Eric Griego to Run for NM State Senate in District 14

I'm very pleased to learn that former Albuquerque City Council member Eric Griego, who last ran for office in 2005 against current Mayor Marty Chavez, has decided to run for a State Senate slot in District 14. Griego, a Democrat, was born and raised in the District and resides there now. The seat is currently held by Democrat James G. Taylor.

Griego spent the last two years working on community economic development issues for the State of New Mexico. Recently, he accepted a position as Executive Director of the non-profit advocacy group New Mexico Voices for Children.

Griego says he's increasingly convinced that real progressive reform can only happen at the state level because of the current political logjam in Washington that makes it difficult for Congress to pass meaningful legislation. One of his major focuses will be campaign and ethics reform. As an City Councilor, Griego sponsored a referendum that voters approved by a hefty margin that made Albuquerque the second city in the nation to publicly finance local elections. He wants to champion similar reforms at the state level so that candidates with the most special interest money will no longer have the advantage.

Griego said health care reform is another important issue he hopes to tackle as a State Senator. New Mexico has the second highest number of uninsured people in the country, and Griego believes we can't wait for Washington to solve the problem.  "New Mexico must lead the country in implementing universal, comprehensive, affordable health care for all of its citizens," said Griego.

Stay tuned. The official kick-off of Eric's campaign is expected next month.