Democracy for New Mexico

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.

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.

Guest Blog: Winter DNC Meeting - Democrats United for 2014 by DPNM Chairman Javier Gonzales

Following is a guest blog from Democratic Party Chairman Javier Gonzales. Javier has been DPNM Chair for two terms. He was elected in September 2009 and then again in April 2011. Javier is serving as the NM Democratic Party Chairman until April 2013, when the party will elect a new chair for this very difficult important position to lead the State Dem Party.

This past weekend as Chairman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico and appointed member of the ASDC Executive Committee, I was honored to represent New Mexico Democrats at the Winter Association of State Democratic Chairs and Democratic National Committee meetings in Park City, Utah.

Utah was a great location, in particular for New Mexico’s attendance, because its proximity allowed me to bring the staff so our state party was able to gain the most from this series of meetings and trainings.

You may ask, “What was so important about this particular meeting?” Good question.

The ASDC is the best forum for both State Chairs and Executive Directors of State Parties to meet together and within their own groups to discuss best practices, goals of the association and also as a means to continue the training and education necessary to best execute our jobs in our home states. These forums also allow the states to coordinate and speak with a unified voice to the DNC – failure to do so would diminish our collective ability to adequately move forward together as a group of state parties.

For most of the time we were in Utah, myself and Executive Director Scott Forrester were in meetings fighting for the preservation of an initiative called the State Partnership Program (SPP). This program provided direct monetary resources to state parties across the country from the DNC. At the close of the 2012 cycle, the DNC had announced it may not continue the program.

To put this in practical terms, the absence of this financial support would jeopardize the ability of our state party and other state parties to adequately staff their offices in off-year cycles and it would also impact our ability to continue to elect Democrats in New Mexico.

I am happy to announce that at the conclusion of the ASDC meeting – after strong lobbying by Chairs and Executive Directors – the DNC has committed a minimum of $5,000 per month to New Mexico, which represents a guaranteed $60,000 of funding for the 2013 calendar year. As well the DNC – committed to transferring OFA data collected over the last four years into the DPNM voterfile.

Along with these two big successes, the DNC and State parties left Utah united and ready to take back the House of Representatives, hold the Senate and make sure we beat Republican Governors, especially Susana Martinez.

Additionally, during the ASDC meeting – and while myself and Executive Director Scott Forrester were negotiating for the continuation of the SPP program – day-long panel discussions, workshops and regional breakouts were attended by our other DPNM staff members.

Particularly of importance were workshops on the use and future improvements to our data and technology programs. It is no secret that Democrats were aided by a very strong data program, and the ASDC meeting provided an opportunity for state data file managers to get together with the DNC, Clarity Campaigns and the national VAN CO-OP to provide direct feedback on programs, data management and troubleshooting.

This kind of access is crucial for a state like New Mexico – one of the stronger data usage states – to gain advanced tips and techniques to build on the already strong technological foundation which exists already at the DPNM.

Finally, one of the last opportunities for New Mexico that the ASDC meeting provided was an informational panel on preparations for the 2013 Presidential Inauguration. Like the DNC Convention, many New Mexicans will be traveling to support our President as he is sworn in on January 20 and 21, and the ASDC forum with the presidential inaugural committee provided crucial information, deadlines and structure which will benefit all New Mexicans who are choosing to travel to Washington, DC. The DPNM, along with our NM Members of Congress will play a lead role in securing tickets to this historic event and will be better equipped to do so because of this meeting.

In all, I found the ASDC meeting to be the perfect opportunity for the DPNM to not only be fully represented, campaign to maintain the strong working partnership which currently exists with the DNC, and gain crucial professional development for the headquarters staff as we transition to the 2013 election cycle.

Republicans Pick the Perfect Bully Nate Gentry for Minority House Whip

The GOP loves their bully boys. At a Loma Del Rey Neighborhood Association Meeting on October 17th Nate Gentry showed how honest he is to his constituents. Within this video Nate states how he will not be running negative attacks like his opponent will in the campaign for House District seat 30. These are the first words out of the Reps mouth in the video Lie number 1: "Sorry for the ugly peices you will receive in your mailboxes, I will not be sending out these personal attacks I will respond with the facts and with accurate information. Kayyy?" Legislators please bear in mind the following day the hoodie mailer described in this post was in constituents mailboxes.

