A small group of UNM students, faculty and staff questioned various Democratic candidates and their representatives about the death penalty, gay and lesbian rights, UNM funding and jobs for graduating students Thursday night in Dane Smith Hall.
The forum, sponsored by the College Democrats, began with a two-minute introduction of candidates. Most sent representatives to speak on their behalfs.
Gubernatorial candidates Gary King and Ray Powell sent a representative to speak for them.
"Gary King wants to be your next governor because he has a lot to offer New Mexicans. He knows the people, the state, and to top it off he was a graduate of UNM," said Debbie Potter, a spokesperson for Gary King.
Potter said King is devoted to insuring the budget at UNM and maintaining good jobs for graduates.
"King believes in creating more jobs for graduates in bioengineering, micro-engineering and computer science," she said. "He will work with the state legislation to make funding for students long after the lottery money runs out."
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The representative from Ray Powell's campaign said Powell has the experience and leadership to be a governor. Powell has worked as land commissioner for nine years.
"Ray has ideas on how to protect the environment and will work tirelessly to manage the state and to get New Mexicans more involved in government," the spokesperson said.
Both representatives were asked about where the candidates stood on the death penalty. They said they supported the death penalty only when the full resources of the law had been exhausted.
Gubernatorial candidate Bill Richardson, who was invited to speak, did not attend or send a spokesperson to the event.
Marshall Martinez, a UNM student who attended the event, said he was disappointed that Richardson did not attend because he wanted to ask him questions.
"I want to know where he stands on abortion and the death penalty," Martinez said. "Those issues are important to me and he wasn't here to answer them."
Martinez also said he was discouraged with the responses from the representatives for the gubernatorial candidates when he asked them about where they stood on gay and lesbian issues.
"I am gay and I wanted to know what these men are going to do to bring civil rights to all people in New Mexico," Martinez said.
State Senator Richard Romero, who is running for Congress in District 1 against Republican Congresswoman Heather Wilson, said he can bring the important issues of New Mexicans to the table.
"I want to be your Congressman because I care about New Mexicans," he said.
Giancarlo Messina, a UNM student and son of Attorney General Patricia Madrid, said it is important for UNM students to become interested in the platforms of the candidates because it is citizens' constitutional right.
"Knowledge is power and with that knowledge we can have power to make New Mexico a wonderful place to live," Messina said.
