Last week I posted a couple blogposts with information on our Republican candidates (the info is posted again below!).  With early voting starting officially a week ago today, it’s time to call friends and remind them to vote and to vote Republican!

You can find out where you can vote early at the Sec. of State’s website and find your sample ballot here.

About the REPUBLICAN candidates:

Governor (incumbent)
Susana Martinez (website) (Facebook: Susana Martinez) Bio: Governor Susana Martinez is running for a second term as governor.  Prior to being elected in 2010 she was a prosecutor and Dona Ana County District Attorney.

Issues: Martinez balanced the budget and cut spending, ridding New Mexico of its deficit.  She has made ending the state’s practice of giving drivers license to illegal immigrants a goal of her administration.  Martinez has also focused on ending social promotion– after all, reading is the gateway to learning.

Lt. Governor (incumbent)
John Sanchez Bio: John Sanchez is an Albuquerque businessman and former legislator.  Raised by a single mom, John Sanchez worked his way up.  John Sanchez is married and has two daughters.

Secretary of State (incumbent)
Dianna Duran (website) (Facebook: Dianna Duran – Secretary of State 2014) Bio: Former state Senator and county clerk.  She is the first member of her party in 80 years to serve in the position!

Issues: Duran has brought integrity to the office of Secretary of State, after the last two administrations run by Democrats were plagued with incompetency and corruption.  Three cohorts of recent past Sec. of State were convicted on charges related to $2.5 Million in stolen voter education funds!

Attorney General (Open Seat)
Susan Riedel (website) (Facebook: Susan Riedel) Bio: Has been a prosecutor and judge for over 25 years. Widow (husband killed tragically when the family was hit by a drunk driver) and mother of three sons.

Issues: Susan Riedel wants to restore integrity to the office of Attorney General.  The incumbent (who is running for governor), has brought a bad name to the office of attorney general.  Unlike her opponent, Riedel has no intention of using the job as attorney general for a spring-board to the governor’s mansion.  Riedel wants to do the job that needs to be done– tackle crime and oppose criminals!

State Treasurer Rick Lopez (website) (Open Seat) Bio: Rick Lopez’ family has deep roots in New Mexico going back many generations.  He has served as deputy director of the Santa Fe Civic Housing Authority, Espanola Office and received an appointment to the Dept. of Agriculture by one U.S. president.

Issues: Rick Lopez is a fiscal conservative with strong pro-family values.  He believes his management experience will help him best fill the position of State Secretary.

State Auditor Robert Aragon (Open Seat) Bio: Robert Aragon is an Albuquerque attorney is married and has a couple children (two daughters?).  He served several terms in the House of Representatives between the 1970’s and 1980’s

Issues: I have a lifetime of experience in public service, specifically in public finance and legislation that makes me uniquely qualified New Mexico’s state auditor.

Commissioner of Public Lands (Challenging incumbent)
Aubrey Dunn (website) (Aubrey Dunn for New Mexico Land Commissioner) Bio: Aubrey Dunn is a native New Mexican who has been in agriculture and ranching his entire life.  He has been the District Supervisor as well as past chairman and vice chairman of the Chaves County Soil and Water Conservation District.  Dun has three grown children and lives in southern New Mexico with his wife of 35 years.

Issues: Aubrey Dunn contrasts himself with his opponent by confronting “sweetheart deals” of his opponent and the environmentalist approach that hurts our  state’s landowners, ranchers and business owners.

Court of Appeals Judge (Retention election, Gov. Susana Martinez appointee)
Miles Hanisee (website)

Dear Friends,

I’m privileged to have recently begun my fourth year serving New Mexicans as one of ten judges on our Court of Appeals. Bipartisan Judicial Nominating Commissions in 2011 and 2012 recommended my appointment, and twice Governor Susana Martinez has followed their advice and entrusted me with the responsibilities of the appellate bench. In New Mexico, each appointed judge must also stand for election in the next partisan general election. I ask for your vote on November 4, 2014.

During my tenure, I’ve participated in nearly 700 appellate decisions, authored over 100, and striven to fairly, honestly, and independently resolve disputes that affect children, families, crime victims, public workers, and those whose constitutional rights have been infringed. I’ve never once forgotten what it means to be entrusted with the unique opportunity to interpret, clarify, and when necessary establish legal precedent in our unique state. As a judge, I’ve traveled to each of our 33 counties and in many served as our Court’s representative in recommending highly qualified attorneys for appointment to local judgeships. I’ve embraced what it means to New Mexico communities to be given a chance to interact with members of our state judiciary, and vocally championed the effort to forever remove partisanship and political affiliation from judicial selection.

It is my honor to work for you, and it is a personal joy to be allowed to do so. I humbly ask that you vote to Keep Judge Hanisee in 2014!