Listen to the video as much as you can take of the sound of this over zealous simplifying power hungry young republican man. Listen up legislators Nate lays out the R plans and his plans as the whip right here in this 10 min video. 

Within this video Gentry lays out exactly what the republicans plan on doing this session.

1. Jobs for New Mexicans - This is first on Nate's mind he states in the video. Nate prefers to keep the favor of large corporations over the people. He says with his macho hubris - "When Smiths pays more taxes the people pay more for their groceries." The large corporations just pass on the tax to the people in other words. This is a disingenuous response to a very important topic being discussed across the country and within our own state. "Fact and Logic, Kayyy?" Nate says.
2. Nate also states in the video (at time 1:16) that the democrats are advocating people making over 16k to have their taxes raised. So be aware democrats the whip boy is thinking you want to raise taxes on those making a measly $16,000/yr. Maybe Nate was confused that we wanted to raise their minimal income wage not their taxes.
3. How about regulations (1:55): Nate says the regs and permits in this state are cumbersome and make businesses go elsewhere. He uses Intel as an example for air emission regs, that are more easy to obtain in Arizona. So like Nate says: if you are a business where do you want to go? To a state with higher corporate tax rates and an accountable regulatory agency? Or what he infers, you can go somewhere you can pay people crap, and pollute at will?
4. Education (2:45): "It is a no brainer" Nate says. There is a reason why 3 out of 4 kids can't read proficiently that are in the 4th grade. Kayyy? Why is that Nate? What is the reason? How simple the no-solution response is to the republicans, such hubris.
5. Corruption (at 3:17): Nate Gentry has got a passion for battling corruption. People coming to do business here in NM would tell him "Who is going to shake them down." Rep Gentry is very concerned about corruption. Maybe he will be extra aware as he makes his path as a public official, so far he shows he likes the power of being a power holder, the person to shake em down. Here is an article in the Abq Journal on Sat. Dec 3rd, 2011.

Rode has been the most vocal critic of how the administration of Gov. Susana Martinez sought proposals for a new racetrack and casino lease at the fairgrounds, the administration’s evaluations of the proposals and its plan to give the lease to the Downs at Albuquerque, which now runs the racino.
“I think they have violated the public trust,” she says. “If you look at all the relationships involved in this, it’s inbreeding.” Rode is referring to the many political ties (and money) that link the governor, the Downs and Downs representatives.
She was appointed by Martinez, a Republican, in August as the neighborhood representative on the State Fair Commission. “It doesn’t make me happy to say this about my own party,” Rode says.
GOP businessman Tom Tinnin also has been a public critic of the Downs deal and resigned a Martinez appointment to the state Board of Finance last month after a meeting with the governor on the issue. Other prominent Republicans are critical in private but won’t repeat the criticism in public.
State Rep. Nate Gentry, who has become a designated hitter for the administration on the Downs deal, has requested all of Rode’s written communications and other emails concerning the request for lease proposals and the racino lease. Gentry made the request under the state Inspection of Public Records Act and on his official House stationery. “It feels very retaliatory,” Rode says.

Also, ISPAC has done much investigating into Nate Gentry's involvement in the Dirty Downs Deal see this link here. Shake em down Nate.

     6.  Last but not least and maybe the most disturbing words out of Representative Gentry are close to the end of the video (7:45) when a constituent asks Nate about drug trafficking and arms smuggling from our southern border. Nate clearly states that illegal immigrants are to blame for arms smuggling, drug smuggling, human trafficking, all because of the illegal immigrant driver's license issue. A fellow constituent in the back of the room challenges Nate's assertion that because of being an illegal he would draw to the conclusion that our undocumented license issue can be tied to such extreme assertions. The constituent says Nate's statements are racist and very negative to tie your average illegals that are here which are working class, middle class poor,to this drug/arms smuggling question. Of course the Nate Gentry the Representative of this man bullies up and talks over him with a non argument - " So you are saying no drugs come in from Mexico?" The man goes on to reiterate that their are no ties or prove of what Gentry is saying. Unfortunately the video ends within that exchange, but Nate takes the constituent to task over the matter.

