Copyright © 2018 Albuquerque Journal
A year ago, the Libertarian Party’s candidate for the 1st Congressional District seat was a Democrat.
Lloyd Princeton, 49, said he decided to switch parties “because I don’t believe the two-party system is working. I think the two parties are caught in a continual tug of war. I see that third-party voices are a little more centrist and a little more balanced.”
Princeton said he is a recruiter for his California-based business, Design Management Co., which specializes in the architecture and design industry. He said that since moving to New Mexico about two years ago, he has opened an “adjunct” branch of the company here.
Princeton has also been a registered Republican before, but believes he is best-suited to make a difference as a third-party candidate.
“I consider myself a small ‘L’ Libertarian,” Princeton said. “Where as a Libertarian I would be inclined to let most people do their own thing, that’s where the Democrat in me steps up to the plate and says, ‘Wait a second; people can and should be able to provide for themselves, but I see it incumbent in our society to provide them the tools to be able to provide for themselves.'”
For instance, on the broad topic of welfare, Princeton says, “I have no problem with a safety net, but it’s got to expire. Democrats have created safety nets that have turned into safety cages.”
Born and raised in California, Princeton points out that “immigrants start twice as many businesses as non-immigrants, and studies suggest that they do not contribute any more to crime than citizens. In fact, they aid many of our industries with a steady workforce that is necessary for American prosperity. I think we should have a liberal work visa program and reform our immigration policy to be similar to Canada’s merit-based system, which takes skills, education, adaptability, language proficiency and overall human capital into consideration.”
He believes the retirement age for Social Security should be raised because “Americans are living longer.”
Princeton believes “there are many human contributions to climate change” and believes the country needs to “aggressively work towards lowering CO2 emissions.”
Electing a Libertarian to Congress would “put New Mexico on the radar” when there are close votes, and the third-party candidate would have the opportunity to make a difference, he said.
“Why not loosen things up and put in independents and Libertarians and people who are not beholden (to outside money)?” asked Princeton, who has lent his campaign about $39,000, according to the most recent filing at the Federal Election Commission. As of June 30, the most recent data available, Princeton has raised $56,550 for his campaign. Republican Janice Arnold-Jones reported $122,000 in contributions, with Democrat Deb Haaland raising $1.13 million.
A recent Journal Poll shows Princeton faces an uphill battle with just 3 percent of the vote.
Q-and-A’s online: To find out these candidates’ positions on key issues, go to ABQJournal.com/election2018. The site also includes links to Journal stories on statewide, legislative and county-level races, district maps, key election dates and other voter resources. It will be updated regularly with new candidate profile stories and other information.
