Maggie made a big mess; Gavin Clarkson can fix it
As former elected Hispanic and Navajo Democrats, we strongly oppose Maggie Toulouse Oliver and her toxic partisanship that harms New Mexicans and diminishes trust in our elections and institutions.
Toulouse Oliver used Angel Peña’s Hispanic surname to kick him off the 2018 ballot because he wasn’t in her progressive cabal. She suppressed citizen’s voting power by registering zombies, aliens and canines. Besides falsely claiming credit for Herrera’s Native American Voting Initiative, she disenfranchised Native voters.
When Jeff opposed legislation based on her district’s demographics, Toulouse Oliver orchestrated the Democrat machine’s vendetta. Vindictive partisans even challenged the signature of Jeff’s Navajo grandmother.
Unlike 2012, when Toulouse Oliver testified as to the validity of signatures that were later proven forgeries, ... she dispatched her deputy to testify that the existence of voters named Yazzie elsewhere in New Mexico rendered the signatures invalid. Among Navajos, Yazzie is like Lopez or Smith.
Toulouse Oliver also shielded (the deputy) from public scrutiny until after the 2016 primary election. When a whistleblower who had produced evidence of Toulouse Oliver sending absentee ballots to the dead began investigating ... Maggie weaponized law enforcement to jail (the whistleblower); the charges were summarily dismissed. In addition to the whistleblower who registered Buddy the Dog, Maggie (called security on) a disabled veteran whistleblower at a 2018 Santa Fe debate.
The clear victor in that debate, Gavin Clarkson, is the first tribal member to earn a doctorate from Harvard Business School. A political outsider and second-generation Navy veteran, he simultaneously graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School.
Clarkson’s rural and tribal economic development expertise will help the Secretary of State’s Office fulfill its job creation duties. He certainly knows more about election law than Toulouse Oliver — his amicus brief won a unanimous repudiation of her straight-party voting mess.
We also appreciate how he uses humor to counter the toxic political environment. His poetic radio ad is a perfect example:
Maggie made a big mess, of that we are sure.
How much more of this nonsense do we have to endure? Our kids can’t find work here; they’re leaving our state. Gavin Clarkson can fix it; on jobs he’s first rate
New Mexico needs more jobs and fair elections. A man of integrity and intellect, Clarkson is the best choice for secretary of state. He has the energy to empower New Mexico. Democrat Mary Herrera served as N.M. secretary of state from 2007 to 2010 and two terms as Bernalillo County clerk. Sandra Jeff is a former Democratic representative for N.M. House District 5 and won the 2018 Libertarian primary for N.M. secretary of state.