Very Sincerely,

Miles Hanisee

—-

U.S. Senate
Allen Weh (Facebook: Allen Weh for U.S. Senate)  Bio: Allen E. Weh is the Chief Executive Officer of CSI Aviation Inc., Marine Reserve Colonel (Ret) who received three purple hearts and served two tours in Vietnam.

On Issues: When it comes to job creation, Weh quotes Ronald Reagan: “Government is not a solution to our problem; government is the problem” and says that irrational regulations need to be removed to grow the economy.  He has committed to helping our state’s leaders bring jobs to New Mexico!

Weh is a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment and supports term limits.  One great contrast to Udall, is that Allen Weh does not receive the support of “dark money” groups while pretending to oppose money funneled through PACs– he rightly states that Udall’s proposals would suppress free speech.

One great contrast to Udall, is that Allen Weh does not receive the support of “dark money” groups while pretending to oppose money funneled through PACs– he rightly states that Udall’s proposals would suppress free speech.

U.S. Congress – District 1
Michael Frese (Mike Frese for Congress)  Bio: Mike Freese is the owner of NumerEx, a small business that does computer modeling of high energy pulsed power experiments.  He is married with two sons.

Issues: Mike Freese’s platform in running is, “More Freedom, More Jobs”:

I’m running to free the American economy from job-killing regulation from Washington, DC. Only if we make our own economic decisions can we hope to leave our children, their children, and their children’s children the opportunity to prosper the way we hope they will. If we vote to allow our economic decisions to be made in Washington, we will watch this nation spiral down from economic vitality into economic stagnation, and, as regulation tightens from seemingly benevolent to increasingly oppressive, finally into tyranny.

U.S. Congress – District 2
Steve Pearce (Congressman Steve Pearce – incumbent)

Creating jobs and economic opportunity for New Mexicans, believes we should increase the supply of domestic gas and oil, while also developing greener sources of energy like wind, solar and nuclear power and wants to make government smaller and more effective.

Congressman Pearce believes the Constitution is our guardian as it:

• protects our freedom of speech, including against radical leftists who demand a so-called political correct nation
• protects our right to prayer and against the government halting expressions of faith
• protects our right to bear arms

U.S. Congress – District 3
Jefferson Byrd (Jeff Byrd for Congress) Bio: Jeff Byrd was born and raised in Springer, New Mexico.  He is married and has two sons.  After his father’s sudden death, Jeff has run the family ranch.

Issues: Jeff Byrd believes we should: Balance the budget, protect New Mexico’s water resources, keep taxes low, bring jobs to New Mexico by cutting regulation, and supports the Second Amendment.

What about judges?

Why we should NOT retain NM Supreme Court Justice Chavez:

Most of us in the conservative and Christian political spheres waited expectantly for the ruling in the Elane Photography v. Willock case; a case regarding a Christian photographer who declined to photograph a same sex commitment ceremony on religious grounds nearly ten years ago.

We were disappointed when the ruling was handed down by the New Mexico Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s ruling which ordered business owners Jonathan and Elaine Huguenin to pay over six thousand dollars in fees.

Perhaps the most shocking part of the case was the ruling written by Justice Edward Chavez.  Justice Chavez wrote that the Huguenins “now are compelled by law to compromise the very religious beliefs that inspire their lives,” and that “it is the price of citizenship.”

While some might consider this simply a case regarding religion, it isn’t.  It effects each of us regardless of what we believe and regardless of whether we personally oppose same sex “marriage” or support it.  Does the government really have power to tell business owners they MUST condone a ceremony they disagree with?

Keep in mind, the Huguenins were not declining to take pictures of a same sex couple who wanted a family portrait (which would likely be discrimination), but disagreeing with helping the couple to tell their story and celebrating the ceremony.

Would Justice Chavez have ruled against a Jewish couple who declined to photograph a Nazi white supremest event?  Or forced a Muslim couple to photograph a Jewish holiday party?  Or if a religious couple had chosen not to take pictures of any religious ceremony that in other ways was in conflict with their beliefs?  It wasn’t a case of discrimination against the people themselves.

Now the “price of citizenship” is taking one’s sincere religious beliefs out of public life completely?  I do not believe so!  When a judge tells us what we must do and becomes involved, we should be concerned!

What gives a panel of state Supreme Court Justices (or judges in lower courts, for that matter) the right to declare that there is a “price of citizenship”?  As I said earlier, it doesn’t matter whether we support same sex marriage or oppose it, it comes down to, do we really believe the government– in this case just a handful of judges on the New Mexico Supreme Court– should take power entrusted to them and misuse it to tell us what the “price of citizenship” is?  I do not believe so which is why I will NOT be voting to retain Supreme Court Justice Edward Chavez.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my updates (blog widget on the upper-right of my blog).  “Like” my  Facebook page and follow me on Twitter here!  Your support is appreciated!