Two seek District 5 seat on county commission
Hughes, Trujillo are political newcomers
Two candidates, both newcomers to competitive politics, will vie for the Democratic nomination for the District 5 seat on the Santa Fe County Commission.
The district covers an area that makes up the central part of the county mostly south of Interstate 25, including neighborhoods around Santa Fe Community College, Eldorado and San Marcos.
The seat is currently held by Ed Moreno, first elected in 2016, who announced earlier this year he would not run for the seat again.
And while both candidates have never been elected to office before, they do have vast experience serving the public and the people of Santa Fe
County.
In the absence of a Republican contender, the winner of the June 2 Democratic Party primary election is destined to be elected the county’s next new commissioner in November. The commission is already made up exclusively of Democrats.
District 4 Commissioner Anna Hamilton and Anna Hansen in District 2 are up for reelection, but both are unopposed in the primary.
Hank Hughes, 63, has lived in the county for more than 30 years and said, in that time, he has heard many concerns from his fellow residents, primarily about the condition of roads and waterways in the county.
Addressing these concerns and overseeing the county’s many different projects inspired Hughes to finally run for public office.
“I would just be wanting to make sure these things happen in a timely manner,” he said.
Hughes has had interest in several political topics throughout his life. He earned two degrees in environmental engineering from Cornell University, and the state of the county’s natural lands remains a pressing concern for him, he said.
In fact, he considers it one of the county’s most pressing issues, apart from the coronavirus pandemic.
“Once we’re through the virus, I think that the effects of climate change on Santa Fe County are not going to be pretty and we’re going to want to mitigate them,” he said.
However, the vast majority of Hughes’ career in public service has been advocating for Santa Fe’s homeless population, as well as an increase in affordable housing.
The average rent in Santa Fe is over $1,200 per month, compared to the state average of $800. Hughes said the county needs to do more to make housing more accessible.
“If we don’t continue to address affordable housing, we’re not going to have a very diverse community,” he said.
Hughes said, though, that the current commissioners have done a good job running the county, which “hasn’t always been the case,” and that he hopes to improve on their accomplishments.
“I’d like to see that the county becomes and stays a wonderful place to live,” he said.
Floyd Trujillo, 47, has lived in the same Santa Fe neighborhood his whole life, a fact he said will help him succeed if elected commissioner.
Trujillo has spent most of his life working for the government and is currently the New Mexico Finance Authority’s director of information technology. He has also spent nearly two decades serving on Turquoise Trail Charter School’s Governing Council, an unelected position.
He said all the years spent in the world of government finance gives him the skills necessary to become a competent commissioner.
“I want to do everything to help my community and improve my community,” he said. “You really need to step up and put the time in.”
When it comes to campaign finances, though, Trujillo remains far behind, raising $1,345 compared to Hughes’ $11,183.
Trujillo said the layout of the county, as well as COVID-19, has made it difficult to raise the funds.
“It does have me concerned,” he said. “We were having difficulty making ends meet before this crisis.”
To counter the small revenues, Trujillo said his campaign is currently trying to coordinate a large base of volunteers.
Trujillo’s platform includes a countywide Green New Deal and infrastructure improvements, but he emphasized his desire to see more funds go to Santa Fe County’s schools, many of which may face economic hardship in the near future.