House District 40 Democratic candidate questionnaires

May 26—Roger Montoya

Email: rogermontoyafornm@gmail.com

Age: 61

City or area of primary residence: Velarde

Educational background: Long Beach City College, AA; attended California State-Long Beach

Occupation: Artist, nonprofit founder

Political Experience: House Representative, District 40

Relevant life experience: 2019 CNN Hero, co-Founder of Moving Arts Española (2008); co-Founder of Española Pathways Shelter (2019); co-founder of La Tierra Montessori School of the Arts and Sciences (2011); Founded 'Arts in the Schools' program for the Española Public Schools.

Have you ever been charged or convicted of a crime, including drunken driving? No

Have you ever filed for bankruptcy or been involved in a bankruptcy proceeding, either personally or in business? No

Have you ever been the subject of liens for unpaid taxes? Yes

If yes, please explain. I have paid off a personal state income tax lien of $8,200.

1. Should the Legislature, rather than the governor, have final or some say when it comes to initiating public health orders? Why or why not? I believe our governor should have every tool available to keep the residents of New Mexico safe during a time of crisis or in an emergency. COVID-19 was an unknown challenge none of us were prepared for. Limiting the governor's authority, which is a political ploy by the far right, could result in the deaths of more New Mexicans. With a potential increase of omicron variants in the next few months, we need to have every tool at our disposal to keep New Mexicans safe.

2. The Legislature this year passed, and the governor signed, an omnibus crime fighting bill. Was it enough? What more would you recommend to deal with the state's ongoing crime problems? We must do more to keep New Mexicans safe. Our high-level crime rates must be addressed with increased law enforcement with a strategic focus on appropriate training and compensation. We must also provide an array of team members with skills in crisis intervention, social work and mental/behavioral health. We must address the root cause(s) of criminal behavior, create preventative programs targeted at children and youth (cradle to career) and those who are system involved, support community policing and LEAD programs and allow CPSWs to support those with addictions.

3. As a Democrat, how would you describe your political leanings? Progressive? Moderate? Conservative? Please explain your response and offer examples. I am progressively moderate. I believe any elected official including myself must be attentive to the needs of their community regardless of political affiliation. I worked across the aisle numerous times, establishing the interim Rural Economic Opportunities Task Force and co-hosting the state's first rural summit at the Roundhouse. I work closely with Democrats, Republicans and Independents to provide real solutions for rural, frontier and tribal communities, not only in my district but statewide. I also have challenged those in my party when they disregard rural needs and challenges.

4. Do you feel state legislators should be paid a salary? Why or why not? Yes, I support a salaried legislature with paid staff. As a legislator outside of leadership with professional staff, I know firsthand how it helped me do the job I was elected to do. I plan to introduce legislation that professionalizes our body. The lack of pay for members of our body correlates to our states ranking across all sectors and bars great New Mexicans from serving.

5. Do you support Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's efforts to turn New Mexico into a hydrogen hub? Why or why not? I do not. The fixation on hydrogen, which uses precious water and natural gas, is a false solution as carbon-reducing technology already exists. Our reliance on corporate-driven policies will harm New Mexicans. This is why Chevron is investing heavily in my opponent. Our governor was once a renewable energy champion and has seemingly veered off to an unproven path. I ran because I believed New Mexico was on a leading path to renewable resilience, but today that has gone up in smoke. I encourage our governor to realign her focus on proven renewables and technology.

Joseph Sanchez

Occupation: Electrical engineer

Age: 43

Website: josephsancheznm.com

City or area of residence: Alcalde

Educational background: BS/MS Electrical Engineering, UNM; MBA, NMSU

Political experience: Former state representative, vice chairman of House Appropriations and Finance Committee

Relevant life experience: Served on various boards, including United Way of Northern New Mexico and currently on the board for STEM Santa Fe.

Have you ever been charged or convicted of a crime, including drunken driving? No

Have you ever filed for bankruptcy or been involved in a bankruptcy proceeding, either personally or in business? No

Have you ever been the subject of liens for unpaid taxes? No

1. Should the Legislature, rather than the governor, have final or some say when it comes to initiating public health orders? Why or why not? We are two co-equal branches of government and no one branch should have more power than the other. Emergency powers that are granted by law should face careful scrutiny by the legislature to see if they are effective, too broad-reaching and detrimental to our way of life.

2. The Legislature this year passed, and the governor signed, an omnibus crime fighting bill. Was it enough? What more would you recommend to deal with the state's ongoing crime problems? Many of our crime problems can be solved by improving our economy and our education system while providing more opportunities for our children. In the short term, we need more police on our streets and we need to hold criminals accountable for their actions.

3. As a Democrat, how would you describe your political leanings? Progressive? Moderate? Conservative? Please explain your response and offer examples. I consider myself a moderate Democrat. I support business and economic development in our state. I do not support the anti-business legislation that has been passed the last few years. Community solar raises energy prices — did not support legislation that would raise prices on consumers, many in New Mexico who are already low-income and struggling to pay their bills. I do fully support a responsible transition to renewable energy.

4. Do you feel state legislators should be paid a salary? Why or why not? We need to put this issue to a vote of the citizens to determine if legislators will be paid and what they will be paid. Having a salary in place for legislators may attract more people to run for office knowing they will be compensated for their time.

5. Do you support Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's efforts to turn New Mexico into a hydrogen hub? Why or why not?

I fully support this effort. I testified in support of turning New Mexico into a hydrogen hub during the last legislative session. In addition, I've authored several op-eds in support. We need more clean energy industries to help diversify our economy while we work on a sensible transition to renewable energy.

Follow Daniel J. Chacón on Twitter @danieljchacon.