House District 40

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. 
 

Teresa Leger Fernandez is running for re-election to New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District. She has held the position since 2021, and serves on the House Rules Committee, House Committee on Natural Resources, House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and is Vice Chair of the Congressional Democratic Women’s Caucus and a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Previously, Fernandez was Founder & Primary Counsel at Leger Law & Strategy where her focus areas included impact litigation, community project financing, civil and voting rights, and tribal law. Prior to that, she worked as a General Counsel for Nordhaus Law, specializing in representing Native American sovereign entities and their business and social development entities. She has also served as a Clinton and Obama presidential appointee, White House Fellow on housing issues, Vice Chair of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and as an acequia commission in Northern NM. Fernandez is a graduate of Yale University, received her law degree from Stanford Law School, and was born and raised in Las Vegas, New Mexico, 

Fernandez’ priorities include supporting local economies by improving access to education and job training programs, protecting and expanding access to affordable healthcare, particularly in rural areas, addressing the opioid epidemic by investing in mental/behavioral health programs, and building sustainable economic growth through investments in renewable energy, infrastructure, and small businesses. 

Her track record includes sponsoring or co-sponsoring legislation to return water rights and management to the Pueblo of Zuni, improve emergency obstetric services and training for rural areas, get unhoused disabled veterans into housing built exclusively for them on veteran land, and increase access to mental/behavioral programs for the opioid/fentanyl public health crisis. Additionally, Fernandez has advocated for a just transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy and clean energy jobs, Medicare for All, and to ban the sale of weapons of war including semi-automatic rifles. She also supports the DREAM Act, comprehensive immigration reform, and has advanced legislation to reinforce Native American communities in access to credit/finance as well as investing in Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) to increase homeownership for tribal communities in rural areas.

Teresa Leger Fernandez is being challenged by Sharon E. Clahchischilliage. Clahchischilliage is a member of the NM Public Education Commission and served in the NM Legislature as the House District 4 representative from 2013-18. She has also worked as a special education teacher and for the Navajo Nation, and was nominated/appointed by George W. Bush and Heather Wilson to executive branch roles. While there is limited information on her priorities and proposed policy, her website states that she is focused on private lands issues, agriculture, and education. 

We highly recommend Teresa Leger Fernandez for US Congressional District 3 based on her close collaboration with our state’s tribes, nations, and pueblos, commitment to public service, and track record of investing in education, expanding healthcare access, and creating economic opportunities for all New Mexican families.
 

Joseph Sanchez is running for re-election in the General Election for House District 40. He served as a house member from 2019-21, and from 2023-present, and is currently a member of the House Appropriations & Finance, House Rural Development, Land Grants and Cultural Affairs, and House Enrolling & Engrossing committees.

Sanchez is the CEO of Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperative, and previously worked as an Engineer at Los Alamos National Laboratory, focused on utility and construction projects, as well as previous roles as GM of Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperative and at LANL. Sanchez grew up working in contracting, ranching, and farming in his family’s business. He earned an MS and BS in Engineering from the University of New Mexico and an MBA from New Mexico State University.

He is motivated to run for House District 40 by his desire to represent the land, water, and people in the Northern part of the state and be a voice for rural New Mexico. His stated priorities include strengthening relationships with the national labs, increasing rural broadband access, advocating for land grants/land grant communities and Native American communities, and working with oil and gas companies while promoting the state as a hydrogen hub.

While Sanchez’ voting record includes some positives, including voting for solar tax credits (SB29 in 2020), prohibiting sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity discrimination (HB207 in 2023), and requiring health insurance companies to reimburse mental health coverage (SB273 in 2023), he has also opposed key progressive policies, such as voting against the Voting Rights Act (HB4), protections for abortion and gender affirming healthcare (SB13, HB7 in 2023), requiring law enforcement to use body worn cameras (SB8 in 2020), establishing a 7-day waiting period for firearm purchases (HB129 in 2024), establishing state clean energy standards (HB41 in 2024), and paid family medical leave (SB3 in 2024).

Joseph Sanchez is being challenged by Diego Olivas. There is limited information available about Olivas and he does not have a website. In recent interviews with the NM Republican Party’s Inside NM podcast and Las Vegas Optic, Olivas states that he grew up in Mora and has worked in ranching and mechanical repair. He attended NM Military Institute and Goddard High School in Roswell, and worked as a firefighter and then as a mechanic in the Air Force before attending Liberty University in Virginia, where he is currently in school along with running his family ranch, Lazy SO Bar Ranch and Diamond E Cattle Co.

His stated priorities include Second Amendment gun rights, supporting law enforcement, lowering taxes, and opposing critical race theory and gender-affirming care in public education although it is not clear where he believes this is occuring. Given Olivas’ positions on healthcare and public education, we do not recommend him for House District 40.

We lean towards Joseph Sanchez for House District 40 based on his professional experience and parts of his voting record.