U.S. Rep. Harry Teague during today's news conference at the Roundhouse. (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
U.S. Rep. Harry Teague, D-N.M., had little to say today about his looming election battle against former Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, saying he’s more focused on doing his job.
“I’ve been working on being a congressman, not campaigning,” Teague said in an interview at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe.
He said he’s been working hard for his constituents, traveling the 2nd Congressional District in Southern New Mexico that he represents and holding almost 100 public forums and meetings.
“As a congressman, you’re supposed to represent the people, and the way you do that is to talk to them and listen,” he said.
Teague was in Santa Fe to announce that he’s introduced federal legislation designed to encourage additional states to collect DNA from people arrested for felony crimes so it can be checked against DNA gathered from unsolved crimes.
Teague did say when he starts actively campaigning for re-election he’ll have to focus outside the population centers in the district – Las Cruces and Roswell – but also said Las Cruces is very important to the race because it has nearly a third of the district’s voters.
He said “hard” campaigning will begin in March or April.
“But the first thing we’re going to do is represent the people,” Teague said.