Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Endorsements

Cindy Nava is running in the Democratic Primary for Senate District 9. This is an open seat that will be vacated by incumbent Brenda McKenna at the end of this year. Nava recently left her appointment by the White House as Senior Policy Advisor to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in order to run for this seat. Prior to that Nava was Executive Director of Transform Education NM, managed/owned her own consulting firm, NAVA Strategies, and was the Political Director for Ben Ray Lujan’s U.S. Senate Campaign. Her volunteer and leadership experience includes serving on the board for Youth Development Inc. (YID), and she is also a founding Board Member of the American Mexican Association (AMA-USA).

Nava’s personal experience of being undocumented, becoming a Dreamer (DACA recipient), and receiving her U.S. citizenship drives her passion to run for Senate District 9. Her priorities include improving education from early childhood through secondary education by increasing pay for educators and creating facilities that support learning, increasing investments in affordable housing and first-time home buyer programs as well as low interest loans, and making healthcare more affordable by reducing premium rates through New Mexico’s health exchange as well as focusing on recruitment and retention of high quality health care providers to New Mexico.

We recommend Cindy Nava for Senate District 9 based on her policy work, lived experience, and priority areas.

Heather Balas is running against Cindy Nava in the Democratic Primary for Senate District 9. Balas is currently Vice President of Programs for Elections Reformers Network, a research group that works on bipartisan policy to ensure the institutions running elections are not partisan. Previously, she worked as a Senior Consultant for Issue One, a Policy Officer for Thornburg Foundation, and was President and Executive Director of New Mexico First. Balas’ leadership and volunteer experience includes serving on the Corrales Planning & Zoning Commission, New Mexico First board of directors, Santa Fe Data Platform advisory board, and the Albuquerque Civic Chorus board of directors.

Balas’ experience growing up working on her parents peanut farm in Portales and her bipartisan policy work for the past 30 years drives her interest in running for Senate District 9. She has worked on policy in New Mexico for two decades with a focus on bipartisan policy. Her stated priority areas are environmental protections through diversification that includes small businesses and larger economic base industries including renewables and protections for our democracy by increasing polling locations on Tribal Lands and increasing poll observation efforts. Additionally she states education, better jobs and pay, and access to comprehensive healthcare, though policies specific to these areas could not be found.

While we recommend Cindy Nava for Senate District 9, Heather Balas is also a viable candidate based on her strong policy work and focus on sustainable economic development, renewable energy, and the environment.

Linda Trujillo is running in the Democratic Primary for Senate District 24. She is a licensed attorney in the State of New Mexico and previously served in the NM House of Representatives from 2017-2020. Trujillo also served on the Santa Fe Public Schools Board of Education from 2011-2017, and was honored as School Board Member of the Year by the New Mexico School Boards Association, where she served as president.

Trujillo’s drive to run for office is rooted in her personal experiences with financial uncertainty, food insecurity, and healthcare challenges alongside her 25+ years of experience working in education and public administration. Her priorities include championing policies and financial resources that ensure equitable funding for K-12 education, establish robust career and technical education programs, expand healthcare access in both urban and rural communities, and foster high-wage economic opportunities for all.

During her previous two terms in the legislature, she sponsored and cosponsored legislation to modernize elections and increase accessibility, create the Early Childhood Education and Care Department, and remove barriers for individuals 65+ years of age to attend higher education courses. Additionally, Trujillo led the development of the regulatory framework for adult-use cannabis, demonstrating her ability to collaborate effectively with community stakeholders and policymakers, and during her term of service as State Representative, sponsored and voted for legislation to support environmental issues including HB 93 and 291 – Efficient Use of Energy Act Changes.

Trujillo supports closing deportation centers, is committed to supporting legislation that ensures prohibiting discrimination of LGBTQ individuals, supports access to reproductive healthcare, prioritizes expanding access to substance disorders and mental healthcare providers, and supports abolishing the rent control ban while calling for NM to take action to limit gentrification. She also supports common sense gun safety, and has outlined a five step plan to reverse the trend of police violence in our communities.

