Democracy for New Mexico

VOTE Pete Dinelli for Mayor of Albuquerque

Pete Dinelli-Leader. Problem Solver. Born & raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Pete's running for Mayor because he won’t stand on the sidelines while City Hall is engulfed in a public safety crisis & petty partisan politics. Pete knows our prosperity depends on creating the good-paying, long-lasting jobs of the future, providing a world-class education for our children & public safety that will make our city a model around the state & nation.

Pete has served as Chief Public Safety Officer, Deputy City Attorney, Director of the Safe City Strike Force, Chief Deputy District Attorney, 911 Interim Director, Workers’ Compensation Judge, Albuquerque City Councilor, Assistant District Attorney and Assistant Attorney General.

See where Mr. Dinelli stands on the issues by following this link.

Vote Pete Dinelli !

Diane Gibson for City Council District 7

It's Unanimous!!!!

Firefighters, City Employees, Distinguished Community Leaders and Neighbors Endorse Diane Gibson for City Council District 7

Diane Gibson has received overwhelming support in her bid for City Council District 7. She is humbled and grateful. "Our campaign has been going door to door for months talking to folks in District 7. These endorsements confirm that the hard work is paying off and we are on our way to winning in October." stated Diane.

List of Supporters:

• Albuquerque Area Fire Fighters, Local 244
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
• City Councilor Isaac Benton – "Diane Gibson is the engaged, proactive, inclusive, communicative leader that is right for District 7. She is committed to the efficient delivery of City services, as well as protecting and improving its unique neighborhoods. We agree that a change of direction must be made if we are to have a vibrant city that our children will want to stay in."
• Merri Rudd - "I am impressed by Diane Gibson. She cares about our district and is knowledgeable about the challenging issues our city faces. Diane has integrity and is down to earth, intelligent, and a good listener. When I served as probate judge, I believed strongly that elected officials should be ethical public servants. I believe Diane Gibson will be an ethical and responsive public servant, and I am honored to endorse her for City Council District 7.."

City Councilor Rey Garduno
Senator Cisco McSorley
Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino
Senator Michael Sanchez
Representative Gail Chasey
Representative Emily Kane
Representative Georgene Louis
Representative Antonio "Moe" Maestas
Representative Nate Cote
Representative Sheryl Williams Stapleton
Representative Mimi Stewart
Representative Liz Thomson
Representative Christine Trujillo
County Cmr. and Fmr. City Councilor Debbie O'Malley
County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins
Ahmed Assad, Attorney
Linda Allison
Marci Blaze
Brian Eagan
Ella Joan Fenoglio, Attorney
Stanley Hordes
Bob Matteucci, Jr.
Fonda Osborn, President, 1199 Hospital and Health Care Employees
Donna Tillman
.......And Growing.

Congratulations New Dem State Chairman - Sam Bregman

Picture above from Sam Bregman's FB page linked from the Dona Ana County Dems excellent website. See more about Sam and his appointmentshere.

Sam Bregman won the New Mexico State Democratic Chairman position this weekend. He will be the chair for the next 2 years. A very hard position it is. Many struggles are within the great state of NM, jobs and the economy being on the top of the list. Maybe dems can get the economy moving, but seeing the lack of movement on anything politically both with the feds and state politicians is very depressing.

Big kudos goes out to Roxanne Lara for stepping up and running for the state party chair. In the bigger scheme of things maybe it is better you were not victorious, it is a brutal job, imho.

A big thanks goes out to Javier Gonzales the exiting Dem party chair. Javier and his staff did the best they could, remember we are talking about the equivolent of herding cats.

Good luck Sam! We dems are counting on ya!

Roxanne Lara for NM Democratic Party State Chair

  
It is that time again, for the Democrats of New Mexico to come together to elect their State Party Chair. The Meeting will be held in Las Cruces on April 27th. This is the meeting where the elected members of the state central committee come together and vote in a chair, this year there are two running Roxanne Lara from Eddy County, and Sam Bregman from Bern County.

