Senate Dem to face primary challenge
SANTA FE — Democrat Siah Correa Hemphill, a school psychologist, plans to run against state Sen. Gabriel Ramos next year — one of several primary challenges facing Senate Democrats.
The legislative district stretches from Socorro to Silver City and covers much of southwestern New Mexico.
Correa Hemphill said her family has deep roots in the area, going back generations, and she has a deep love for New Mexico.
As a former kindergarten teacher and now a psychologist who works in schools, she said she has seen firsthand the struggles faced by educators. Correa Hemphill said she will advocate for more resources for New Mexico schools. It’s her first run for office. “I never really had any political aspirations,” she said.
But she decided to launch a Senate campaign after seeing the demand by teachers and parents for training to help children deal with trauma.
Correa Hemphill is set to face Ramos, who was appointed to the District 28 seat in January.
Democrat Howie Morales represented the area for 10 years but stepped down after winning election as lieutenant governor.
Ramos, an insurance agent, is a former Grant County commissioner, former school board member and ex-member of the Hurley Town Council.
He is one of eight Democrats who joined all 16 Republicans in the Senate this year to oppose repeal of a 1969 antiabortion law. The proposal failed 24-18.
Now, some of those Democrats are preparing for primary challenges, though the abortion vote is just one factor.
Among those already facing Democratic primary opponents, for example, are Senate President Pro Tem Mary Kay Papen of Las Cruces and John Arthur Smith of Deming.
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH: A licensed psychologist will soon take over as director of the state division in charge of behavioral health services.
Neal Bowen, who has a doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, is set to start work in mid-November.
He will take over a behavioral health network still recovering from a major shake-up in 2013, when the state cut off Medicaid payments to 15 mental health care providers, citing an audit that found credible evidence of fraud. The providers were later cleared of Medicaid fraud allegations, but many had closed.
“Given the history of what’s happened in behavioral health in New Mexico over the past eight years, our first priority was to recruit a strong leader from the behavioral health provider community,” Human Services Secretary David Scrase said in a written statement. “We believe that having a leader that’s experienced as a provider will help BHSD more effectively connect with our behavioral health provider community and will substantially enhance our ability to bring up new providers into practice.”