While we recommend Veronica Krupnik for Senate District 24, Linda Trujillo is also a viable candidate based on her record of supporting education, healthcare access, and the environment.

Antonio ‘Moe’ Maestas is running for re-election in the Democratic Primary for Senate District 26. He has served in the Senate since 2022, previously served in the House, and currently serves on the Senate Education Committee and Senate Health & Public Affairs Committee.

Maestas has worked as an attorney for over 25 years and is currently employed at Candelaria Law, LLC. His past work experience includes owning/managing a personal injury law firm, serving as Assistant District Attorney for Bernalillo County, and as a Union Machinist. 

Maestas is motivated to run for re-election to Senate District 26 because of his passion for education, civil rights, and serving minority communities. His policy priorities include economic development through affordable broadband, transportation infrastructure, and establishing a fair progressive tax system. He is also focused on improving public safety, including adequately funding the District Attorney’s Office and criminal courts as well as investing in treatment addiction services. 

He is well known for challenging the political dynamics in the House and Senate, aiming to enhance teamwork and long-term strategies to benefit minority and indigenous communities and combat poverty. His past work has significantly focused on immigration, education funding, and anti-discrimination, making him a seasoned advocate for progressive change.

His legislative accomplishments include sponsoring both the constitutional amendment to allocate more money from New Mexico’s $27 Billion Permanent School Fund for early childhood educational programs in 2020 and authorizing the sale of recreational marijuana in 2019 (HB356). He also voted to add financial literacy and media literacy courses to public school curriculums (HB 1205, HB356) and changes to liquor licensing enabling local restaurants to compete with national chains (HB 255, 2021). Additionally, Maestas has consistently voted for reproductive rights and pro-immigrant policies. 

We recommend Antonio ‘Moe’ Maestas for Senate District 26 based on his track record of working on policies specifically to strengthen reproductive rights, support and resources for immigrant families, and invest in education and schools.

Julie A. Radoslovich is running against incumbent Antonio "Moe" Maestas in the Democratic Primary for NM State Senate, District 26. She currently works as a Gifted Student Educator at South Valley Academy (SVA), where she also previously served as Principal/Director for 6 ½ years, leading the school’s expansion from 250 students in grades 9-12 to 630 students in grades 6-12. She also served as Head Teacher for 5 years and in instructor/educator roles for several years. Before joining SVA, she worked in policy analyst and legislative support roles at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Radoslovich is well-known for her volunteer and leadership experience focused on education policy/access and civil rights, including leading advocacy efforts to increase access to driver's licenses for undocumented New Mexicans as well as improving eligibility guidelines for the New Mexico Lottery Scholarship Program. She has also served on the boards of Encuentro, the Sofia Center for Professional Development, and Albuquerque Interfaith, as well as serving as President of the Pat Hurley Neighborhood Association, Ward and Precinct Chair for the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County, and as a member of the NM Teacher Evaluation Task Force.

She is motivated to run for Senate District 26 by her desire to enhance dialogue and partnerships within the community to determine solutions to challenges facing New Mexicans that are multidimensional and historically rooted. Her priorities include decreasing crime through increased mental health support, enacting constitutional gun safety reform, and codifying a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women task force in the state. Additionally, she supports prioritizing economic growth through policies such as affordable housing, paid family medical leave, and programs that help first time homebuyers. She also supports educational success through training programs and increased teacher pay as well as internship support and environmental protections through the development of carbon negative jobs and increasing accountability for polluters. Lastly, she also supports driver authorization cards irrespective of citizenship status based on her firsthand experiences at South Valley Academy where many of her students came from mixed-status families.

While we recommend Antonio 'Moe' Maestas for Senate District 26, Julie Radoslovich would also be a viable candidate based on her record of working in education, civil and human rights policies, and someone with broad and deep community involvement via both professional and volunteer experiences.