Roxanne’s background and info can be seen at Lara4nm.com and her facebook page here. And here is a link to Sam’s facebook page. Much of his campaign info has been cross posted to his FB page as well as his very often newsletter "thoughts from sam."

Number one job for a state party chair is to help democrats get elected to offices up and down the ballot. I believe that a democrat should support a democrat running for an elected office, especially in these times of such division. Division on marriage equality, division on immigration, division on a woman’s right to choose, and gun control, division on energy matters, education and taxes. You name it the democrats and republicans are much divided on the issue.

While running for the HD 30 seat last year as a democrat one of the people running for state party chair was in the closet as a supporter of my campaign. He could not outwardly support my campaign because his alliance was with his law partner, and his law partner was a good friend of my republican opponent for HD30. At least that is what Sam told me was his reason he could not outwardly support me. I must admit Sam’s allegiance to his law partner was unwavering which is commendable. However when you are running for the position of State Party Chair all other promises, pledges, alliances must be trumped by your allegiance to help democratic candidates get into office. Period, and I ask - can Sam do that? Will Sam do that?

Now Sam is a nice enough guy for sure. He has done great things for the Dem Party. He loves to be generous to people. He is a brilliant lawyer, and I would hate to ever cross him. Probably so for other sitting elected officials that have endorsed him. His messaging regarding Gov. Martinez is very strong. But it is time to have a woman’s voice of reason be at the helm on the NM State Dem Party. A reasoned leader not someone who is like the big bad wolves; I’ll huff and puff and blow your house down.

Third strike for Sam is about money in politics. Now Sam has done well for himself and his family and that is fantastic. But I have heard from friends that Sam is “throwing money around” now I doubt that is true but I can see him being generous with some SCC members to persuade them he would be the better candidate. Like let’s say a night at his box suite for an Isotopes game. Or some other form of persuasion. All well and good but money in politics today is a huge problem. What politician would stand up against Bregman now when they are going to need a donation soon? Yuck. No more money in politics. It is obscene where we are as a country with money in politics and policy.

Roxanne can raise the money needed to have a strong Dem party and run strong elections. Roxanne will support every democrat across the state, period, regardless of colleague bonds and affiliations. Roxanne is "tough as nails" and she can take on the Governor more effectively than Sam. Roxanne spent the last four years fighting for what's right as a Democrat in a red county dominated by men in politics. Roxanne is assertive, she will not shrink from defending our democratic values, she will be firm and unwavering, and in my humble opinion she will be more effective and methodical which will achieve greater results.

Lastly, I believe more democratic woman should be in positions of leadership in our world, in our country and in the great state of NM.

So there you have it, I wholeheartedly endorse Roxanne Lara for State Party Chair. Let’s have a woman lead the Democratic Party for the next two years.

Lovie McGee to Seek Election to Abq City Council

Long-time community volunteer and former Air Force civilian employee, Lovie McGee announced today that she will seek election to Albuquerque City Council, District 9.

Ms. McGee is currently a professional real estate broker, specializing in residential sales in the Northeast and Southeast Heights of Albuquerque.  Before becoming a broker, she worked for 20 years as a federal computer, finance and data specialist at Kirtland Air Force Base, Department of Defense.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computers and Information Systems degree (Cum Laude) from National College in Rapid City S.D.

Her long history of community involvement includes service as Chair of the New Mexico Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission and working with the State Fair Commission to establish the African American Pavilion.   She currently serves on the Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent’s Council on Equity and has been the chair of her Neighborhood Association.  She previously served on the City of Albuquerque Human Rights Board and volunteers with Roadrunner Food Bank.

Ms. McGee will focus on ensuring that District 9 has responsive, energetic and fair leadership on the City Council.  Her priorities will be:

• Reforming Albuquerque Police Department and devoting adequate public safety resources to keep our neighborhoods safe; 

•  Cooperating with Albuquerque Public Schools so every child gets a great education;

• Supporting firefighters and first responders.

