Journal picks continue for contested House seats
Journal endorsements in the general election continue today with more contested Albuquerque metroarea House races. For election coverage, including other endorsements and candidates’ profiles and answers to questions, go to ABQJournal.com, click on Voter Guide.
HOUSE DISTRICT 44: Jane Powdrell-Culbert
Jane Powdrell-Culbert, a Republican training consultant who resides in Corrales, has served her constituents well during her 16 years in the Legislature. She came to the Legislature with broad experience, having worked for corporations as well as local and state government agencies. She supports making New Mexico a right-towork state to improve the economy. She is against pulling more money from the Land Grant Permanent Fund to increase funding for early childhood services, noting that a thorough evaluation is needed to assess where funds are needed most. She supports open primaries and understands our state must take steps to make our state pension funds solvent, even if it means raising the number of years state employees must work and requiring they pay more into the retirement plan. And she is against turning New Mexico into a sanctuary state.
The Journal recommends Jane Powdrell-Culbert for House District 44, which includes Bernalillo, Rio Rancho and Corrales.
HOUSE DISTRICT 57: Jason Harper
Republican Jason Harper holds a doctorate in chemical engineering and works as a research engineer at Sandia National Labs. In the state House, where he has served for the past six years, Harper has developed a reputation as someone willing to work across the aisle to try to address big issues, whether it be reforming our state’s inefficient capital outlay system or overhauling our gross-receipts tax system, which is rife with exemptions. Voters should re-elect him so he can continue to push for a GRT system that’s fair to all of us and a capital outlay system that truly addresses our state’s biggest infrastructure needs. His list of accomplishments is long. He pressured the current administration to make evaluations fairer for teachers. He has led the effort to protect the lottery scholarship program. He got legislation through that protects the Severance Tax Permanent fund, requiring that more of the fund be invested. He co-sponsored legislation that helped create the 500-mile “Rio Grande Trail” along the river. He co-sponsored a bill that fixed high school graduation requirements, ensuring they don’t change for students once they start high school and allowing such things as marching band and JROTC to count toward the physical education requirement.
The Journal endorses Jason Harper for House District 57 in northern Rio Rancho.
HOUSE DISTRICT 60: Tim Lewis
Republican Tim Lewis is a high school teacher who has served in the state House since 2011, and during that time he’s championed stronger DWI and other public safety legislation, while also focusing on education and the economy. He supports gross-receipts tax reform and says if judges don’t start holding criminals accountable on their own, it might be time to consider passing mandatory minimum sentences for criminals. He realizes taking more money from the permanent fund would only reduce payouts to future generations of children. He says it’s time to look at allowing independent voters to cast ballots in primary elections. And he opposes making New Mexico a sanctuary state.
The Journal endorses Tim Lewis for House District 60 in Rio Rancho’s south side.
HOUSE DISTRICT 68: Monica Youngblood
There’s no question Republican Monica Youngblood made a huge mistake earlier this year when she got behind the wheel after drinking, was stopped at a DWI checkpoint and then refused to submit to a Breathalyzer. And she made the situation worse by making it clear to the officer she was a lawmaker who fights for police in the Legislature. She was convicted last month of aggravated DWI and served time in jail. But until this example of monumental poor judgment, Youngblood had served her constituents well. Ironically, during her time in the Legislature she has pushed for tougher DWI laws and allowing Uber and Lyft to come to New Mexico. And she’s sponsored other meaningful legislation, cracking down on food-stamp fraud, reducing opioid overdoses via drugs less likely to be abused, regulating rideshare services to ensure insurance coverage and driver background checks and trying to make sure children can read. She supports tax reform and opening the state’s primary elections to independent voters and those not affiliated with a major political party.
We acknowledge this was a difficult decision. But because of her strong record as a lawmaker, especially when compared to the inexperience and positions her opponent holds, the Journal recommends Monica Youngblood for House District 68 in northwest Albuquerque.