My commitment to safeguarding democracy is deeply personal: my grandfather’s unit flag hangs in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, honoring the soldiers who helped liberate a Nazi concentration camp — a permanent reminder of the dangers of unchecked fascism and the cost of failing to defend our democratic institutions. That history lives in me, reminding me that our freedoms are fragile and must be protected. It’s why I’ve made it my life’s work to ensure every voter’s voice is honored and every community is heard.

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I was raised in a multi-generational military family and am a fifth-generation union member. I watched my parents work extra shifts to support our family, and I learned early that democracy is not self-sustaining — it survives because ordinary people choose to defend it. I’ve stood on picket lines fighting for workers to get jobs back, protecting everyday people from powerful interests, and I’ve carried those same values into public service: protecting voters, standing up to abuses of power, and making sure every New Mexican has a voice that is heard.

 

I’m running for Secretary of State because I believe New Mexico deserves leadership that protects our democracy with strength and compassion. Every day, I wake up determined to make it easier for every New Mexican — no matter who they are or where they live — to cast a vote and trust that it truly counts. I want every New Mexican to feel what I feel when I see a full ballot drop box or a busy polling place: hope. Hope that our voices matter, that our state legislators listen, and that our democracy is strong because we make it strong — together.