer have to commute, giving them more time to spend with kids, on exercise or giving back to the community. She sees problems not in isolation but as part of a bigger picture.
To solve challenges, she will bring an analytical mind, a master’s degree in public heath from UCLA, experience working to improve the health of children in public schools and a firm commitment to Santa Fe’s future. In District 4, The New Mexican endorses Jamie Cassutt-Sanchez.