What a stretch? Not really. This is a wake up post for us as citizens, news reporters, and our legislators, this is a leader in our NM republican party.  

In summary we should keep a close eye on this Representative Nate Gentry whipman. He is slick, he is loyal to his bosses, and he is not independent in thinking. Kayyyyy!

Lincoln the Movie See It

Lincoln the movie wow! I must have been sick that day in social studies/history class, I totally forgot that President Abraham Lincoln was a Republican. A republican who believed in equality and justice. No one is equal until we are all equal, what a concept.

"As a nation, we began by declaring that "all men are created equal." We now practically read it, "All men are created equal, except Negroes." When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read, "All men are created equal except Negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics." When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some other country where they make no pretense of loving liberty - to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, without the base alloy of hypocrisy." Abraham Lincoln 16th President of USA 

Where have we gone as a people? We just go along to get along. Is there any courage displayed by anyone today to tackle the problems at hand?

Think of what we could do if someone would lead. How about the Equal Rights Amendment for starters for a quick recap of the ERA see this link.  Why not have women be equal?

How about full equality for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual and Transgender people? One of the most touching parts of the movie was when Republican Thaddeus Stevens went home to his biracial lover, and housekeeper and brought her the 13th amendment document for her to read to him in bed. Ah the secrets we humans keep?

How about stopping the military machine and have our service people come back to this country. Talk about years and years of senseless killing. Check out the arm to arm brutal battles of the Civil War, reenacted in the movie, maybe if we still fought like this we would stop. Let's stop funding the military machine. Stop funding the greed of war. Hey we are going broke funding this war machine, there are no more jobs, all the money is gone. We are still funding the Aghan war to the tune of 1 to 2 bil per week. Per week! Imagine this money here, where on earth is this money going? Does anyone else see a connection to our deficit?

Not to say that the 13th Amendment was the end all for equal rights for our African American citizens. Far far from it, the battle for equal rights for all continues well into the 21st century. When will the people who control all the power, which is old white men, let's face it, when will they give up some of their greed and power to other humans?  

We need real leaders with real soul and spirit. We need to hold our elected leaders accountable NOW.

PS. Yes it is remarkable and showing of our progress as a people to have President Obama elected for his second term in 2012. But we learned in his first term that we have got to keep bearing pressure on him. He is partly the resulting dream of President Lincoln, now let President Obama be a leader for all of us. Lead the Congress, lead us out of our current wars, lead equality for all, lead the fight for all to be educated, lead the fight of our equal justice in this country. Lead the fight against greed.

10/20: Emily Kane with Special Guest Sonia Manzano at Early Vote OFA Rally

Tonight: Women Are Watching

If you do not have plans to watch the Presidential debate somewhere this evening; then consider this invite and watch with these strong democratic women candidates and allies for NM State House of Representatives:

You’re Invited to Join:  Women Are Watching 

Senator Eric Griego, Representative Bill O’Neill, Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, Caroline Buerkle, Martha Burk, Reverend Jim Collie, Eloise Gift, Michael Hart, Donna Tillman, Christine Trujillo

for an evening in support of

Mary Ellen Broderick  Candidate for State House | New Mexico’s 30th House District

Marci Blaze Candidate for State House | New Mexico’s 23rd House District

Emily Kane Candidate for State House | New Mexico’s 15th House District

Elizabeth Thomson Candidate for State House | New Mexico’s 24th House District

Wednesday, October 3rd | 6:00pm – 9:00pm

6:00pm – Reception
7:00pm – Presidential Debate Watch

at The Home of Traci & Michael Cadigan
2705 Bosque Del Sol Ln NW | Albuquerque

Requested Contribution:
Host: $1,000 | Champion: $500 | Friend: $100 | Guest: $25

Kindly RSVP to Keep NM Blue PAC at KeepNMBlue@gmail.com or (505) 890-4967

Fired Up and Ready To Go Into the Future

Wow! The Democratic Convention! Powerful! Energetic! The choice is clear - do we as a nation go forwards or backwards?

