Democrats Stress Values in Southern New Mexico During Labor Day Weekend (with Photos)

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Contributing writer Stephen Jones checks in with another report from Southern New Mexico.

Promoting a message of New Mexico values, Democrats were out in force meeting voters and celebrating the accomplishments of working people in southern New Mexico for the Labor Day weekend. Brian Colón, the Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor spent Saturday meeting voters in Doña Ana County before moving on to Luna and Hidalgo counties in the far southwestern corner of the state.

“I am proud of the Democratic values that shaped me and gave me the opportunities I’ve had in life,” Colón told a group of neighborhood residents on Saturday evening. He sharply contrasted his own experience and that of his running mate, Diane Denish with those of the Republican opponents. Denish is the Democratic nominee for Governor.

Colón reminded voters in Las Cruces that he was the first in his family to attend college, giving his family the chance to escape poverty. “Diane Denish has the experience of creating a successful business at a time when few women had the chance to establish businesses,” Colón said. He stressed educational opportunity and growing small local business as the pathways to keep New Mexico families together.

“When we educate our students and grow small businesses in New Mexico, people stay to work in New Mexico. When we grow small businesses in New Mexico, that business and those jobs are in New Mexico to stay” Colón said.

He noted that he and Denish have a long history of working with local neighborhood people in all 33 New Mexico counties. Colón compared their record with that of Susana Martinez, the Republican nominee, who is a native of Texas and whose largest contributor, a resident of the Lone Star State, has given the GOP nominee a quarter million dollars. Colón termed the contribution a shady “down payment on New Mexico.”

Colón started Saturday greeting voters at the Las Cruces farmers market before appearing in the Hatch Chile Festival parade at Hatch, New Mexico. Colón also went door to door to in Las Cruces to introduce himself to local residents before the neighborhood meeting Saturday evening. Andy Segovia, who introduced Colón at the neighborhood meeting, called Colón “one of the finest people I have ever known.” Segovia, a lifelong resident of Mesilla, is running for Dona Ana County Assessor.

Colón and Segovia were also joined in Las Cruces by Appeals Court Judge Robert Robles, another Doña Ana County native. Robles, who is running to keep his seat, stressed the importance of having both experience and judges from throughout New Mexico on the bench. He is only one of two members of the New Mexico Appellate Court from outside the Albuquerque-Santa Fe area.

Democrats were also saluting working people and Democratic Party values in Tularosa, 80 miles east of Las Cruces in south central New Mexico, at the 6th Annual Otero County Democratic Labor Day Breakfast. Headlining the event were New Mexico State Treasurer James B. Lewis and Attorney General Gary L. King. “Democrats have nothing to apologize for,” Lewis said, “we have accomplished more in the last eighteen months than has been accomplished in thirty years.”

Otero County Democrats also stressed their history and values. “My father was a proud union member,” said Sue Medina, a candidate for State Representative. “He gave me and my husband the opportunity to create a good local business,” Medina said.

Labor organizations were well represented at Tularosa. Representatives of the Carpenters, Teamsters, NEA and the Border Patrol Council of AFSCME were announced. James Stark of the Border Patrol singled out the strong support for the border patrol by Congressman Harry Teague. “His predecessor didn’t give a damn,” Stark said.

Along with Lewis, King and Medina, others speaking in Tularosa were Stephanie DuBois, candidate for Public Regulation Commission, Wally Anderson, candidate for Otero County Sheriff, Sheldon Compton, candidate for Otero County Assessor, L.C. Marshall, candidate for County Commissioner, and Ellen Wedum, candidate for State Representative.

Along with Brian Colón, Democrats Harry Teague (NM-02), Judge Robert Robles, Jose “Joel” Cano, candidate for Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge, Billy Garrett, candidate for Doña Ana County Commissioner, and Juan “JR” Stewart, candidate for Doña Ana County Sheriff participated in the Hatch Chile Festival parade and met with voters at the festival.

All photos by Stephen Jones. Click on photos to see larger versions. To see more posts by Stephen, visit our archive.