EDITORIAL: Journal announces its endorsements in congressional and local races

U.S. Senate

Republican, Nella Domenici

Domenici, whose late father Pete Domenci served six terms in the U.S. Senate from 1973 to 2009, told the Editorial Board she entered the political arena herself in her early 60s because she always wanted to serve New Mexico and give back to her home state.

“I picked now to run because I feel New Mexico is really in a crisis,” she said.

Domenici says education, crime and health care in New Mexico are all dysfunctional and she wants to do something about it. She lays clear blame for the state of affairs New Mexico at the feet of “seven radical progressives” — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Mayor Tim Keller, and the state’s five-member congressional delegation, all of whom are Democrats.

“All states should have a balanced sort suite of leaders to represent the community,” she said, and we agree. “I’m running to crack through that group of radical progressives to open the skyways.”

Domenici says inflation is crushing industries such as cattle owners and dairy farmers. She says half of the state’s dairy businesses have left New Mexico because of the high costs of fertilizer, transportation and business loans.

Domenici is also serious about stopping the flow of fentanyl across the U.S.-Mexico border. She says New Mexico’s portion of the border is so woefully understaffed that only 1 in 3 vehicles are searched entering the U.S. She also wants to change the nation’s asylum laws.

“I think we do need to leave wait in Mexico rather than wait in America,” she told the Editorial Board.

Once the flow of fentanyl is stemmed, she supports working on a “holistic package” of immigration measures.

She also wants to address the root causes of crime and tackle education with measures such as ending the social promotion of third-graders who can’t read.

“I will be very, very involved in education,” she promised.

Domenici would also rather tap the Permian Basin to meet America’s energy needs than import oil from countries like Venezuela.

She faces Democratic incumbent Martin Heinrich to represent New Mexico in the U.S. Senate.

U.S. House District 1

Democratic incumbent, Melanie Stansbury

Stansbury, in her third year in Congress, is continuing to represent New Mexican values on the national stage, and as we’ve said before: She’s bringing home the bacon and getting things done for New Mexico.

Stansbury is continuing to present and pass initiatives to lower health care, energy, and other costs while investing in forest management, struggling families, and creating new jobs and opportunities. She has stated her position on immigration saying that “we need comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform and border security.”

She has also recently announced a bill to expand medical residencies in tribal communities, a bill that would provide $4 million annually to create an office within the Indian Health Service to oversee graduate medical programs. This would create infrastructure to help address provider shortages in tribal communities.

Stansbury brings an understanding of water resource management and energy conservation to Congress, serving on the Natural Resources Committee and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. She continues to address land and food insecurity, water issues, crumbling energy infrastructure, and the climate crisis.

Stansbury brings a unique blend of scientific expertise and policy experience, and her track record on climate action, economic opportunity, health care access, education, and maintains her close alignment with her district’s values.

As a state lawmaker for two years in the N.M. Senate and as a staffer with White House Office of Management and Budget, Stansbury has shown an ability to work the legislative process for her district. Through her work on Capitol Hill, she has earned the Journal’s support for a new full term.

Stansbury faces Republican Steve Jones to represent the 1st Congressional District, which includes most of Albuquerque and extends all the way to northern Roswell.

U.S. House District 2

Republican, Yvette Herrell

Herrell, who formerly represented the Second Congressional District and who served in the state Legislature, makes a compelling case for returning to Capitol Hill: Her top priority is securing the border.

Herrell supports House Resolution 2, the Secure the Border Act, which was passed the U.S. House of Representatives in May 2023 but has languished in the Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate. The sweeping bill would finish the border wall, scale back the asylum process and require American employers to verify that all their workers are legally eligible to be in the workforce.

“We’re a little soft on crime here, let’s call it what it is,” Herrell told the Journal Editorial Board.

Herrell also opposes unfunded federal mandates, like the electric vehicle mandates from the Biden administration that has U.S. automakers over-producing EVs unwanted by consumers. She rightfully says such an overhaul of the U.S. automaking market should be done through legislation, not executive actions or bureaucratic rule-making.

“Let’s get government out of the way and let free markets flourish,” she said.

Herrell also wants to rein in federal spending, which has ballooned in recent years, resulting in $36 trillion of federal debt.

“We’ve lost 23% of the spending power in every dollar,” said Herrell, who also supports school choice as a pathway to improving New Mexico’s beleagured public education system.

Herrell can perform invaluable services for New Mexicans, especially if President Trump wins the election, giving New Mexico a seat at the table and Republicans a seat in Congress.

“It’s a win-win if Trump and I win,” she said. “I’m worried for the condition of our nation. We need balance in this state. We need some new energy and a balance.”

Herrell faces Democratic incumbent Gabe Vasquez to represent the 2nd Congressional District, which covers southwestern New Mexico.

U.S. House District 3

Democratic incumbent, Teresa Leger Fernández

The Calf Canyon/Hermit’s Peak Fire was personally painful for Leger Fernández, a 17th generation New Mexican who describes her genealogy as “a little bit of everything.” Being a native of Las Vegas, N.M., it’s little surprise she has become a leading force in Congress on holding the federal government responsible for starting the most destructive wildfire recorded in New Mexico.

It’s clear talking to Leger Fernández that she’s still angry about the U.S. Forest Service conducting a prescribed burn during high winds in April 2022, leading to the Hermit’s Peak Fire, and the agency abandoning a burn pile several miles west that erupted into the Calf Canyon Fire. The merged fires ultimately scorched an area more than twice the size of Chicago and forced 15,500 New Mexico households to evacuate.

She and Sen. Ben Ray Luján sponsored legislation that resulted in $2.5 billion of federal funds that covered insured and uninsured property loss, lost wages, reforestation costs, business interruption loss, insurance deductibles, new flood insurance needed for area residents and other financial impacts.

Leger Fernández during her last campaign promised securing additional wildfire recovery funds was a priority if elected. In 2023 she kept that promise by securing an additional $1.45 billion for wildfire relief to uplift New Mexico communities, additionally she secured $23.5 million in specific community project funding for New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District.

Leger Fernández, the chair of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples of the United States and as a private attorney for 30 years, has worked with Native American tribes and organizations on a whole range of issues including economic development, financing, building health clinics, protecting sacred sites and voting rights. In her second term, she’s has found her groove in Congress, serving on the House Rules Committee, the gatekeeper for legislation.

Leger Fernández has made promises to New Mexicans and she has kept those promises. She has asked for our support in the past and we don’t regret giving it.

Leger Fernández faces Republican Sharon Clahchischilliage to represent the Third Congressional District, which extends from Shiprock to Hobbs.

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Bernalillo County clerk

Democrat, Michelle Kavanaugh

Bernalillo County treasurer

Democrat Tim Eichenberg

Bernalillo County commission, District 2

Democrat Frank Baca

Bernalillo County commission, District 3

Republican Rene Coronado