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In the words of Thomas Jefferson: “Democracy demands an educated and informed electorate.” In that light, the Daily Lobo has compiled its own voter guide to keep you in the know. This is the first in a weekly series of elections updates that will run until the November elections.
New Mexico State Rep. Martin Heinrich (District 1)
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate
Facebook.com/VoteMartinHeinrich heinrich.house.gov, MartinHeinrich.com, YouTube.com/user/voteMartinHeinrich,
P.O. Box 25763, Albuquerque, NM 87125, (505) 242-4416,
According to MapLight.org, University employees contributed a combined $32,000 to Heinrich’s campaign fund, approximately .013 percent of the total campaign contributions he received July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2011.
He has never been included in a CREW’s Most Corrupt list. The annual report is based on reviews by CREWsMostCorrupt.org of media articles, Federal Election Commission reports, court documents and members’ personal financial and travel disclosure forms, all of which are analyzed in light of federal laws and regulations as well as congressional ethics rules.
Among his actions in Congress, Heinrich recently introduced House Resolution 785, according to OpenCongress.org. The resolution condemns “the discrimination, hate crimes, racism, bigotry, bullying and brutal violence perpetrated against Sikh-Americans, and all acts of vandalism against Sikh Gurdwaras in the United States.” The site also reports that he votes with his party 90 percent of the time, and includes his complete record of legislation sponsorship.
According to Watchdog.org, Heinrich called for passing the DREAM Act, an act that aims to provide residency for eligible undocumented immigrants, to be added to the Democratic National Convention’s platform.
“The DREAM Act is the type of fair, practical immigration policy that Americans are demanding,” Heinrich said in a campaign news release. “It’s time to make the dream a reality.”
In response to Missouri second district Republican Rep. Todd Akin’s remarks about “legitimate rape,” Heinrich wrote in a Facebook post, “All rape is a violation and can never be ‘legitimate.’ New Mexicans should be able to make their own choices about family planning. I trust that women, not politicians, will make the best medical decisions for themselves and their families.”
For more information, check out our Storify piece on Heinrich at storify.com/aswanny/nm-state-rep-martin-heinrich-d-1.
Former representative Heather Wilson
Republican candidate for U.S. Senate
Facebook.com/Heather4Senate, HeatherWilson.com, P.O. Box 10248, Albuquerque, NM 87184, YouTube.com/user/Heather4Senate
(505) 899-2009,
CREWsMostCorrupt.org named Heather Wilson one of the most corrupt members of Congress in 2007. She is not listed on OpenCongress.org.
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Wilson called for Rep. Todd Akin withdraw from his bid for Senate following his remark about “legitimate rape,” according to Watchdog.org. In a statement her campaign released, Wilson said, “As a woman and a mother, I found Representative Akin’s comments this weekend to be sickening and deeply offensive. There is no such thing as ‘legitimate rape.’ His remarks undermine his ability to command the respect necessary for leadership and he should step aside.”
According to Watchdog.org, Wilson does not support amnesty for undocumented immigrants, but in terms of the DREAM act, which would provide residency for some young undocumented immigrants, she said, “We are talking about children who were brought here through no decision of their own and we owe it to them to find a long-term solution.”
For more information, check out our Storify piece on Wilson at storify.com/aswanny/heather-wilson.
Jon Ross Barrie
Independent American Party candidate for U.S. Senate
Facebook.com/JonBarrieforSenate, JonBarrieForSenate.com, YouTube.com/user/JonBarrieSenate, 7316 Williamsburg N.W. Albuquerque, NM 87114
According to Barrie’s campaign website, he does not accept corporate money.
He has no campaign contribution records listed on MapLight.org and has never been included in CREW’s Most Corrupt list. He is also not listed on OpenCongress.org.
Barrie’s campaign pledges include donating half of his salary to children with disabilities in New Mexico. The pledge is motivated in part because Barrie is the father of a special needs child.
According to VoteSmart.org, Barrie supports repealing the Affordable Care Act, which aims to provide more affordable health coverage, and not requiring individuals to purchase health insurance or pay a penalty otherwise. His other positions include allowing undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as minors to pursue citizenship without returning to their country of origin, and not requiring immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship.
