Eric Griego
Eric Griego will give up his state Senate seat to run for New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District seat in Washington.
Griego unveiled his congressional campaign website and an announcement video earlier today.
“The conservative Republicans running the U.S. Congress have declared war on working families,” Griego said in a news release. “They want to privatize and ration Medicare for seniors, gut Medicaid for the most vulnerable children and families, and change the promise of retirement with dignity for Americans who have worked their whole lives.”
Griego’s state Senate seat is up for grabs next year, so he’s giving it up to instead attempt to replace Democrat Martin Heinrich in Congress. Griego has served in the Senate for three years and has pushed for campaign and ethics reform during that time, and advocated for the consideration of revenue raisers in addition to budget cuts to help balance the state’s budget.
“We need a congressman who will unapologetically stand up for working families and take on those who would put the interests of the very richest Americans and large corporations ahead of our children, our seniors and our environment,” Griego said.
Griego is a former Albuquerque city councilor and assistant secretary for economic development. He’s currently the executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children, a non-profit research, policy and advocacy organization that fights for the state’s vulnerable children and working families.
Griego’s entrance into the race isn’t a surprise. He had already formed a congressional exploratory committee.
He’s the first Democrat to enter the race, but State Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas of Albuquerque and Terry Brunner, U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman’s former state director who now heads USDA Rural Development in New Mexico, say they are seriously considering running.
On the Republican side, Albuquerque City Councilor Dan Lewis has entered the race, and former gubernatorial candidate and state Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones of Albuquerque has formed an exploratory committee.