mailingstate
NM
Occupation
Doña Ana County Clerk
As a public servant for 25 years, I bring extensive experience in both government and corporate organizations. I am in my eighth year serving as Doña Ana County Clerk, where I have administered 12 elections in New Mexico’s second most populous county. My experience gives me firsthand knowledge of what it takes to conduct accurate, secure, and accessible elections. I have worked directly within the systems that make our democracy function and understand the challenges election officials and workers face. I am prepared to bring that experience, commitment, and knowledge to the Office of Secretary of State and continue strengthening public trust, transparency, and access for voters across New Mexico.
My top priorities are protecting voting rights, modernizing election administration, and restoring trust through transparency. I will work to expand voter access by improving voter education, strengthening language access, supporting county clerks, and making election information easier to understand and access. I will also focus on protecting election systems and voter data through strong cybersecurity practices, regular training, and close coordination with local election officials. Just as important, I will make the office more responsive and transparent so voters, candidates, and administrators can get clear answers and timely support.
I would take every lawful action available to increase and protect voter participation. That includes improving public education around registration, absentee voting, early voting, and new election laws; expanding outreach to historically underrepresented communities; and working to remove barriers that discourage participation. I also believe voters should be able to cast a ballot free from fear and intimidation. That is why I supported SB 264 to prevent ICE presence at voting locations. Protecting voter participation means protecting access, dignity, and confidence in the process. I am the only candidate in this race who supported this bill.
The Secretary of State’s office must become a trusted, easy-to-find source of accurate information. In an era of AI, misinformation, and viral falsehoods, the public needs timely facts in plain language. I would prioritize rapid-response voter education, consistent myth-versus-fact messaging, multilingual outreach, and strong partnerships with county clerks, community organizations, and media outlets. The office should meet voters where they are while also making sure official information is easy to verify. We cannot allow confusion and disinformation to discourage participation or undermine trust.
The Secretary of State has a central responsibility to protect voter information, support secure election administration, and uphold fair access to the ballot. That means maintaining strong standards for cybersecurity, data privacy, training, and election procedures while working closely with county clerks and election staff across the state. It also means ensuring that elections are both secure and accessible because those values are not in conflict. A safe and fair election is one where voters know their information is protected, the rules are applied equally, and every lawful vote is counted accurately.
The work of the Secretary of State should be carried out in a strictly nonpartisan way, no matter how the office appears on the ballot. I do think the Secretary of State's position should include party affiliation as voters want to know what party you're affiliated with and what platform your worldview and belief system is.. Voters want to know and will ask and the most transparent thing to do is to include the party affiliation. The responsibility of this office is not to serve a party, it is to serve the public, protect democracy, and administer the law fairly. Voters deserve to know that election decisions are being made based on facts, law, and fairness, not politics. Public trust depends on that.
I am a U.S. Army Reserve veteran, retired family nurse practitioner (including VA service), longtime small-business owner, retired rancher, and elected Ciudad Soil & Water Conservation District supervisor. Running a business and completing complex missions taught me precision, accountability, and efficient systems management. I have served as a poll clerk and sponsored transparency referendums. The Secretary of State role is administrative: managing elections, business entity records, and fair statute enforcement for all New Mexicans. I bring practical, results-focused leadership.
Priorities: election integrity and public confidence; accurate, user-friendly business filings; transparent, fair enforcement of campaign finance and lobbying laws; professional office operations. I will maintain accurate voter rolls, support common-sense safeguards, modernize business registration to reduce red tape, apply statutes evenly without favoritism, provide clear public information, and work consistently with county clerks so every eligible vote counts and New Mexico businesses operate efficiently.
Participation grows when eligible citizens trust the system is fair and accurate. I will protect access through accurate voter rolls (removing outdated registrations while safeguarding lawful voters), clear education on options, efficient processes with county clerks, and neutral administration as a fair referee. Restoring trust via transparency and consistent rules encourages more eligible New Mexicans to participate while protecting integrity.
The office must be the neutral, authoritative source of clear facts. I will prioritize plain-language resources explaining registration, voting methods, deadlines, and results; provide rapid transparent responses to questions and circulating claims. A transparency portal for election records accessible by the public will be top priority. Partnering with county clerks and using secure channels helps voters obtain reliable information directly from the elections administrator.
As chief elections officer, the Secretary helps administers elections, maintains official records including voter data, supports county clerks, enforces statutes, and ensures consistent transparent procedures. Integrity requires accurate voter rolls, protected data, secure systems, clear public information, and neutral refereeing so every eligible voter can participate and every legal vote is counted accurately. The role is administrative: apply the law evenly and build confidence through competence.
The office must be administered in a nonpartisan manner regardless of the officeholder’s party. Elections and records require neutral management so every eligible New Mexican trusts that rules are applied fairly and consistently. Core duties- running elections, maintaining voter and business records, and enforcing disclosure- are strictly administrative, not advocacy. A professional, rule-based approach focused on accuracy, transparency, and equal treatment best serves the public and protects process integrity.
