Gary Smith
A retired U.S. Army sergeant has joined the Republican primary for New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District seat.
Gary Smith launched his campaign over the weekend. According to a news release, he was joined at a gathering by family, friends and supporters.
“The people of New Mexico are hurting,” Smith said, according to the news release. “New Mexicans need a congressman who will be honest and straightforward with them and who will be focused on creating solutions to the problems facing our nation and our great state.”
“Career politicians like President Barack Obama and Congressman Martin Heinrich got us in this mess,” he added. “I’ve seen what socialism looks like firsthand as I’ve been stationed around the world, and believe me, America cannot continue down this road of failed policies and failed leadership.”
Smith joins former State Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones and Albuquerque City Councilor Dan Lewis in the GOP primary. Jon Barela, the Republican Party’s 2010 nominee for the Albuquerque-area 1st Congressional District seat, says he’s also considering running.
On the Democratic side, the candidates are former Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chávez, State Sen. Eric Griego, and Bernalillo County Commissioner Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Smith’s news release states that he served honorably in the Army for more than 20 years and has one son and three grandchildren. He lives in Albuquerque’s northeast heights and attends the First United Methodist Church of Albuquerque.
A copy of the speech he gave at the weekend gathering states that his top priority will be “to create an environment where our nation and our state’s small businesses can begin to grow and hire new employees.”
“For that to take place, the Congress must enact a stable tax policy that is easy to understand and easy to implement,” he said. “We’ve been taxed enough already. We must cut through the unnecessary red tape and unneeded regulations that are breaking the backs of our nation’s job creators. Let the government get out of the way, and let’s let America and its people get back to work again.”