Candidates face off in virtual CD3 forum
Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez spoke of the need to ensure New Mexicans receive affordable health care, protect the environment and invest in “green” policies to protect the state’s acequias and land.
As a mother, she said, “You know, I’m gonna champion early childhood education” initiatives.
Both touted their New Mexico roots, reminding voters that they grew up in the state and have their own stories of success and failure.
For Johnson, it was a story of her grandparents, who did not have a formal education but raised her and taught her the value of hard work and pride — a tale familiar to many New Mexicans.
For Leger Fernandez, it was about battling cancer and losing two brothers to addiction — triumphs and losses that speak to the challenges many New Mexicans face.
Both spoke of supporting public education without offering specifics about funding or programs. Both talked of additional funding to battle drug addiction in the state, with Leger Fernandez stressing treatment and Johnson talking about “scanning” for illicit drug trade activity along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The stakes were higher for Johnson, who is trying to claim a dominated by Democrats and who trails Leger Fernandez in fundraising: Johnson’s roughly $6,000 is not even 3 percent of Leger Fernandez’s war chest of over $230,000.
Johnson used Thursday’s debate to take swipes at Leger Fernandez for supporting Green New Deal legislation.
Meanwhile, Leger Fernandez tried to tie her opponent to President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, saying his administration failed to move quickly to provide billions in aid to Native
American communities hit hardest by the physical and financial impacts of the disease.
It was their third debate in five days. They squared off Sunday on public television station KNME and again on Wednesday on KOAT-TV.
During Sunday’s debate, they both presented themselves as candidates who could bring people together.
This time, there was little talk of unification and more potshots — such as Leger Fernandez’s claim that Johnson owned an oil and gas company in Texas.
Johnson shook her head “no” and said she did not appreciate Leger
Fernandez saying “inaccurate” things about her.
Johnson in turn said Leger Fernandez supported “Medicare for all” and said she belongs to a political party that “is no longer the party of my abuelos [grandparents].”
Each candidate had two minutes to answer the moderator’s questions, with limited room for rebuttal.
The election winner will succeed U.S. Rep Ben Ray Luján, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Tom Udall.
Whoever wins the congressional race will be the first woman to hold the seat.