Kent Evans
Tony Schaefer, who was disqualified from running for a seat on the Public Regulation Commission earlier this month, has endorsed Kent Evans in the race for the seat he once sought.
The Republican Schaefer, himself a former PRC member and chairman, pledged his support for Evans today at a news conference in Mesilla. At that news conference, Evans announced that he’s embracing a plan for cleaning up the scandal-plagued PRC drafted primarily by Schaefer.
“Today, it is apparent that it is not just the rules that need to be revised but the structure of the agency itself,” states the action plan, which you can read here. “After twelve years of operation and four election cycles, the Commission has lost its regulatory focus and has little understanding of its authority and the role it plays as a member of a governmental team.”
Evans said in a phone interview that Schaefer’s endorsement and the action plan will help him be a more effective commissioner.
“Tony, because of his experience and because of his time on the commission, can be a very good expert and brief me on the things I need to know,” Evans said. “When I get there in January of next year, I hope that, because of that and because of this action plan, I will be much more prepared to hold that office.”
Schaefer could not immediately be reached for comment.
Two of six Republicans who filed to run for the PRC District 5 seat, Schaefer and Doug Moore, were removed from the ballot by district judges earlier this month because they didn’t submit enough valid signatures on their nominating petitions.
The challenges to their candidacies were filed by another of the four Republicans remaining in the GOP primary race, Jamie Estrada.
Evans and Schaefer are both former Doña Ana County Commissioners.
Update, 5:25 p.m.
Estrada had this to say:
“The Public Regulation Commission desperately needs new and competent leadership. The old and corrupt ways of doing business in New Mexico isn’t good enough because it hurts our ability to create new jobs and opportunities for future generations. That Mr. Evans has accepted the endorsement of a former PRC Commissioner is no surprise. What is surprising is that he is adopting and promoting the tired ideas of a politician who a district judge recently removed from the ballot. For a clear idea of Mr. Evans’ own “Action Plan,” I would direct voters to the YouTube video of Mr. Evans at a recent Valencia County political meeting.”