• Growing small, local businesses and making Albuquerque attractive to employers.

• Building and maintaining city infrastructure throughout District 9

In announcing her bid for Council, Ms. McGee said:  “For too long, the needs of our neighbors in District 9 have been overlooked.  On City Council I will be a tireless advocate for safe, attractive neighborhoods where families can thrive.”

Ms. McGee firmly believes that the special interests who finance campaigns have too much power in our government.  Therefore, she has committed to seeking election under the City’s groundbreaking Public Financing System, which will require her to gather $5 contributions from hundreds of District 9 residents. 

“Alone we can do very little – Together We Can Move Mountains,” Ms. McGee said

Related articles

Diane Gibson for City Council District 7

Help Pete Dinelli Qualify for Public Financing

From Pete Dinelli for Mayor Campaign:

Friends,

What a week!

With just 9 days to go until the deadline for qualifying for public finance our campaign is picking up tremendous momentum. But there is lots more work to be done to ensure that we meet our goal.

The special interests don't want me in City Hall because I won't represent them, I’ll represent YOU! Please click to chip in $5 or volunteer this week to help us qualify for public finance.

This week we also announced an incredible amount of endorsements for our campaign to move Albuquerque forward. I'm honored to have the support of so many important public officials from all across our city and state.

Remember to join us online on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with the latest in campaign news.

Thank you for all you do,

-Pete

P.S. - We need volunteers to reach out to as many voters in the city as possible over the next few days. Please click to chip in a few hours of your time to support clean campaigns in Albuquerque.

Pete Dinelli Is Marching Along to be the Next Abq Mayor

From Pete Dinelli for Mayor Campaign:

Majority Whip, Rep. Antonio "Moe" Maestas Headlines Even More Dinelli Endorsements

ALBUQUERQUE – Today, Albuquerque Mayoral Candidate Pete Dinelli continued his announcement of support from every corner of Albuquerque.

“It's time to move our city forward and I'm proud to stand with Albuquerque families as we work to recover our economy and restore faith in government,” said Dinelli. “I'm honored to have the support of so many important community leaders.”

Dinelli has assembled an incredibly broad coalition that includes current and former elected officials, public safety officials and community activists.

Adding their names to the growing coalition of supporters today is House Majority Whip Representative Antonio "Moe" Maestas, Representative Edward Sandoval, Representative Sheryl WIlliams Stapleton, Albuquerque City Councilor Issac Benton, former Bernalillo County District Attorney Jeff Romero and former Mayor of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Harry Stowers.

In endorsing Dinelli, Maestas said, “Albuquerque needs to move forward again and I believe in Pete Dinelli's vision for our city's future.  Pete will get our families back to work by investing in important public infrastructure and make sure our kids get the education they deserve.  Pete has the backbone to restore the broken trust and confidence in our city’s leadership and that's why he has my support.”

Below is a complete list of announced endorsements:

State Auditor Hector Balderas Fmr. NM Attorney General Patricia Madrid Albuquerque City Councilor Issac Benton Albuquerque City Councilor Rey Garduño Fmr. Albuquerque City Councilor, Michael Cadigan Fmr. Albuquerque City Councilor, Steve Gallegos Fmr. Albuquerque City Councilor, Miguel Gómez State Representative Rick Miera, Majority Leader State Representative Moe Maestas, Majority Whip State Representative Ernest H. Chavez State Representative Miguel P. Garcia State Representative Emily Kane State Representative Edward Sandoval State Representative Sheryl Williams Stapleton State Representative Christine Trujillo State Representative Luciano “Lucky” Varela

