House candidates square off at forum

Candidates for state representative seats in Doña Ana County shared their views during a League of Women Voters forum Tuesday in Las Cruces.

There are four contested races, and three representatives running unopposed.

In the District 53 race, Democrat Nate Cote said voters should oust his opponent, 12-year Republican Rep. Terry Marquardt.

“I believe the people of District 53 deserve better than they are now getting,” he said. “I sincerely believe I can make a difference.”

Marquardt said he’s providing leadership as the House Minority Whip that gives voters in his district a unique opportunity.

“Every time there are negotiations at the leadership level, Doña Ana County is represented,” he said.

Marquardt touted tax cuts pushed by the governor that he supported, and water projects he has pushed. Cote said his district needs better roads and drainage systems, and said the region needs more clean-industry companies that pay higher wages.

Cote said his top issues are education reform, including moving funding from administration to classrooms and “improving the quality of life” so children, and ethics reform. He said he considers three questions when making a decision:

• Would I want to be treated this way?

• Is it legal?

• What is the right thing to do?

Marquardt said his top priorities are improving streets and drainage on the East Mesa and water projects, including an intra-state pipeline that would carry water from places that have plenty to other areas where water is scarce.

In the District 37 race, Republican Scott Witt said he plans to focus on better education, lower taxes and stronger families.

“I want to take these values to Santa Fe and work for you,” he said.

Witt said Gov. Bill Richardson claims to be moving New Mexico forward, but it’s time to stop what Richardson is doing.

Democrat Jeff Steinborn, who like Witt is vying to replace the retiring Rep. Ed Boykin, disagreed.

“I think we’ve accomplished lots in the last four years,” Steinborn said.

Steinborn said he favors raising the minimum wage and will push for health care reform, support of public education and the lottery scholarship, and management of growth and water.

But Steinborn said his top priorities are support for the mentally ill and border security and immigration.

“We do need to secure our borders, but we desperately need a guest worker program in New Mexico,” he said.

Witt listed education and ethics as his top priorities. He said New Mexico needs to cut education administration, lengthen the school year and provide an alternative licensure system for those with lots of practical experience.

He said the proposed ethics commission would deal with problems that already exist, instead of preventing them.

“If you want better ethics, elect better people,” Witt said.

In the District 36 race, Republican challenger Isaac Chavez praised his opponent, incumbent Democrat Andy Nuñez, for more than 40 years of service to the community as an educator and legislator, but said it’s time for Nuñez to move on.

“There comes a time when we have to pass on the baton of leadership to a new generation,” Chavez said.

He said he wants to put child sex predators in jail for life, build a Level 1 trauma center in Las Cruces, and support the development of the commercial space industry.

Nuñez said Chavez was right to praise his service.

“I have served three terms, and I’m going to be serving a fourth come Nov. 7,” he said. “Thank you, Isaac, for the plug.”

Nuñez listed his top priorities as agriculture and education. He said the recent work of the governor’s ethics task force isn’t worthy of being one of his top priorities.

“I think what they came out with was really no good,” Nuñez said. “They didn’t put enough teeth into it.”

Chavez listed education as his top priority, saying it’s time to cut administrative positions and expand college scholarship programs.

In the District 35 race, Democratic incumbent Antonio Lujan said he supports health care and education reform and “a livable wage – which is more than a minimum wage.”

“I’m committed to universal health care. I really believe in that,” Lujan said.

His opponent, Republican challenger Lawrence Joy, said he is focused on combating partisan politics. He encouraged people to not vote straight ticket, but to instead consider individual candidates.

“We’ve got to get straight party ticket removed from the ballot,” Joy said.

Joy also said he will focus on improving education.

He said he will make ethics reform a priority, and pointed out that he is the only House candidate in Doña Ana County who does not accept money from political action committees.

“I’m the only candidate that is bought and sold by the voters,” Joy said.

Lujan listed support of the space industry and ethics reform as his top priorities. He said it’s time to consider paying legislators, because the current system “leaves the door wide open for special interest groups to have more than their fair share of influence.”

State reps. Joseph Cervantes of District 52, Mary Helen Garcia of District 34 and Joni Gutierrez of District 33, all Democrats, are unopposed this year. They attended the forum and were given time to introduce themselves, but weren’t allowed to answer the questions asked of other candidates because of time constraints.