OPINION: The people, not political insiders, should decide who represents them

As someone who has worked within what former state Sen. Jacob Candelaria calls the “nonprofit industrial complex,” I want to correct the record.

I write as a community member, activist and organizer for social justice. Candelaria’s failed lawsuits are the latest desperate effort by entrenched political operatives to keep community-based candidates like Teresa Garcia and Stephanie Telles off the November ballot.

Fortunately, 2nd Judicial District Court Judge Josh Allison saw through the ploy and affirmed what Albuquerque voters already made clear: These two grassroots candidates rightfully earned their places on the ballot for City Council. This ruling is not only a win for these candidates — it’s a victory for Southwest and West Side voters.

Volunteers and community groups knocked on thousands of doors and gathered more than enough signatures to qualify these grassroots campaigns. The irony of Candelaria’s sanctimonious opinion piece is that his lawsuit was filed on behalf of a former County Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada, who has been District 3 Community Councilor Klarissa Peña’s political ally since his first election. Together, they co-sponsored the controversial Route 66 Visitor Center — a project that cost more than $13 million in taxpayer money on a vanity project few in the community supported.

Most voters we met at their doors had either never heard of it or considered it a waste, especially given more urgent West Side needs like roads, sidewalks and streetlights. Peña has long surrounded herself with political insiders, including Quezada and Peña’s husband, who according to KRQE’s investigative reporting, ran an organization that profited from the Route 66 Visitor Center contract. Despite the millions spent, the center still isn’t open to the public.

KRQE also reported that the facility’s expensive audio and video equipment has mostly been used for Peña’s political events.

In his op-ed, Candelaria praises the importance of the “rule of law.” Apparently, that standard doesn’t apply to Peña herself, who was investigated in 2020 for misuse of public funds after taking her family on a trip to three East Coast cities at taxpayer expense — over $6,300 in total. Peña billed the city $3,290 for train tickets and $2,082 for hotels, claiming she avoids flying because she’s afraid of planes.

By Candelaria’s own logic, the “rule of law” also seems to overlook the glaring conflict of interest that the wife of his client — former Commissioner Quezada — is currently Peña’s paid council assistant, earning more than $56,000 a year.

This kind of insider politics has held our community back for too long. Westsiders deserve better than wasted tax dollars, backroom deals and intimidation tactics designed to silence new voices. To borrow Candelaria’s own words: “This behavior shows a troubling lack of respect for the rule of law, and Albuquerque’s voters would do well to consider the conduct of these candidates when casting their ballots.” Perhaps that same standard should apply to incumbent officials who behave as though city ethics rules don’t apply to them.

Our community needs leaders who will fight for the people who have been left behind — leaders who prioritize roads, sidewalks, and other basic infrastructure, and who support local businesses that create jobs so families can live, work and thrive in their own neighborhoods. We need candidates who will ensure City Hall listens to working families, not just political insiders. That’s what true representation looks like, and that’s what this election is really about.

Lisa Christopherson has a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology social justice and is an education advocate. She is a District 3 voter.