Española artist running for state House
CNN Hero vying for District 40 seat being vacated by Rep. Sanchez
An Española artist and activist who was recently honored as one of 10 CNN Heroes of 2019 for his work with a regional youth center is running for the House District 40 seat being vacated by an incumbent who is running for a seat in the 3rd Congressional District.
Roger Montoya, a Democrat who turns 59 next week, said he has been considering making a run for political office for about a decade.
“In the last year, it has become more pressing to me, this call to make real change happen,” he said Monday, shortly after announcing his candidacy.
The incumbent, Rep. Joseph Sanchez, D-Alcalde, is running to succeed U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján in the 3rd Congressional District. Sanchez’s term expires at the end of this year. Luján is running for the U.S. Senate.
So far, Montoya is not facing another Dem
ocrat in a district that includes Colfax, Mora, Rio Arriba and San Miguel counties and overwhelmingly favors Democrats. Republican Española City Councilor Justin Salazar-Torrez announced earlier this month that he is running for the seat.
Though Montoya was born in Colorado, he has lived in New Mexico for decades following a career as a dancer in California and New York.
He said he has been inspired to help young people by his mother, Dorotea “Dottie” Montoya, who mentored generations of students in a teen wellness program at Española Valley High School.
“She helped reduce the teen pregnancy rate there, she tackled every issue those kids faced that came through the doors,” he said.
Montoya said one of his strengths is his “intuition as a creative, critical thinker who comes from an artistic background. I’m going to be highly creative and resourceful [if elected].”
Among his priorities, he said, are maintaining a sustainable agriculture business, protecting acequias as historic and environmental resources, and creating affordable housing.
Montoya was recognized by CNN in December for Moving Arts Española, a local youth center that draws about 175 kids every day to classes ranging from ballet to cartoon drawing to gymnastics to African drumming. He founded the organization in 2007 as a way to help children process trauma through art.
“As a practicing artist interfacing with public education and impoverished and challenged children over the past 20 years, I’ve had a real up-close and personal look at areas where kids are vulnerable,” he said.