State Senator Michael Padilla State Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto State Senator Gerald Ortiz Y Pino Fmr. State Senator Dede Feldman Fmr. State Senate Candidate Bill Tallman Fmr. Public Regulations Commissioner, Jason Marks Fmr. Bernalillo County District Attorney Jeff Romero Bob Stover, Fmr. Chief, ABQ Police Department Robert Ortega, Fmr. Chief, ABQ Fire Department Ross Aranda, Fmr. Deputy Chief, ABQ Fire Department Fmr. Mayor of Española, Joseph Maestas Fmr. Mayor of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Harry Stowers John Wertheim, Fmr. Chairman of Democratic Party of NM Linda Stover, Fmr. President of Democratic Women of NM Cynthia D. Borrego, MPA, Fmr. State PERA Chair

BACKGROUND: Leader. Problem Solver. Born & raised in Albuquerque. Pete Dinelli is running for Mayor because he won’t stand on the sidelines while City Hall is engulfed in a public safety crisis & petty partisan politics. Pete knows our prosperity depends on creating the good-paying, long-lasting jobs of the future, providing a world-class education for our children & public safety that will make our city a model around the state & nation. Pete has served as Chief Public Safety Officer, Deputy City Attorney, Director of the Safe City Strike Force, Chief Deputy District Attorney, 911 Interim Director, Workers’ Compensation Judge, Albuquerque City Councilor, Assistant District Attorney and Assistant Attorney General.

Diane Gibson for City Council District 7

Following is from the Diane Gibson for Abq District 7 campaign:

She has worked as a Sandia National Laboratories prototype machinist and an Environmental, Safety and Health Coordinator and a Tax Professional. Now Diane Gibson is seeking election to Albuquerque City Council for near-northeast heights District 7.

A long-time resident of the area, Diane’s priorities on City Council will be reforming Albuquerque Police Department, growing jobs by supporting local, home-grown businesses, expanding Albuquerque’s high-tech and tourism industries, and partnering with Albuquerque Public Schools and CNM to build a highly trained, well educated work force.

Diane’s background is varied and particularly well suited for bringing jobs to Albuquerque. In 1985, Diane became just the third female to graduate from Sandia National Laboratories’ Journeyman Machinists program. She worked at Sandia for 17 years as a machinist. After leaving the labs, Diane became a tax advisor for H&R Block, where she currently prepares tax returns for individuals and small businesses.

Diane is a dedicated volunteer in several community organizations. She has served as an Ombudsman for the New Mexico Agency for Aging and Long term Services. She is active in the District 7 Coalition of Neighborhood Associations and the Jerry Cline Park Neighborhood Association. In addition she has been a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and is a member of Animal Protection of New Mexico.

In addition to years of professional and vocational training, Diane is a graduate of the College of Santa Fe where she received a Master of Business Administration. She also attended UNM University of Colorado and CNM and has personally rehabilitated two dilapidated homes, one of which is her current home. She enjoys gardening, fishing, travelling and community work.

Diane feels that District 7 needs strong representation and a responsive Councilor. Her life experience, work history and professional education make her the best choice for City Council District 7. Diane believes that big campaign donors have too much power in local politics and will be seeking public financing of her campaign under Albuquerque’s Open and Ethical Elections Code.

Sequestration Day = Citizen's Screwed, Elected Officials Safe - Time to say NO

Websters Dictionary Definition of Sequestration:

In law, a writ authorizing a law-enforcement official to take into custody the property of a defendant in order to enforce a judgment or to preserve the property until a judgment is rendered. In some civil-law jurisdictions, contested property may be deposited with a third party until it is determined to whom it properly belongs.

Image above from the BiPartisan Policy Center

Sign this petition https://signon.org/sign/recall-the-dc-535 and like this FB page. 

If the Sequester kicks in, it is because the Congress has demonstrated a persistent inability to do its job as set forth in the Constitution. Therefore they should be recalled as a body.

However, as recall elections of federally-elected officials are not permitted, we the undersigned declare this Congress and its members illegitimate, and state our intention to remove every member from office, regardless of party affiliation, in the next election.

