In a historically conservative area, the two candidates focus on the extent of the federal government’s reach
LAS CRUCES — Two candidates running for New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District have starkly different viewpoints on the federal government’s role in overseeing the economy, the nation’s education system and health care. Republican incumbent Rep. Steve Pearce advocates limiting the federal government’s reach, while Democratic challenger Merrie Lee Soules says the government should set standards and step in where private or market-driven efforts fail. One of the country’s largest geographical districts, historically more conservative than New Mexico’s northern two districts and majority Hispanic, the 2nd Congressional District has been a stronghold for Pearce, whose folksy style, humble roots in Hobbs and success as the former owner of an oil field services firm has given him wide appeal. He has held the seat for 12 years over two stints. Soules, a resident of progressive-leaning Las Cruces, brings to bear her 30 years of experience as an executive of General Motors to a race that has been a steep climb for any Democrat. She made a name for herself locally by intervening in a recent Public Regulation Commission case, helping to protect consumers from a 9 percent rate hike by El Paso Electric; the PRC allowed a 1.3 percent increase. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee views the district as a “safe” seat for Republicans and has rarely poured in the resources required to mount a serious challenge, according to Gabriel Sanchez, a University of New Mexico political science professor. But this is not a typical election year, and other trends — including potentially higher voter turnout among Democratic-leaning Hispanics, and the divisive politics of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump — could influence voters’ choices in the ballot box, he said. After an 11-year-old tape emerged of Trump bragging about groping women, Pearce called the comments “indefensible,” but he has not withdrawn his support for the candidate. “Pearce is probably one of the easiest incumbents to connect to Trump,” Sanchez said. “But it costs money to get that message out there to voters. For the DCCC, it’s not even among their second-tier priority districts.” The 2nd Congressional is nearly 54 percent Hispanic, according to U.S. Census data. Pew Research Center reports that, of eligible voters, 40 percent are Hispanic, although political observers say voter turnout among the demographic in southern New Mexico has historically been very low. “What happens is Steve Pearce gets an impressive share of the Hispanic vote, especially in rural parts of the district,” said Brian Sanderoff, the president of Research & Polling Inc. As a Democrat, “you have to come out with a tremendous margin in Las Cruces to offset eastern New Mexico, where Pearce is well-known and wins comfortably.”
Where Pearce stands
“The idea that someone in Washington is going to care more or know better is an idea I can’t identify with,”
Pearce said during an Oct. 11 debate in Las Cruces in response to a question about whether he supports school choice and vouchers, which he does. His answer could have likewise applied to other questions about health care and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Pearce said he thinks the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, has some redeemable qualities, including allowing parents to keep their college-age children as dependents, but he would like to see it replaced with something else. He said he would support a program that would allow insurance shopping across state lines to increase competition. “The private market is always going to have the best, most adaptable solutions,” he said. Pearce also supports vouchers for veterans who wish to seek health care from private providers, bypassing the VA system. On the economy, Pearce advocated for a lower corporate tax rate and rejected the idea of taxing the rich more. “Many times, the companies are leaving (the country) because the taxes are too high, the regulations are too stringent,” he said, adding that for income taxes, he would support “anything that is more equitable” as long as it doesn’t include raising taxes.
Where Soules stands
On education, the economy and health care, Soules said, the federal government ought to set standards and step in when “the free market doesn’t work.” “Education is basically the province of the states, but the federal government has a critical role to play in ensuring we have standards and parameters,” Soules said, adding that she is “not in favor of vouchers or other things that seek to take away our commitment to public education.” She lauded the Affordable Care Act for giving health care coverage to 20 million uninsured Americans but said, “We are not done. I don’t believe we’ve done the ‘affordable’ part of the Affordable Care Act. I would be working on affordability,” including “a public option to put competition in the marketplace.” Soules said she doesn’t favor reducing corporate taxes as a carrot to keep companies from moving overseas, and she does believe in “a progressive tax” that would raise the tax rate “on those who are making significantly more.” “I don’t think we should be funding the government on the backs of those who are most challenged,” she said.