New mexico was in the Charlotte house. Below is the NM Democratic Party Chairman Javier Gonzales surrounded by New Mexico delegates casting the 48 votes for President Barack Obama!

 

Excerpt's from President Obama's Acceptance Speech 

Tonight, in President Obama's remarks to the Democratic National Convention, President Obama asked the country to rally around a set of concrete goals to move the country forward toward an economy that grows from the middle out, not the top down. This roadmap -- a real, achievable plan that will create jobs, expand opportunity, and strengthen the middle class -- will deliver concrete results in the key areas of manufacturing, energy, education, national security, and the deficit. Read more about the President’s roadmap HERE.

"Now, I’ve cut taxes for those who need it – middle-class families and small businesses. But I don’t believe that another round of tax breaks for millionaires will bring good jobs to our shores, or pay down our deficit. I don’t believe that firing teachers or kicking students off financial aid will grow the economy, or help us compete with the scientists and engineers coming out of China. After all that we’ve been through, I don’t believe that rolling back regulations on Wall Street will help the small businesswoman expand, or the laid-off construction worker keep his home. We’ve been there, we’ve tried that, and we’re not going back. We’re moving forward."

"This is the choice we now face. This is what the election comes down to. Over and over, we have been told by our opponents that bigger tax cuts and fewer regulations are the only way; that since government can’t do everything, it should do almost nothing. If you can’t afford health insurance, hope that you don’t get sick. If a company releases toxic pollution into the air your children breathe, well, that’s just the price of progress. If you can’t afford to start a business or go to college, take my opponent’s advice and “borrow money from your parents.”

"And while my opponent would spend more money on military hardware that our Joint Chiefs don’t even want,I’ll use the money we’re no longer spending on war to pay down our debt and put more people back to work – rebuilding roads and bridges; schools and runways. After two wars that have cost us thousands of lives and over a trillion dollars, it’s time to do some nation-building right here at home."

"I want to reform the tax code so that it’s simple, fair, and asks the wealthiest households to pay higher taxes on incomes over $250,000 – the same rate we had when Bill Clinton was president; the same rate we had when our economy created nearly 23 million new jobs, the biggest surplus in history, and a lot of millionaires to boot."

"But we also believe in something called citizenship – a word at the very heart of our founding, at the very essence of our democracy; the idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another, and to future generations."

"If you reject the notion that this nation’s promise is reserved for the few, your voice must be heard in this election."

"If you reject the notion that our government is forever beholden to the highest bidder, you need to stand up in this election."

"If you believe that new plants and factories can dot our landscape; that new energy can power our future; that new schools can provide ladders of opportunity to this nation of dreamers; if you believe in a country where everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules, then I need you to vote this November."

Year of the Women 2012? Happy Women's Equality Day!

HAPPY WOMEN'S EQUALITY DAY!!

92 years ago today August 26th Women got the right to vote. After ratification eight days earlier, the Nineteenth Amendment was formally added to the U.S. Constitution today in 1920. In commemoration of this important event, in 1971, August 26th was declared Women’s Equality Day.

And here in NM on August 26th, 2012 we can report that two woman won two hotly contested primary races for a District Judgeship, and for a NM Supreme Court Judgeship. 

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." Martin Luther King

Christina Argyres is Selected as Democratic Nominee for District 2 Judicial Court Judge

Christina Argyres was selected Saturday, by the State Central Committee’s Bernalillo Committee members, as the Democratic candidate for 2nd Judicial District Court Judge Division 2.

Christina Argyes ran against Frank Sedillo, Jeff Rein, Jennifer Romero, and Edward Benavidez and won in the second round of voting against Frank Sedillo.

Official vote count: Christina Argyres – 84 – 67.2% Frank Sedillo – 41 – 32.8% Of 125 total votes cast

State Central Committee Selects Barbara Vigil as Democratic Nominee for New Mexico Supreme Court Vacancy

The Democratic Party of New Mexico’s State Central Committee selected Barbara Vigil as the Democratic nominee for the New Mexico Supreme Court vacancy Saturday, August 25, at a Special State Central Committee meeting.