Do your job. Or go home.

Also Go LIKE this FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Recall-the-DC-535/543177652368994

To the people who are looking for jobs this sequestration is very real. The economy is extremely fragile. This is already having effects. It is unbelievable to have this acually going to occur, mostly this affects the poor and elderly.

The solution in my humble opinion, elect women up and down the ticket. No more men in office til they can play fair with others.

New Year's Guest Blog by Roxanne Lara

Excellent Guest blog by Roxanne Lara; Candidate for NM Democratic State Party Chair.

I love New Year’s Day. It is nostalgic and hopeful all at the same time. When I was young, my parents went to New Year's Eve parties and I always went to sleep knowing that I would wake with a glittery paper hat and a noisemaker leftover from their night before. Then we would spend the day taking down decorations, watching the Rose Parade and making resolutions. As I grew older and earned my own glittery hat and noisemaker, some things didn't change. New Year's Day continued to be a day saved for family traditions and resolutions. A day to plan moving forward while remembering the past.

I spent most of 2012 working with my friends to get President Obama reelected and Senator-elect Heinrich moved from the House to the Senate. We spent hours in hard-fought races for congressional districts, legislative and judicial seats and local government positions. We called, we walked, we rallied and we put up signs. We registered voters and made food. Like many NM Democrats who took time off work, I took time away from my law practice to promote our candidates, not just in my home county of Eddy but all over the state. Then, in November, we celebrated, we laughed and we cried. And I would do it all again because I believe in our democracy. I believe in the strength we have in our state, the people of New Mexico and a brighter future. I believe in a future which does not rank NM near bottom in poverty and education; where our cultures and communities not only compliment but support each other; and where government leaders engage in constructive debate to reach the best result for all of us. So in planning for 2013, I am taking action on my beliefs and running for Chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico.

I was born and raised in Carlsbad and I feel so fortunate that I have been able to build a successful small business as a lawyer in my hometown. But my passion is the work I have been able to do for my community. I just completed a term as County Commissioner and served this past year as Chair, representing Eddy County in many different venues. My experience in local government and grassroots politics has confirmed to me that politics really are local. Locally, Democrats are recruiting and encouraging candidates for every level of government. They are getting out the vote and digging deep to donate the financial resources needed for their candidates, causes and charities.

DPNM is the single entity that has the ability to lift, support and bring together the efforts of Democrats statewide. As chair, I will never forget that communicating our values positively as well as calling out the actions and inactions of those hurting NM are vital steps to improving the lives of New Mexicans all over the state. I will use my experience in fighting and standing up for constituents as an elected official to fight for all of us. Being from a rural community has taught me that we need to make our voices heard and not wait for someone to do it for us. We need to harness the power of every vehicle available to convey those messages, including mainstream and social medias. I will stand strong and confident for our values while working to strengthen our alliances with all groups and communities because I am firm in my belief of inclusivity of all Democrats—no matter who you are or where you live.

I have been listening to Democrats all over our state and I can feel their hunger for taking our party to the next level. I have heard great ideas and hopes for the future of the party. I know that we cannot implement many of those great ideas unless we can fund them. Yet, I know we cannot support the infrastructure and institution of our party unless there is money in our bank. That is why, as your chair, I will implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy, involving both traditional and innovative approaches. The state central committee is a team and every member of the team is a valuable player in advancing the party. I will seek strength and support from our team in establishing a long-range plan for our party.

As we look toward 2013 and the future of NM, I am excited about what we can do together as a team. Understanding the hard work ahead of us, I take off my glittery paper hat (but I hang onto the noisemaker) and roll up my sleeves because this year, I resolve to be an effective leader for the Democratic Party of New Mexico, setting and surpassing goals with our team.

Governor Martinez-led Board Denied Request for More Vote Machines

Press release from ProgressNowNM:

Governor Martinez and her hand-picked Board of Finance denied funds to run a smooth election in Sandoval County.