On women’s issues, Barrie is quoted on the site as saying “I believe it is up to the woman, her family and clergy to make abortion decisions and there should be no government interference in her decision. There should be no government funding of abortions.”
For more information, check out our Storify piece on Barrie at storify.com/aswanny/jon-ross-barrie.
Former Bernalillo County Commissioner Michelle Lujan Grisham (District 1)
Democratic candidate for U.S. House
of Representatives, District 1
Facebook.com/mlujangrisham, MichelleLujanGrisham.net, YouTube.com/user/michellelujangrisham, P.O. Box 25422, Albuquerque, NM 87125, (505) 242-3511
According to VoteSmart.org, Lujan Grisham’s top campaign contributor is EMILY’s List, an organization supporting pro-choice democratic women running for Congress and governor. Out of about $1 million total campaign funds raised, the organization contributed about $42,000. Top contributors also include Presbyterian Healthcare Services and American Association for Justice at about $10,000 each.
Following the debate for the first district, the Albuquerque Journal reported that Lujan Grisham said the top priority in Congress should be increasing private sector employment.
“The notion that government should stand in the way, and not be on the side of supporting the private sector so they can engage in productive job growth, is really narrow vision indeed,” she said.
Last Friday, the Journal reported on a health care debate in Albuquerque during which Lujan Grisham said birth control is a “therapeutic benefit that employers, insurance companies or government agencies shouldn’t control.”
For more information, check out our Storify piece on Lujan Grisham at storify.com/aswanny/michelle-lujan-grisham.
Janice Arnold-Jones
Republican candidate for U.S. House
of Representatives, District 1.
Facebook.com/janicefornm, Janice2012.us/v2, YouTube.com/user/JaniceforNM, P.O. Drawer 20460, Albuquerque, 87154, (505) 797-8030
Out of about $248,000 total campaign contributions, Arnold-Jones received nothing from party committee contributions, $12,000 from other committee contributions and $325 from her own pocket, according to The Washington Times. VoteSmart.org lists Scott and Kienzle, P.A. law firm as her top contributor ($6,000), with Chase Oil ($5,000) and Nuclear Safety & Other Advanced Tech ($4,900) coming in second and third.
When Arnold-Jones served in the New Mexico House of Representatives from 2003 to 2011, legislation she sponsored included a bill to allow voters to write candidates in, and another that would regulate the use of public service announcements by constitutional officers, legislators and local elected officials.
An Albuquerque Journal article following the first district debate accords that Arnold-Jones believes “implementing a federal budget is Congress’ most important order of business. That allows Congress to review its spending while assuring that federal contractors, for example, can continue their government work.” It also states her next priorities would be addressing national debt and protecting New Mexico laboratories and military bases from federal budget cuts.
Last Friday, the Albuquerque Journal reported on a health care debate during which Arnold-Jones was asked whether insurance coverage of women’s reproductive services, such as birth control and abortion, should be limited. She said she is not obligated to pay for recreational sex.
For more information, check out our Storify piece on Arnold-Jones at storify.com/aswanny/janice-arnold-jones.
_Resources:
New Mexico Secretary of State: sos.state.nm.us
The homepage includes voter, candidate, PAC and lobbyist information, including elections data, government information and records to consider for this year’s election.
New Mexico Legislature: NMLegis.gov
Provides information about bills introduced or sponsored by candidates who have already served in the New Mexico Legislature.
Project Vote Smart: VoteSmart.org
Provides information about all candidates, including pages on each candidate’s stances, interest group ratings, public statements, campaign finance information and current legislative committee(s) on which they’re serving and their voting record, if applicable.
OpenCongress for the 112th United States Congress: OpenCongress.org
A nonprofit, nonpartisan, open-source project from the Participatory Politics Foundation that provides information on former and current congressional candidates, such as history of legislation sponsorship and votes in Congress.
Map Light: MapLight.org
A nonpartisan research organization that tracks campaign contributions, politicians, legislative votes, industries and companies to show patterns of influence.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington: CitzensForEthics.org
A nonprofit organization that promotes “ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials who sacrifice the common good to special interests.”
Watchdog: Watchdog.org
A project of the nonprofit organization the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, Watchdog is a collection of independent journalists covering state-specific and local government activity.
