Participatory government was on hand on April 9 in beautiful Galisteo.
About a hundred people gathered on a warm, early Spring day to meet and greet the contested candidates running for Attorney General – Raul Torrez /Brian Colon; Treasurer – Heather Benavidez/ Laura Montoya; and Auditor – Zack Quintero/ Joe Maestas. Each candidate compared and contrasted their backgrounds and experience all the while making the case for why they are the best person for the position.
Surprise guests Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez, Representative Matthew McQueen, and Senator Liz Stefanics were there too. Congresswoman Leger Fernandez had just attended the memorial for the survivors of the Bataan Death March and talked about how much it moved her. Both Representative McQueen and Senator Stefanics spoke to the specifics of their districts and the continuing need for people to be engaged. Also in attendance were contested candidates for Division Two Magistrate Judge, and Country Commissioner, District Three. Each articulated their experience and qualifications for these positions. So did Sheriff Mendoza regarding his race. The meeting ended with a brief discussion by the founders of Retake Our Democracy, Paul Gibson and Roxanne Barber, on the importance of legislative activism, a topic that continues to be relevant.
Look for more of these events in the future and please attend. Candidates tell us that these meet and greets are extremely helpful to them as they want to meet as many voters as possible during the run-up to the primary.