Barbara Vigil ran against John Kelly, Cate Stetson, Michelle Hernandez, and Victor Lopez and won in the second round of voting against John Kelly.

“The Democratic Party of New Mexico is united behind Barbara Vigil and we will work tirelessly to hold the seat,” said DPNM Chairman Javier Gonzales.

Justice Patricio Serna vacated the position August 23rd after announcing his retirement. Serna served as a New Mexico Supreme Court Justice for nearly 16 years.

Official vote count from second ballot: Barbara Vigil - 197 - 52.53% John Kelly - 178 - 47.47% out of 375 ballots cast.

Chief Judge Barbara Vigil Democratic Nominee for NM Supreme Court

Photo to the right was on Michael Padilla's fb page. Thank you Michael Padilla.

On Saturday August 25, 2012, the Democratic Party of New Mexico nominated Chief Judge Barbara J. Vigil as its nominee to the NM Supreme Court for the November 6 General Election ballot at a Special State Central Committee meeting. This Supreme Court position is to replace retiring Justice Patricio M. Serna, who retired on August 24.

“Justice Serna has honorably served New Mexico as a Justice of the Supreme Court for 16 years,” said Judge Vigil. “I hope to continue his legacy of admirable leadership by serving in the important and honorable position.”

Justice Serna’s retirement was effective midnight August 24. The Governor will appoint a replacement to his seat. However, voters will ultimately choose the person for the position in the General Election which is November 6. The winner of the election in November will fill the remainder of Serna’s term which runs through 2016.

“Having served on the First Judicial District Court for 12 years, currently as Chief Judge, the State Central Committee today recognized me as the most qualified candidate for this position,” said Vigil. “I have presided over thousands of court cases and have over 27 years of extensive legal experience in both the public and private sectors. I look forward to traveling the state over the next two months to earn the support of the voters in November.”

Judge Barbara J. Vigil is the Chief Judge of the First Judicial District Court in New Mexico. The First Judicial District encompasses the counties of Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties in northern New Mexico. Judge Vigil is respected across the state of New Mexico as being a fair, dedicated and experienced Judge.

Judge Vigil has served as District Court Judge for over 12 years and has presided over thousands of cases in the areas of complex civil litigation, family and domestic relations matters, child abuse and neglect cases, juvenile delinquency cases, criminal proceedings and appeals of administrative decisions.

While serving as District Court Judge, Judge Vigil also served 10 years as a Children’s Court Judge. Judge Vigil was instrumental in the creation of Juvenile Justice Boards in Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties. These boards served as a vehicle for the receipt of state and federal funds for many social programs serving at-risk youth.

As a licensed lawyer for over 27 years, Judge Vigil has served on many community and legal boards and commissions, including the New Mexico Drug Court Advisory Board and the New Mexico Women’s Bar Association.

Prior to being elected to the bench, Judge Vigil owned her own law office, handling a cross spectrum of cases for individuals and institutions. As a Judge and lawyer for nearly three decades, Judge Vigil has extensive legal experience in both the public and private sectors in virtually every aspect of the law. This includes legal representation of both Plaintiffs and Defendants in state and federal courts.

Judge Vigil earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from New Mexico State University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of New Mexico School of Law. Judge Vigil was raised in Santa Fe, NM, and has resided in New Mexico her entire life.

Dem State Central Committee and Dem NM Supreme Court Candidate Decision

Welcome to Abq. Democratic State Central Committee (SCC) members!

You all have a very important decision to make this weekend. On Saturday the Dem SCC is tasked with voting for one of five candidates that would be the best democratic candidate to run against the republican candidate for NM Supreme Court on Nov. 6th.

Below are short videos of each candidate summarizing their experience and why they should be the choice for the Demcoratic nominee for NM Supreme Court Judge.

Michelle Hernandez below:

Chief Judge Barbara Vigil below:

Cate Stetson below:

Victor Lopez Below:

John Kelly below: