Senate District 15

Martin Heinrich is running for re-election to the US Senate. He has held the position since 2013, and serves as chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, and previously as chairman of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies subcommittee. 

Previously, Heinrich represented New Mexico's 1st Congressional District from 2009-13 and also served as an Albuquerque City Councilor, and Council President, from 2004-08. He has also run his own public affairs firm, led a nonprofit focused on educating young people on the environment and science, served on the executive committee of the Sierra Club's Rio Grande Chapter, and was appointed by NM Governor Bill Richardson to be the state's Natural Resources Trustee. 

Heinrich’s priorities include land conservation and protecting agriculture, ranching, and food systems, investing in infrastructure via rebuilding roads/bridges, expanding access to clean drinking water, and increasing high-speed internet access, protecting civil liberties and individual freedoms, expanding education, healthcare, and wellness programs, and leading efforts to grow jobs and the economy via renewable and clean energy.

His track record includes championing reproductive rights and healthcare – he advanced legislation protecting access to in vitro fertilization (IVF), contraception, and abortion, and co-sponsored Medicare-For-All legislation in 2017. He is a strong supporter of civil rights and was an original cosponsor of 2009 legislation to repeal the ban on gay marriage. Heinrich has advocated for and passed common sense gun safety laws, expanded health care access for veterans in both urban and rural areas, and led efforts to expand and invest in mental/behavioral services including specifically addressing the opioid/fentanyl public health crisis. 

Heinrich is also well known for his work supporting clean/renewable energy jobs and protecting the environment and public lands. He co-sponsored the Green New Deal in 2019, which would establish net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and led efforts to establish Columbine-Hondo Wilderness in the Carson National Forest, the creation of the Rio Grande Del Norte and Organ Mountains Desert-Peaks National Monuments, creating the Sabinoso Wilderness, expanded public access to the Valles Caldera National Preserve, Passed the Great American Outdoors Act to address billions of dollars of deferred maintenance on public lands, and designating White Sands as a National Park.

Martin Heinrich is being challenged by Nella Domenici. Domenici is the daughter of former US Senator Pete Domenici, who served from 1973 to 2009. Previously, she worked as CFO for Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund, and has also worked for Citadel and Credit Suisse. Domenici’s stated priorities include increasing oil and gas extraction while reducing regulations, spending more on border security and law enforcement, and lowering taxes. Additionally, on the topic of reproductive health, while she has labeled herself as moderate via TV ads, Domenici has donated close to $20K to extreme anti-abortion candidates, including Yvette Herrell and Mark Ronchetti in New Mexico, Adam Laxalt in Nevada, and her former Bridgewater CEO Dave McCormick in Pennsylvania. 

We highly recommend Martin Heinrich for US Senate based on his clear and consistent record of protecting civil and individual rights, investing in infrastructure, spurring sustainable economic growth and renewable/clean energy jobs, and championing public lands and the environment, which are essential to New Mexico’s heritage, traditions, and economy. 
 

Melanie Stansbury is running for re-election to New Mexico's 1st Congressional District. She has held the position since 2021, and serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

Before serving in Congress, Stansbury served in the NM State Legislature as House District 28 Representative from 2019-21. Previously, she worked as a STEM Educator and researcher on land and water issues across New Mexico, and as a staffer for the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the White House Office of Management and Budget. She is a graduate of Cornell University, Saint Mary's College of California, and Cibola High School. 

Stansbury’s priorities include addressing the climate crisis through renewable energy and protection of natural resources, economic opportunity via fair wages, workplace protections, and supporting small businesses, increased access to healthcare including Medicaid expansion and protections for those with pre-existing conditions, and investing in public education including early childhood programs, higher education, and workforce development. 

Her track record includes: passing legislation promoting renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, working to increase funding for public education and early childhood programs, supporting bills expanding Medicaid coverage and protecting healthcare access for vulnerable populations, collaborating with local businesses and organizations to create jobs and stimulate economic growth.

Melanie Stansbury is being challenged by Steve Jones. Jones describes himself as a graduate of the University of Houston, certified Public Accountant, retired Army Medic, and has also worked as a CFO and investor in the energy sector. His stated priorities are to improve the economy by lowering taxes and reducing government spending, spend more on border security, and protect the 2nd Amendment by promoting education and training while opposing any legislative or regulatory action. 

We highly recommend Melanie Stansbury for US Congressional District 1 based on her unique blend of scientific expertise and policy experience, and her track record on climate action, economic opportunity, healthcare access, education, and her close alignment with New Mexican values.
 

Heather Berghmans is currently a policy analyst and finance consultant and recently worked as Finance Director for the New Mexico House Democratic Campaign. Previous roles include Director of Special Projects to Speaker of the House Javier Martinez, Policy Analyst for Speaker of the House Brian Egolf, and Lead Policy/Committee Analyst - New Mexico House of Representatives. She also served on the City of Albuquerque’s 2022 Redistricting Committee.

Prior to her policy and legislative work, Berghmans worked as an operations director for high growth e-commerce companies and on the administrative/operations team at New Mexico Kids Network. She received her undergraduate degree at UNM, and earned a Master’s in Public Administration from the UNM School of Public Administration.

Berghmans’ motivation to run for Senate District 15 comes from her passion for public service as a way of improving the lives of children, women, and families, and her experience with passing important policies in the legislature.

Over the last few years, Berghmans has played a critical role in the passage of policies related to protections for abortion access, gun violence prevention, access to education, working families rights, voting protections, and more. Her priorities include addressing housing and homelessness through an increase in affordable housing and rent control, public safety through improved gun control regulations, and healthcare equality through policies such as access to full spectrum healthcare and innovative initiatives to support our doctors, along with strategic expansion of telehealth and mobile health clinics.

Additionally, Berghmans supports expanding early childhood education and increasing educators' pay as well as zero dollar copays for healthcare, improving our economy by supporting both emerging industry and small businesses, and protecting our environment through a just transition to adopting renewable energy.

Heather Berghmans is being challenged by Republican Craig Degenhardt for Senate District 15. While Degenhardt’s campaign website has very little details on the policies he supports, a review of his platform and campaign Facebook shows he supports policies unfavored by New Mexicans such as increasing law enforcement presence to reduce crime, without mention of other safety programs for our communities, expanding “energy” sources by increasing oil & gas operations in our state, and addressing the current border crisis without stating any policies that would address the root cause of the issue.

We highly recommend Heather Berghmans for Senate District 15 based on her experience with policies in the state Legislature and her demonstrated commitment to New Mexicans.

Javier Martinez is running for re-election in the General Election for House District 11. He has held the position since 2015 and currently serves as Speaker of the House and as a member of the House Judiciary and House Taxation and Revenue Committees.

Martinez is a long-time community organizer who currently works as Managing Director of National Policy for Abriendo Puertas | Opening Doors. Previously, he has also worked as Executive Director for Partnership for Community Action, and he began his career in 2000 as a community organizer in Albuquerque’s historic Barelas, Wells Park, and Sawmill neighborhoods.

Martinez’s passion to run for re-election to House District 11 stems from his childhood experience as an immigrant from Mexico whose parents came to the US in search of a better life for their children. His priorities and advocacy in the legislature over the past nine years has included supporting policies that ensure access to healthcare for all families, investments in early childhood education, and civil rights protections for all New Mexicans.

Martinez sponsored some of the most critical bills for New Mexican families over the past few years including the Voting Rights Act (2023), Establishing Income Tax Rebates (2023), Reducing Various Tax Rates (2022), Requires State Agencies to Implement Policies to Reduce Institutional Racism (2020) and Co-Sponsored the Constitutional Amendment allowing the use of the Permanent Fund to provide funding for early childhood education services. Additionally, he regularly votes to support environmental policies, common sense gun controls, expansion of affordable housing, and reproductive rights policies.

Javier Martinez is being challenged by Republican Bart Kinney. Kinney’s priorities include rolling back environmental protections, specifically the Energy Transition Act, and requiring unhoused people to “earn” the right to housing through treatment, as well as increasing police presence and incarceration, rather than programs that address the root causes of crime.

We highly recommend Speaker Javier Martinez for re-election to House District 11 based on his track record of supporting New Mexico’s working families by investing in early childhood education, access to healthcare, and voting and civil rights.

Elizabeth “Liz” Thomson is running for re-election in the General Election for House District 24. She served as a representative from 2013-2015, and again from 2017 through the present. She is currently Chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee and a member of the House Consumer and Public Affairs, House Printing and Supplies, and House Rules and Order of Business committees.

Thomson has spent her career as a pediatric physical therapist and has served on the Board of the New Mexico Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association.

She is motivated to run for House District 24 by her personal experience being the parent of an autistic child who did not have access to services/support in Albuquerque. During her time in office, Thomson has championed policies that improve education for children, especially those with disabilities. Her policy priorities include improving education opportunities through increased funding and support for public schools and educators and strengthening New Mexico’s working families by championing fair tax codes as well as diversifying our economy through renewable energy and recruitment of new companies. Thomson is also focused on reducing crime through comprehensive approaches that address root causes, including investing in mental/behavioral health and addiction resources. Thomson is also the only practicing medical professional currently serving in the NM House of Representatives.

Thomson has a strong track record of reinforcing New Mexican families. In 2024, she voted in favor of affordable housing, paid family medical leave, establishing a service member suicide prevention program, reducing state income tax rates, creating clean energy standards, establishing a waiting period for firearm purchases, and co-sponsoring a bill that requires affirmative consent be included in higher education orienation. In 2023, she voted to protect access to abortion and gender affirming care, prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity, appropriate funds for environmental and cultural preservation, and expand the voting rights act.

Liz Thomson is being challenged by Ann Edenfield. There is limited public information available on Edenfield. She ran the nonprofit Wings for LIFE International for 28 years and has stated that the founding fathers and the Bible guide her political philosophy.

We highly recommend Elizabeth “Liz” Thomson for re-election to House District 24 based on her record of voting to reinforce and protect working families, and her willingness to listen to and work with constituents in her district and across the state.

Cristina Parajón is running in the General Election for House District 25. She has held the position since being appointed by the Bernalillo County Commission in August of 2023 due to the resignation of Christine Trujillo, and currently serves as a member of the House Education Committee and the House Labor, Veterans’ and Military Affairs Committee.

She currently works as a paralegal for New Mexico Legal Aid, and has previously worked as the Director of Strategy for New Mexico Human Services Department, and as the Administrator for the Gateway Center.

Parajón is motivated to run for House District 25 due to her family legacy of serving the community, and her personal experience living in rural Nicaragua with her parents as they trained community health workers. Her priorities include reducing homelessness by investing in affordable and environmentally friendly housing and increasing access to healthcare including preventative care and mental health as well as defend and expand reproductive rights.

Parajón will also prioritize economic development through creating jobs directly related to renewable energy such as wind and solar as well as reducing crime by reducing gun violence and enacting research driven approaches to reducing crime. Lastly, she aims to continue working alongside historically marginalized communities to ensure their voices are heard and represented in the NM House.

While Parajón has not yet served a full term as Representative for House District 25, her voting record provides context on her commitment to New Mexicans. In the 2024 Legislative Session, Parajón sponsored a bill requiring transparency in prescription drug costs, and appropriating funds for a pilot project on workforce development. She also co-sponsored three bills centered on amending the distribution of various state health insurance costs, establishing a waiting period for firearm purchases, and requiring public universities and colleges to include material on affirmative consent during orientation. Parajón also voted to support state affordable housing projects, paid family medical leave, prohibiting firearms at polling locations, and establishing state clean energy standards.

Cristina Parajón is being challenged by Denis Litvinenko, a Republican candidate, for House District 25. While there is minimal public information available on Litvinenko, he submitted a questionnaire to the New Mexico Business Coalition with some information on his positions, including stating that he does not support increased minimum wage or worker protections around paid time off and paid family medical leave.

We highly recommend Cristina Parajón for House District 25 based on her track record of service to the community and voting for increased access to healthcare, affordable housing, and common sense gun control measures.

Dr. Elizabeth Torres-Velásquez is running in the General Election for House District 30. Dr. Torres-Velásquez is a respected educator with a Ph.D. in education and a long-time member of the Democratic Party. Her professional journey includes working as an Associate Professor at the University of New Mexico for 30 years, where she has been involved in university governance, serving on the Academic Freedom and Tenure committee and Faculty Senate.

Renowned for her expertise in the areas of bilingual and multicultural education, learning disabilities, and Latino/Hispanic education access, Dr. Torres-Velásquez has earned numerous accolades for her work. Her commitment extends beyond academia into pivotal community roles, including her leadership with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fun and the Latino Education Task Force, significantly impacting educational policy and civil rights in New Mexico. She also served as Hispanic Education Liaison for the state in 2010 and authored the inaugural report on the Status of Hispanic Education, fulfilling requirements mandated by the Hispanic Education Act.

Dr. Torres-Velásquez is motivated to run for House District 30 by her belief that education is a fundamental right and crucial pathway to opportunity. Her policy priorities include enhancing public education, addressing water scarcity, improving community safety, and fostering economic growth. She has a strong track record of advocacy and played a leading role in the landmark lawsuits, Martínez and Yazzie v. New Mexico, focused on ensuring equitable public education for all New Mexican students, as promised in the state constitution. Through her work, she has demonstrated a consistent commitment to the principles of equality, justice, and opportunity, making her a formidable candidate dedicated to bringing about substantive change.

Dr. Torres-Velásquez is being challenged by Republican Lori Robertson. There is limited public information available, however, based on Robertson’s campaign website and a New Mexico Business Coalition questionnaire, her priorities include addressing public safety via increased prison sentences and mental/behavioral health programs, cutting business regulations, and supporting oil and gas producers. Robertson does not support expanding environmental protections for New Mexico’s land, air and water.

We highly recommend Dr. Elizabeth Diane Torres-Velásquez based on her dedication to education and record of advocating for equitable access to public education.