- What made you decide to run for office?
My family was one of the several hundred affected by the battle between the city and the co-op. I was doing some basic research on our water situation and along the way discovered different areas where our city and county struggled to work together – and I thought “it shouldn’t be like this.” I was frustrated that even though we had a business in town our voice seemed to fall on deaf ears with the city since we didn’t live in the city. From my perspective, the city and county are very much intertwined, and they absolutely need to work together to ensure the success of the county as whole, especially during economically challenging times. Many people who live in the city work in the county and vice versus. We are all co-dependent on our survival. I know some of the city council and would like the opportunity to work hand-in-hand instead of quid-pro-quo to help everyone in the county succeed. I would also like to do anything I can to help the county succeed as well.
- How well do you believe you know the U.S. Constitution? The NM Constitution?
I am not intimately familiar with the US Constitution, but I am familiar with it. I know the NM Constitution exists but have not read it in its entirety. I just reference it when I am looking for a particular stance on a subject matter.
- What is the role of government in general?
I believe the government’s role is to help guide citizens along offering structure and support as needed. I do not believe the government should be able to dictate or regulate our lives.
- What do you believe are the most important attributes of a candidate? Integrity and character or ability and experience to do the job?
For elected positions I think it needs to be integrity and character. I say this because you have to be able to relate to your constituents and be personable and accessible. The people who elect you need to know they can trust you and trust that you will look into their concerns and not just focus on your own concerns. They need to trust that you truly have their best interests in mind when making decisions. They need to feel secure knowing that you have their back; not leave them just hoping for the best. I also think you can have the ability without the experience. In this case, I do not have experience as a commissioner but after doing some research I feel confident I could do the job and learn what needs to be learned to best help my community.
- How much should an elected servant be available to his/her constituents? How do you plan to make yourself available?
I think elected officials should always be available to their constituents; however, I would hope/expect the constituents to be reasonable as well. I would consider a phone call at midnight about a pothole unreasonable. We all know there is nothing one can do about a pothole in the middle of the night. If I am eating at a restaurant with my family or grocery shopping at Farmers Market I should fully expect people to come up and talk to me about their concerns. I believe that is part of being an elected servant.
I would be available via phone, email, in person or Facebook.
- What kinds of things (activities, events, organizations, etc) have you been a part of or have supported up until now?
I LOVE to support our community – usually from behind the scenes though. Since Covid – We (I say we because several people have made this happen not just me) have partnered with several local businesses around Thanksgiving to provide meal boxes and pre-cooked meals to local residents and families in need. One of my favorite things to do is make meal boxes for families and see what kind of extra goodies I can find to throw in the boxes whether it be food treats or family board games.
I help support the Floyd Booster Club when I can.
- Whenever you have to make difficult decisions, what process do you normally go through to reach that decision?
I love to research things if you haven’t noticed. First, I would research the issue at hand. I try to look at all my options and weigh various potential outcomes of each path. I know you can’t calculate the outcome of every situation but I try to base my decisions on the most desired resolution depending on the situation. I am a very matter-of-fact and direct person. I don’t like to have loose ends so I try to make all my decisions in a timely manner.
- What should the relationship be between elected officials and the People?
It should be an open ongoing discussion between “friends.”
- If you encounter angry constituents, publicly or privately, how will you handle that situation?
I think this is a very open-ended question and obviously each situation would vary on the degree of anger being shown. In general, I would first try to de-escalate the anger so we could talk in a reasonable manner to determine the issue and offer what I would do to help in that situation.
- What line would the state government have to cross before you believe it would be your duty to make a stand? Or do you believe making a stand is the right course of action? Why or why not?
Two examples come to mind. Let’s take the recent gun movement the governor tried to impose. I think she crossed a line there; however, I also think most of the government officials’ responses were well handled. You can’t expect the public to take this sitting down when that is a publicly known area where people unfortunately need protection and have the right to protect themselves – all while knowing the risk to others. On the flip side, guns are not allowed in courthouses or most hospitals. Yet we accept that. Those are seemingly reasonable places not to allow a weapon, so we honor it.
The second example that comes to mind is the Covid mandates. As a private citizen I should have the choice to wear a mask or not. As a business owner contracted with the state I gave up my right to choose. Government employees gave up their right to choose during their hours of employment. Yes I thought the mandates were uncalled for and chose to not wear the mask every chance I could. As a business owner I wore the mask when I had to to keep my business open.
My point is, you should always stand up for what you think is right or wrong; however, there is always a civil way to do it and get your point across or addressed. Is it easier to fly off the handle? Of course! Will you get much accomplished? Probably not.
- If elected, what will be some of the things you’ll do between the election and when you take office?
If I won the election, I would like to get with the current commissioner to work on/through any issues that may extend past his time and carry over into my time. I would stay up to date with what is currently going on with the commission. I would also fully respect that he is the current commissioner and wouldn’t want to step on his toes.
- What are the three most important issues facing Roosevelt/New Mexico and how do you plan to address those?
I think Water is first and foremost. We are not the only people facing water issues, but we have chosen not to be proactive after several years of warnings. Now, unfortunately, I think we are reaching unfavorable ultimatums that will affect everyone if we want our community to survive. The answer does not lie in one person or town, it lies in everyone working together for a solution to sustain our community through this tough time. I would push for some kind of infrastructure restoration/update and a system for harvesting rainwater to support our firefighters throughout the county.
I think roads are good runner up. The roads all over the state are horrible to say the least; however, we are one of the cheapest states (if not the cheapest) when it comes to MVD taxes which in turn leave little revenue for our roads. We don’t have control over the taxes, but we can come up with a viable road restoration and maintenance plan to continually seek funding for.
The third issue is agriculture which I think goes hand in hand with the water. This area has been known for its farming. With the changing climate and water situation our area dynamics are changing, and we need to find a way to change and grow with them. I don’t know what the answer is, but we need to explore transition options to help the farmers, their land and animals because they are all vital aspects of everyday life.
- If you could look into the future five years from now, what do you want Roosevelt/New Mexico to be like?
From my perspective Portales has never been an up-and-coming expanding community like Clovis. It has always been a mom-and-pop shop kind of place. The small home-town feel is the appeal that has drawn people in here. Given the environmental and economic challenges of the times I would like to see the county and its inhabitants sustain and survive these challenging times. I think growth is unrealistic, but sustainability is realistic.
- Who was your childhood mentor and why? Who has had the greatest impact on your life as an adult and why? Either can be someone you know personally, a historical figure, etc.
My grandfather has been the greatest influence in my childhood. He loved unconditionally, lived humbly and was probably the most selfless person I have ever met. He had seemingly endless patience and taught me how to just live in every moment – good or bad. My dad would have to be the person who has impacted me the most in my adult life. As an adult, I can look back and see all that he tried to teach me as a kid and all that I wish I had listened to or tried to learn. What he wasn’t teaching me he was showing me through the life he led – again both good and bad. As an adult I can see that my work ethic, my morals, my faith, my desire to help people, etc are all the result of how he raised me. I think it’s hard to see these things when you’re growing up trying to find who are. He was a jack of all trades and I think he passed that along to me. I love learning, no matter what the topic, and exploring new things. I think Abraham Lincoln also falls into the mentor category of my life. He came from simple beginnings, worked his way to the top, stood up for what he believed in and chartered his own course knowing the risk. I think we should all know what we stand for and stand up for it.
