Biden campaign names state director
Joe Biden’s presidential campaign has tabbed a New Mexico native and veteran political strategist to head up its state-level efforts. Raul Alvillar, the former national political director at the Democratic National Committee, has been hired as the Biden campaign’s New Mexico state director, according to a campaign announcement.
A Belen native, Alvillar worked for ex-President Barack Obama’s election campaign as a regional political director. He went on to work for the Obama administration as associate director of the White House’s Office of Public Engagement, and at the office of U.S. Housing and Urban Development.
As New Mexico state director for the Biden campaign, Alvillar will lead the campaign’s efforts to mobilize voters and volunteers statewide.
A recent Journal Poll found that Biden had a sizable lead over Republican Donald Trump among New Mexico voters, as 54% of voters surveyed said they planned to vote for Biden ,compared with 39% who expressed support for Trump.
Biden has not held any campaign events in New Mexico in the runup to this year’s election, although his wife, Jill Biden, participated in a virtual fundraiser with top-ranking Democratic elected officials in June.
Attorney General Hector Balderas
has launched an initiative aimed at addressing the impacts of environmental and natural resource policies on minority communities.
The two-term Democratic attorney general announced Tuesday the creation of a new nine-member advisory council that will make recommendations to the Attorney General’s Office on federal and state land management and resource policies.
The council will include three lawmakers — Democratic Reps. Javier Martinez of Albuquerque, Derrick Lente of Sandia Pueblo and Angelica Rubio of Las Cruces — along with representatives from tribal groups, the state Livestock Board, the New Mexico Acequia Association and other organizations.
While specific policies were not mentioned in a news release sent out by the Attorney General’s Office, Balderas said the effort was intended to give a greater voice to communities that have been harmed by past state and federal decisions.
“For far too long, state and federal government has systematically oppressed and ignored the needs of Indigenous, Hispanic, Black, and other communities of color in natural resources and environmental policy,” Balderas said.