Jon Barela
Republican challenger to U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich hopes to focus on the issues, says there’s a big contrast between the two candidates, primarily on fiscal policy
Jon Barela would prefer that the 1st Congressional District race stay respectful.
The Republican candidate, who’s seeking to unseat U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said there’s lots of “non-substantive discussion” in politics today, and it’s not constructive.
“Those who know me pretty well know that I’m going to try to do my best to remain respectful and focus on the issues,” Barela said during a Friday interview in Las Cruces. “I happen to respect Mr. Heinrich and his office.”
Of course, New Mexico’s 1st District is nearly always one of the most hotly contested House seats in the nation. Voters there are used to the national parties flooding the district with millions of dollars in negative TV ads and mailers attacking the candidate from the other party.
In other words, keeping things respectful is going to be difficult, if not impossible.
But Barela said it’s easy to focus on the issues because there’s such an obvious contrast between him and Heinrich. The Democratic congressman, Barela said, has voted “lockstep” with Democratic leadership on issues that related to “bigger government, higher taxes and more regulations on business.”
He cited Heinrich’s votes in favor of the budget, the Obama stimulus bill, raising the debt ceiling, cap and trade and the health care reform bill as examples.
“That voting record speaks for itself, where he is philosophically, and I would argue that the 1st District is not that far left. It is still a moderate district,” Barela said.
The votes on most of those pieces of legislation were close. Heinrich’s vote has mattered, and Barela said 1st District voters should realize the race is important.
A fiscal conservative
Barela identifies himself as a fiscal conservative. Since he brought up the Obama stimulus, I asked him what he thought of the Bush bank bailout.
“The American people lost faith in the prior administration because they didn’t do what they said they were going to do in limiting explosive government,” Barela said, adding that he believes that disillusioned the GOP base and led to the backlash against Republicans in the 2008 election.
Barela said he expects a similar backlash against Democrats this year. He said the past two administrations have a record of “promises made, promises broken.”
The debt and deficit, Barela said, is “a huge and looming issue we need to deal with.” He said programs such as health care reform, “while well-intentioned, are programs that mortgage our children’s future.”
Barela said dealing with the debt and deficit starts with stopping government expansion, which is a massive task. Then the United States must start reducing the interest is pays on the national debt. Barela said the United States is approaching a point where its debt interest payments will exceed its spending on defense.
There are many approaches to reducing the deficit, but Barela said the current approach – spending more money – isn’t one of them. And he said there’s no scenario under which he would support a tax increase.
“Philosophically I don’t believe you raise taxes to raise revenue,” he said. “It just doesn’t work.”
‘No party has a monopoly on good ideas’
Though fiscally conservative, Barela said he’s moderate on some other issues and won’t vote “lockstep” with his party. He said his aim is to bring a thoughtful, policy-based approach to issues.
“When necessary, I will break ranks with the party to do what’s best for the state and nation,” he said. “I will not blindly follow any party dogma or any party leader, because no party has a monopoly on good ideas.”
Asked for examples, Barela, who was in Las Cruces to speak at a conference of the League of United Latin American Citizens, listed a few:
• “I do not favor the wholesale dismantling of affirmative action,” he said.
• Barela said he’s more moderate than the national GOP on immigration, adding that he is not a “round-them-up-and-toss-them-out kind of guy.”
• “I keep an open mind on how we address education issues,” said the former member of the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education. He added that he currently serves on a Hispanic education task force in Albuquerque.
‘You run because you believe in something’
Barela grew up in Las Cruces with parents he described as “blue-collar” workers.
“I don’t come from wealth or privilege, but I was privileged to have great parents,” he said.
Now Barela said he’s privileged to have his party’s nomination to run for Congress. He knows that running for office means working tirelessly – he used to work for former U.S. Rep. Joe Skeen, R-N.M. – but he said he’s honored to do it.
“You run because you believe in something,” Barela said. “… That gives you great energy.”
Which brings him back to Heinrich.
“I respect his service. I respect the commitment it takes to fly back and forth to Washington. He has a young family,” Barela said.
Heinrich has flown back to Albuquerque more weekends than not in his 18 months in Congress. Barela said family activities, mowing the lawn, going to your children’s sporting events is what keeps you grounded.
“Once you lose family perspective, perspective in staying in touch with your family, I think you lose perspective, period,” Barela said.