Clinton R. Lanier
Clinton R. Lanier, a small-business owner and assistant professor at New Mexico Tech in Socorro, has announced his candidacy for the District 2 seat on the Las Cruces City Council.
If elected, Lanier said in a news release that his focus would be “the economic health of our city, a dedication to citywide priorities, and accountable city leadership.”
“Though ‘insulated’ from the recession, for example, we still have a large share of our population living at, near or below poverty,” he said. “Also, though we’ve seen a few businesses move here or expand, we still see a mass migration by our young residents after every high school or university graduation. And though topics like bike lanes, recycling and RV parking are important to some, I don’t believe they are the priorities for the majority of our residents.”
Lanier is running to replace Dolores Connor, who is giving up her seat to run for mayor. He joins Gregory Z. Smith in the race. The election is Nov. 8.
Lanier commutes to Socorro for his job at N.M. Tech. He said his willingness to commute so he can live in Las Cruces demonstrates his commitment to the city.
“My family moved to the Las Cruces area from Albuquerque over 33 years ago, and I’ve made it my home ever since. I’ve moved away a few times to pursue my career, but I’ve been lucky enough to find opportunities allowing me to come back,” he said. “It’s not perfect by any means, but Las Cruces is still a wonderful city, and I feel truly blessed to live in it once again and raise my own children here.”
Lanier has been an assistant professor at N.M. Tech since 2008. He’s also the owner of wordONE consulting, a social media management and online marketing firm.
A prior version of this posting incorrectly stated that Lanier was the only declared District 2 candidate.