Denish Takes it to Martinez in Las Cruces

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Contributing writer Stephen Jones checks in with more on-the-ground coverage from Southern New Mexico.

brought her campaign to the doorstep of her opponent on Tuesday afternoon, meeting with voters and local supporters in Las Cruces. The event was held only a few steps from the Dõna Ana County building, where the Republican holds the District Attorney’s seat.

Luis Flores, a young father of two, and a lifelong resident of Las Cruces, took the opportunity to come out to meet Diane Denish. Flores attended the event to express his support for Denish and thank her for her commitment to jobs and public education, and to meet the candidate in person. Flores has been unemployed in the current economic downturn. The 24-year-old Flores was holding the receipt to his voter registration application when he spoke to Denish. He had registered for the first time just prior to the October 5 registration deadline.

Luis Flores and Diane Denish

“I now know how important this is,” Flores said. Flores stated that he had registered specifically for the purpose of voting for Diane Denish. Flores has also returned to school. Flores told Denish that, along with his children, he was also committed to getting a better education for himself. “I have to do it so I can give a better life to my daughter and my son,” he said. Flores had his young daughter with him when he spoke to Denish at the event.

Before speaking with Flores, Diane Denish addressed the Las Cruces crowd and stressed the same themes she had raised in her powerful debate performance on Sunday night; a commitment to jobs, economic development and public schools. “My opponent will take money out of public education. I will stand with New Mexico families,” Denish said.

Denish also reminded voters of the pivotal verbal exchange during the KOAT-TV debate. “On Sunday I asked my opponent if she would be willing to close the tax loophole that allows out-of-state corporations to avoid paying taxes. You heard her answer. She stands with them. I stand with the businesses and citizens of New Mexico,” Denish said. “It is unfair for New Mexico taxpayers to carry the burden of $70, 80, 90 million dollars of unpaid taxes from out-of-state corporations.”

On the issue of campaign funding, Denish again raised the Republican candidate's source of funding. “My opponent thinks it isn’t fair for me to raise the issue of her Texas connections,” Denish said. “Now we learn that many of those Texas donors are in legal disputes with New Mexico over water and other natural resources.” Denish went on to single out several specific large donations. “She has raised over $800,000 from Texas, including over half a million from one single donor, the largest donation in New Mexico history, from a developer from Houston,” she said. “She’s also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from friends of Karl Rove and Dick Cheney, the very people who drove our economy into the state it is in now.”

“Texas policy is bad for New Mexico,” Denish said. “I stand with you. New Mexicans have a clear choice. We have fourteen more days," Denish continued. "Won’t you come out and help me win on November 2?”

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