Looking Ahead
You’re Invited to Join the
Democratic Party of New Mexico for the
2022 Rising Star
October 1
The Democratic Party of New Mexico invites you to join us on Saturday, October 1st, for the largest Democratic event of the season.
Date: Saturday, October 1, 2022
VIP Reception with Jessica Cisneros: 4:30 PM
Main Program: 5:30 – 7:00 PM
Location: National Hispanic Cultural Center
This year, we honor CD2 candidate Gabe Vasquez and the historic all-women Las Cruces City Council as our Rising Stars.
The VIP reception features former Congressional candidate Jessica Cisneros, human rights & immigration attorney and stupendous “rising star” in her own right.
Attend our signature VIP event, hear from our incredible leaders and watch our local talent showcase! The event features San Ildefonso Pueblo ballerina Than Povi Martinez, all women breakdancing crew The Zia Queens, jazz performer Tracey Whitney, and musician Juan C. “Buddy” Abeyta. Visitors will be greeted by South Valley high school Atrisco Heritage Academy’s Mariachi Herencia.
Proceeds from the event will go towards supporting DPNM’s ongoing work to reach out to Democrats across New Mexico through phone banking, texting, and relational organizing. Your support keeps New Mexico BLUE!
Be with us on the
Rising Star Walk
October 2
Sponsored by Democratic Party of Bernalillo County and Westside Dems of Albuquerque.
The midterm election presents an opportunity to send strong Democrats to Washington, to our NM House, and to important local offices in Bernalillo County. You can help make it happen.Come rally and canvass with us on Sunday, October 2.
The Rising Star rally begins at 2:00 pm when we gather at Mariposa Park.
We’ll hear from Jessica Cisneros, the progressive contender who made national headlines by coming within just 300 votes of winning candidacy for a Congressional seat against a long-established South Texas DINO.
Gabe Vasquez, our own Democratic rising star and progressive contender for NM Congressional District 2 will be on hand to speak and inspire folks to help him defeat Republican Yvette Harrell.
Special thanks to Democratic Party of NM, for helping put on this event. Jessica Velasquez, dynamic Chair of the DPNM, will also be speaking. When the rally ends, the action begins. We’ll move out to canvass critical neighborhoods in NW and SW Bernalillo County, knocking on doors, talking to voters, showing up for the candidates and values we support.
Mark your calendar and plan to be with us!
Glorious September Fest Successes
By Saturday, 9/17, the day before September Fest, Democratic Party of Bernalillo County (DPBC) volunteers posted 1000 invitations to the South Valley neighborhood event! Volunteers sent 3,000 texts, and had written, bought postage for, and mailed the first half of 5000 post cards supporting the True Progress/Real Promise campaign. We’d individually handed out 2000 brochures created for that campaign by Marietta Benevento, reminding people of Democratic accomplishments that have improved their lives: free college tuition, repeal of the old anti-abortion statute, regulating emissions, returning some of the State’s wealth to taxpayers. That brochure was also being reprinted and circulated by the state Democratic party and its candidates for local and statewide judgeships. We’d begun a robust social media campaign across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, so that news of a free, family-focused afternoon bringing elected officials together with South Valley folks and Democratic organizations from throughout New Mexico on a glorious, sunny, fall afternoon was gaining traction.
Looking for a list of Democratic candidates and where you can learn more about them?
You know the DPBC has you covered, just click here!
Our Campaign
Know where we are,
See where we’re going,
And vote your power in November.
We’ve seen what the radical right GOP is about: They want to limit who can vote, which books we read, what lessons teachers can teach, what private medical decisions can be made between doctors and patients—all while using bigotry and racism to keep their followers stirred up.
We DON’T want any of that happening in New Mexico. Now’s the time to put our power to work for Democratic candidates—by donating to campaigns, volunteering, helping Get Out the Vote, and, above all, marking our ballots for Dems we want to see in office.
Follow us on social media:
Celebrate Unions and Be Vigilant
There’s a direct relationship between the ballot box and the bread box. . .
— Walter Reuther (1970 United Auto Workers convention).
By Jennie Lusk
The line between the ballot box and the bread box, often drawn by organized labor, becomes clearer every day in New Mexico.
Nationally, workers at Chipotle, Apple, REI, Starbucks and Amazon have recognized and acknowledged the power and obligations of unions–the power to affect wages and conditions, and the obligation to participate in governance. The diligence of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) persuaded New Mexico legislators to establish a minimum wage of $15 per hour for all state workers in New Mexico last session. The Albuquerque Federation of Teachers (AFT) last week won certification of a contract put in jeopardy by the board of Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) because of its restorative justice provisions. The contract provided raises for certified staff (social workers, librarians and so on) not included in the state legislature’s salary increases voted in the last regular session.
There is much to celebrate, and this year’s Labor Day celebrations provide a perfect venue for celebrating (see announcements of Labor events in The Blue Review). However, turning a simple ministerial certification of a negotiated contract into a debate on teacher professionalism deserves the scrutiny of every Democrat. The open hostility to unions expressed by the only board member who voted against certification of the contract should be noticed, and that member should be called upon for a response. As Democrats, we are responsible for protecting the line between the ballot box and the bread box.
New Mexico's Progressive Path
Needs Foot Soldiers
While New Mexico Democratic legislative leaders, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, and the all-Democratic executive officers elected to the attorney general, auditor, treasurer and land commissioner posts have forged a progressive path, New Mexico Democrats who weathered the 2016 elections remember all too well what a thin line separates our successful democracy from the potential for oligarchy.
Unfortunately, two Trump-loving GOP candidates are on the New Mexico statewide ballot in November, and could affect the course of both state and national policy: Mark Ronchetti, GOP candidate for governor and Yvette Herrell, who is seeking a second term in the U.S.Congress. They’re both anti-choice, anti-immigrant, climate change deniers and too close for comfort with insurrectionists that seem to have taken over the GOP.
The Democratic Party of Bernalillo County (DPBC) is organizing foot soldiers on the progressive path right now to canvass countywide, seeking our neighbors’ viewpoints, concerns, and priorities through our grass roots process. Volunteer canvassers can be identified with big DPBC buttons emblazoned with “True Progress/Real Promise—DEMOCRAT” and are being organized by precinct.
Gabe Garners Votes
Gabe Vasquez beats his right-wing GOP opponent by one point in the first major polling released for Congressional District 2 (CD2). The district was redrawn last December to include much of Albuquerque’s West Side and South Valley.
Vasquez beats his Republican opponent by a point even before voters being polled are informed about her anti-choice, anti-immigrant views and votes or her position on the January 6 insurrection. A Trump ally, Yvette Herrell of Alamogordo was a state representative from 2011-2018 and sponsored the “Born Alive Infant Protection” bill and a parent notification of abortion bill in 2017, limits on partial birth abortion in 2018, among other bills, including reinstating the death penalty. In Congress she’s voted against formation of the January 6 committee, against the John Lewis Voting Rights bill, and against Trump’s impeachment. After voters hear more about her, Gabe wins by four points. And that’s in the August polling fewer than 100 days before the election.
