Sharon Clahchischilliage (R) is running against incumbent Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D) to represent New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District, which encapsulates northern New Mexico and parts of eastern New Mexico. From the Shiprock area, Clahchischilliage was a New Mexico state representative from 2013-18.
Here's where she stands on key issues.
Education
Clahchischilliage has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Eastern New Mexico University, according to her website. She is a former teacher and a member of the New Mexico Public Education Commission, where her term will expire in December 2026.
She cosponsored the Equal Educational Access Scholarship Act in 2016, which was postponed indefinitely. If passed, the act would have helped with funding educational scholarships for low-income students to attend non-public schools.
Crime
She sponsored House legislation that aimed to expand the scope of some sexual crimes from 2014-17. She also sponsored Senate legislation in 2016 that aimed to alter the basic sentence for petty misdemeanor or misdemeanor crimes that are motivated by hate against an unhoused person. The legislation would have provided an alternative to imprisonment to offenders, consisting of community service, treatment, education or a combination of the three.
When asked in an Albuquerque Journal Q&A what should be done about increasing economic drivers, she replied, “We need to create a more family friendly environment by improving education and fighting crime.”
Gun policy
At a public forum earlier this month, Clahchischilliage said she believes that the issue of crime should come before the issue of gun safety, according to the Roswell Daily Record.
She voted against a 2013 bill requiring stricter gun control laws for gun shows, and she voted against a 2017 bill prohibiting firearm purchases for those restrained in domestic abuse cases, according to Source New Mexico.
Economy and jobs
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Clahchischilliage serves on the board of directors for BeWell, a nonprofit in charge of bringing affordable health care to New Mexicans, according to her website.
Earlier this month, she told the Santa Fe New Mexican that at the federal level, one solution to economic anxieties is to “stabilize the economy by controlling inflation through fiscal conservatism.”
She told the Albuquerque Journal that she believes inflation is the biggest issue for New Mexico. She told the Journal that she believes there should be fewer regulations on the oil and gas industry.
Environment and energy
At the public forum earlier this month, Clahchischilliage said she does not believe that humans are changing the climate through greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Roswell Daily Record.
“My position is that climate change has always existed and man made climate change is a small fraction of it. Congress should limit the power of the (Environmental Protection Agency),” Clahchischilliage said in the Albuquerque Journal Q&A.
In a separate interview with the Albuquerque Journal, she also said she wants to address wildfire management and prevent future situations like the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon fire in 2022, which was caused by a controlled federal burn.
Abortion
Clahchischilliage said she does “not believe in aborting life,” according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
She voted in favor of two bills in 2015 that would have restricted abortion rights, according to Source New Mexico.
Border and immigration
Clahchischilliage said she supports building a wall at the southern border, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
“The border cannot continue to be open. I am concerned about the safety of our people, the safety of New Mexico, and I am particularly concerned about our ranchers down south,” Clahchischilliage said at a candidate forum, according to Source NM.
War Gaza and surrounding regions
Clahchischilliage supports honoring the alliance that the U.S. has with Israel, she told the Albuquerque Journal.
She wants to “revisit the specification of our alliance when the time comes,” she said to the Journal.
She wants the U.S. to prioritize domestic needs, Clahchischilliage said at a public forum, according to the Roswell Daily Record.
“Many people in New Mexico are really needing help, and to watch, to see the help going somewhere else is very difficult to watch,” she said at the forum.
Editor’s note: The Daily Lobo requested comment from Clahchischilliage. This article will be updated if we receive a response.
Lauren Lifke is the managing editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at managingeditor@dailylobo.com or on X @lauren_lifke
Lauren Lifke is the managing editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at managingeditor@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @lauren_lifke