Newly uncovered emails from the Secretary of State’s Office show that her office knew of potential voting delays on Election Day but Governor Martinez’s and her Board of Finance denied a request to purchase more machines just a month before voting started.

Martinez told KRQE on Election Day, “the Secretary of State was able to spend what was necessary to make sure that there were enough machines at every location." This new information directly contradicts Martinez’s assertion.

During Thursday night’s Sandoval County Commission meeting, Chairman Darryl Madalena read from a portion of a September 18, 2012 email from the Director of the Secretary of State's Elections Bureau showing that the Secretary of State asked Governor Martinez and the Board of Finance (Martinez is its president) for $1.4 million in emergency funds to "meet the requests for an increased number [of Autovote machines] for the General... Our request was tabled. The Board did not allocate any additional funding to cover the costs of the Election."

ProgressNowNM has posted the entire two-page email on its website at ProgressNowNm.org/blog

In the email to clerks from Bobbi Shearer, Elections Bureau Director, she blasts Martinez’s Secretary of Finance Tom Clifford and the Board of Finance, of which Martinez is the president and appoints all four public members, saying "the Board does not have an adequate understanding of the election process” and ridicules their questions about voting convenience centers.

From the email it is clear that that the Secretary of State accepted responsibility to provide sufficient Autovote machines to the clerks and acknowledges that more had been requested after the primary election. The clerk request for more equipment prompted a budget crisis for the Secretary of State who had already spent election money on non-election day items like voter purge cards and postage.

Emerge Victories Across the Country and Plenty to Cheer for in NM!

EmergeNewMexico had this to say about their great success training women to run for political office here in the state of New Mexico, Emerge has much to be excited about indeed for this 2012 election cycle:

We Did It! SEVEN Emerge Graduates have won their elections!  We are so proud of you!  5 will serve in the New Mexico House of Representatives- strengthening what had been a slim majority for Democrats.  From the Supreme Court to District Court to the House of Representatives, these 7 women will join the other 6 Emerge women who currently hold office!

Below is more great inspiring news from EmergeAmerica regarding women running for office for every level of government across the country.

This week, we made a difference. 172 Emerge women ran this year, and 120 of them were on the ballot on Tuesday. We want to thank each and every one of those women for stepping up and running for office.

We are still awaiting final results in several key races, but overall, we saw great success.

Here is a rundown:
Emerge Arizona- 2 women won State House seats with a total of 4 wins across the state!
Emerge California- 17 women won across the bay area!
Emerge Kentucky- With an 82% win rate, 9 out of 11 women won!
Emerge Maine- 14 women won with 9 all in the State House!
Emerge Massachusetts- With 6 women on the ballot they had 4 great wins!
Emerge Nevada- 4 Emerge Nevada won!
Emerge New Mexico- 7 wins with 5 to serve in the State House!
Emerge Oregon- With 7 women on the ballot, Oregon had a 100% success rate!
Emerge Wisconsin- 10 wins with 7 in the State House alone!

Together, we had 76 victories on Election Day.

In addition, Emerge Nevada's Woman to Woman Vote Program was enormously successful. They contacted more than 43,000 women voters (and still counting) in key districts that led to Democrats winning key seats and President Obama won Nevada.

Beyond our own victories, we are so proud of all the women who ran and won their key races across the United States: Tammy Baldwin, Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Mazie Hirano, Claire McCaskill, Tulsi Gabbard, Ann Kirkpatrick, Dina Titus, Michelle Lujan-Grisham, Maggie Hassan, Tammy Duckworth and many many more.

Please join us in thanking each and every one of our candidates who gave up countless hours to represent the issues that matter to their communities and have inspired all those around them. These fabulous women, whether they have won or lost this particular campaign, sit on the front line of our movement and we are proud to have them as part of our Emerge family.