County Commissions are policy-making body that may establish a budget, enact ordinances, approve tax levies, enforce planning and zoning rules, and coordinate with other government agencies to provide for the safety of the county and its inhabitants, to preserve community health, and promote prosperity within the county. Term: Four years, limited to two consecutive terms.
Campaign Endorsements
Young Democrats of New Mexico
Occupation
Retired Hospice Chaplain
Filing County
Luna
I am an Air Force veteran, a longtime advocate for working families, and a Luna County resident who understands the challenges our communities face. I have spent years researching public policy, listening to residents, and developing practical solutions for affordable housing, unpaved roads, public health, and responsible county government. I am not seeking this office to protect the status quo. I am running to ask difficult questions, speak truth to power, and make county government work for everyone—not just the well-connected. I will bring independence, persistence, common sense, and a commitment to treating every resident with dignity and respect.
Two of Luna County’s biggest challenges are affordable housing and the health effects of blowing dust. I support creating a Luna County Housing Authority that could serve as the developer and general contractor for modest single-family homes. This could reduce costs, eliminate private developer profits, and make homeownership possible for more local families. Dust from unpaved Ranchette roads worsens asthma and other heart and lung conditions, enters people’s homes, and creates dangerous driving conditions. The county should begin paving Ranchette roads where families already live. Only God can stop the wind from blowing, but Luna County can help stop the dirt from flying.
I would work to create a Luna County Housing Authority capable of developing multi-family rental housing and modest, affordable single-family homes. By serving as the developer and general contractor, the Authority could reduce costs, avoid private developer profits, and help more working families become homeowners. To address dust, I would fight to change the county’s outdated road policy and create a long-term, publicly accountable plan to pave Ranchette roads where families already live. Funding should be pursued through county, state, and federal sources, with projects prioritized according to population, health risks, traffic, and safety.
Citizens should hear about important issues before decisions are made, not afterward. I would provide plain-language summaries of major agenda items through the county website, social media, local newspapers, radio, and community bulletin boards. Notices should be available in both English and Spanish and distributed early enough for residents to respond. I would also hold regular community meetings throughout the district, including evening meetings for working families. Before major votes, I would actively seek public input and explain how residents can attend, comment, or contact commissioners. County government belongs to the people, and public participation should be encouraged.
New Mexico can no longer address water scarcity one crisis at a time. Luna County needs a long-term plan based on an honest accounting of groundwater supplies, current use, and projected growth. Agribusiness uses most of our water and must be reined in. I support state action to phase out water-intensive crops, including pecan orchards, where pumping is depleting groundwater supplies. New housing developments must prove they have a sustainable water supply, and affordable housing should be built near existing infrastructure using water-efficient designs. Protecting our water must take priority over unlimited growth.
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