Hank Hughes Announces Dem Primary Run for PRC District 4

Longtime community advocate, Hank Hughes, is running to bring renewable energy alternatives to New Mexico and integrity back to the PRC.

Hank Hughes, Executive Director of New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness, announced today that he is running for the Public Regulation Commission in District 4. He is filing his papers with the Secretary of State this week. District 4 is primarily in the northwest segment of New Mexico including San Juan, McKinley and Cibola Counties, and parts of Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, Sandoval, Bernalillo and Socorro Counties.

“This race is about the integrity of the Public Regulation Commission and about creating new green jobs in New Mexico,” said Hank Hughes in a statement released today. “My experience developing energy efficient, affordable housing proves that I can get things done for New Mexico communities. My 18 years of experience running two well respected nonprofit organizations that help homeless people demonstrates my commitment to hard work and to helping others.”

Hughes commented on two of the issues he believes are most important in this race:

Positioning New Mexico for the Green Economy
“Global warming poses a very real threat to our way of life in New Mexico and the PRC plays an important role in encouraging our utilities to move toward renewable energy and away from fossil fuels. We have a great opportunity to harness New Mexico's solar and wind resources to meet the demand for clean, renewable energy. New Mexico’s leadership in the area of renewable energy and weatherization has the potential to create thousands of new green jobs that cannot be outsourced.”

Restoring Integrity to the PRC
“Over the last few years the PRC has been at the center of several high-profile scandals. Through a series of transgressions the PRC has hardly been able to be the watchdog agency that consumers deserve. As the district 4 representative on the Commission I will be at all the hearings and I will work full-time to protect the interests of consumers. As Commissioner, I will fight for openness and transparency to all the business of the Commission.”

Hank Hughes is currently executive director of the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness which he co-founded in 2000. From 1991 to 2001 he was executive director of St. Elizabeth Shelter in Santa Fe. He has a Master of Engineering Degree in Environmental Systems Engineering from Cornell University and he worked at Cornell University at the Center for Environmental Research just after graduating. He has lived in New Mexico since 1985 with his wife Bonney. They have two sons.

The district 4 seat on the PRC is currently held by Democrat Carol K. Sloan, who was elected in 2006.