VOTE411 Voter Guide

I know how the law works, and I know why it's not working for the people of New Mexico. Throughout my career, I have tirelessly advocated for the legal rights of my clients. I have seen first-hand how the justice system places politics over people. The office of Attorney General was created by the legislature to represent and protect the people's interests. But that's not happening. Our state has some of the poorest nationwide rankings when it comes to the most basic aspects of safety and security. Helping families, protecting communities, and preserving our resources matter more than grabbing headlines. New Mexico needs an Attorney General that will advocate for the people on things that matter most. I am qualified because that’s all I do.

While my platform includes many priorities and proposed solutions, there is no greater priority than community safety. I will first work to ensure that criminals who are taken off the streets stay off the streets. Our law enforcement officers work too hard only to have some criminal courts fail to effectively prosecute or sentence the offender. I will ensure that the courts no longer act as a revolving door for those who threaten our safety. And as the courts work harder to process and house criminals, our law enforcement can better direct their resources towards combating the specific crimes causing the most harm to our communities such as the influx of drugs. Protecting the people from harm, by whatever means, is my top priority.

As the “chief legal officer,” the Attorney General has substantial power to protect the rights and interests of the people. In a very real sense, the AG is “the people’s lawyer,” but with the added ability to enforce the law for the people’s protection. When we talk about “the rights of New Mexicans,” we’re really talking about the rights we value most as a community. Safety, security, access to public resources, environmental preservation, constitutional freedoms—these are examples of the rights we value most because without access to these, we lose access to the rest. I will protect all the rights of New Mexicans by first fighting for and defending the rights that matter most—through whatever powers are available to my office.

There is no excuse why New Mexico ranks at the very top of almost all national rankings when it comes to crime. Our crime rate is a product of decades of governmental neglect and meaningful change will take time. But when we prioritize success, we achieve success. First, we attack crime from the top down. Our law enforcement is already working hard to catch criminals, but the courts aren’t prosecuting. This will change. At the same time, we will work with communities and schools to create and implement comprehensive programs to identify and work with at-risk youth to take them off the streets before the police do. My office will fight anyone who seeks to harm our communities, from drug dealers to the government itself.

The Attorney General is sworn to uphold and defend the law and protect the interests of the people. It is a privilege of that office to represent the people in court when the federal government tries to overstep its power and infringe upon rights guaranteed us by the U.S. Constitution. When the interests of the people demand, and should our guaranteed rights be threatened, I will not hesitate to hold the federal government to account. I will also defend our own State’s legislation against federal government attack in defense of our citizens’ guaranteed rights. While I cannot rewrite the laws, I can, and will, prosecute and defend them with the full force of the New Mexico department of justice.

I’ve served as New Mexico's Attorney General, an assistant District Attorney, assistant Attorney General, assistant US Attorney, and as a White House Fellow and senior advisor in President Obama’s Department of Justice and have spent my career fighting to protect families. I have also served as District Attorney, managing the largest law office in the state, where we used smart-on-crime approach to solve decades-old rape cases. I’ve taken on extreme, right wing militias and big corporations like Facebook, and I know how to fight and advocate for the policies we need to make our communities safer. I will continue to fight to strengthen our criminal justice system, fight for consumers, safeguard the environment, take on corruption.

As Attorney General, I have used my nearly two decades of experience as a prosecutor to strengthen our criminal justice system by implementing common sense policies to keep violent, repeat offenders off our streets. Additionally, the office has aggressively fought for consumers and workers, safeguarded the environment, took on corruption and special interests, and protected our democracy and women’s rights.

I've protected the rights of New Mexicans by taking direct legal action when people are harmed. I've sued Meta Platforms to address the exploitation of children online.I have also challenged federal action; joining litigation against changes to asylum and immigration policies, birthright citizenship and opposing federal restrictions that threaten access to health care and essential resources for our communities. I've enforce consumer protection laws to hold companies accountable for fraud and abuse. Protecting rights means using the law aggressively to defend safety, dignity, and justice for every New Mexican.

As a prosecutor, I prioritize public safety, I launched a statewide Crime Gun Intelligence Center and have always focused on curbing repeat violent offenders, combat organized retail crime, fentanyl trafficking, and gun violence.

As the former Bernalillo County District Attorney, I have been a national leader for innovative “smart on crime” policies. I was sworn in during a crime crisis and brought new ideas, and energy to the office, while working across the political spectrum to help protect New Mexico families and businesses.

I protect states’ rights by enforcing the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and pushing back when federal decisions harm New Mexico’s authority. I have joined multi-state litigation opposing Donald Trump’s executive actions on elections that threatened to interfere with how states administer their own voting systems, as well as efforts to undermine birthright citizenship guaranteed under the Constitution. I have also worked with other states to challenge federal overreach in environmental and administrative rule-making. Protecting states’ rights means ensuring New Mexico retains the power to make its own decisions and is not sidelined by unlawful federal action.