City of Cuba

Susan Herrera is running for re-election in the Democratic Primary for House District 41. Herrera has served in the seat since 2019. She is currently the Chair of the Rural Development, Land Grants and Cultural Affairs Committee (previously serving as Vice Chair), and before that was Vice Chair of the Agriculture & Water Resources Committee as well as a commitment member of the Taxation & Revenue and Appropriations and Finance Committees.

Herrera was the founding executive director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation (LANLF) and led the organization for seventeen years. Prior to that, she also worked as director of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, as a legislative staffer in Washington D.C. and in roles at the University of New Mexico and non-profit organizations like Siete del Norte and Child-Rite. She also founded the Northern New Mexico Community College Foundation and served as President of the New Mexico Association of Grantmakers.

Herrera is passionate about the topics of land and water use, rural economic development, and education, and her experience leading Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation and Northern New Mexico Community College Foundation, in particular, are a key driver for her in serving House District 41. As a legislator, Herrera’s key priority areas include clean energy, healthcare, and education. In the last two legislative sessions, she voted for investments in early childhood programs, increased teacher pay, and funding technical and trade school programs in Northern New Mexico. Herrera also advanced legislation to protect financially vulnerable people from predatory lending, sponsoring HB128 which was signed into law this year and caps the annual percentage rate (APR) for loans under $10,000 at 36% (previously it was up to 175%).

Her voting record also includes support for the Paid Family Leave Act, Voting Rights Act and Native American Voting Rights Act (HB4, 2023), and Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care Act (SB13 and HB7, 2023). She supports legislation that would protect workers rights, abolish rent control and expand investments in affordable housing, and increase reproductive health services in rural communities, along with expanded voting rights and access.

We highly recommend Susan Herrera for House District 41 based on her voting record, values, and support for working and middle class New Mexicans.

Michelle “Paulene” Abeyta is running against incumbent Harry Garcia in the Democratic Primary for House District 69. 

Abeyta is an attorney and member of the Navajo Nation from To’hajiilee, New Mexico. She holds a Juris Doctor degree with a certificate in Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, and is also a graduate of the University of New Mexico and Central New Mexico Community College. She serves on the To’hajiilee Community School Board of Education and the National Native American Bar Association Board. She previously served on the Woman, Infants & Children (WIC) Board for the Acoma-Canoncito-Laguna Service Unit, the Canoncito Band of Navajos Health Center, Inc. Board, and the National Native American Law Students Association. 

Abeyta’s desire to be a voice for the people, lived experience organizing for workers rights, and frustration with current representation are what motivate her to run for House District 69. Her priorities are education, healthcare, and economic opportunity, including access to reproductive health in rural areas via school based health centers and school nurses, increased investment in child care providers and early childhood educators, and shifting to jobs in clean and renewable energy through workforce development and training. She supports modernizing the state legislature so there is more fair compensation and staffing for legislators in order for a range of people to be able to participate. 

Abeyta also supports Paid Family Medical Leave legislation, increasing the state’s minimum wage to ensure a living wage, and more investment in funding for mental health and substance use disorder healthcare programs. With respect to affordable housing, Abeyta is in support of more affordable housing options including micro-housing communities in areas with minimal or no infrastructure. She also supports abolishing the rent control ban and increased protections for renters. Additionally, Abeyta is in support of LGBTQ+ rights and supports environmental protections, including reducing the state’s dependence on oil and gas, and closely consulting with tribal governments to ensure that natural resources and lands are respected and valued. 

We highly recommend Michelle ‘Paulene’ Abeyta based on her focus on education, policy/good governance, and healthcare, as well as support for LGBTQ+ rights and protections.