Animal Protection Voters-PAC Issues 2016 General Election Endorsements for New Mexico Legislature

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 17, 2016

Animal Protection Voters-PAC Issues
2016 General Election Endorsements for New Mexico Legislature

Voters are urged to support the candidates who will do the best job of standing up for the protection of animals in their districts and will help achieve a pro-animal majority in the state House of Representatives.

Santa Fe, N.M. – Animal Protection Voters and its political action committee—Animal Protection Voters-PAC (APV-PAC)—announced today its endorsement of 69 candidates seeking election or re-election in the general election on November 8. All endorsements are based on candidates’ records and positions on animal protection issues and not based on party affiliation.

“We are excited to endorse a diverse, bipartisan slate of candidates who will represent the humane values of the vast majority of New Mexican voters,” said Jessica Johnson, Chief Legislative Officer for Animal Protection Voters.

APV-PAC endorsement decisions emphasized two Animal Protection Voters priority bills expected to be reintroduced in the 2017 legislative session: a ban on coyote killing contests, and a ban on traps and poisons on public lands. A growing majority of New Mexican voters opposes killing contests and traps as scientifically ineffective wildlife management, an antithesis to widely held conservation and humane ethics, and a danger to public safety.

In 2015, New Mexico became the first state in the nation where a state legislative chamber passed a bill to prohibit coyote killing contests when the State Senate approved Senate Bill 253—sponsored by Senator Mark Moores (R-Albuquerque) and by Representative and candidate for Senate Jeff Steinborn (D-Las Cruces)—with a bipartisan majority of 27-13. The bill then died an abrupt death by an 8-2 vote in the House Agriculture, Water & Wildlife Committee—a newly minted panel specifically designed to be a graveyard for wildlife protection bills. A 2015 bill to restrict traps and poisons on New Mexico’s public lands, House Bill 426 sponsored by Representative Bobby Gonzales (D-Taos), was also referred to and died in that same committee.

Animal Protection Voters and APV-PAC have been working diligently to help elect more humane lawmakers, particularly in the House of Representatives where the committee structure is currently an impenetrable roadblock that will obstruct important wildlife protection bills, resulting in more animals needlessly suffering and dying in New Mexico.

“The proven link between animal cruelty and human violence makes clear that our state desperately needs more humane-minded lawmakers who see the bigger picture,” said Johnson. “When we pass laws to protect the lives of animals, we are also building compassion and protecting the lives of children, their families, and all residents and tourists in our communities.”

APV-PAC’s endorsed candidates are as follows:

HOUSE RACES

General Election Endorsements:

House District 5: Rep. D. Wonda Johnson* (D) –   
House District 6: Rep. Eliseo Alcon* (D) –   
House District 9: Rep. Patricia Lundstrom* (D) –   
House District 10: Rep. G. Andrés Romero (D) –   
House District 11: Rep. Javier Martínez* (D) –   
House District 12: Rep. Patricio Ruiloba* (D) –   
House District 13: Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero* (D) –   
House District 14: Rep. Miguel Garcia* (D) –   
House District 15: Rep. Sarah Maestas Barnes (R) –   
House District 16: Rep. Antonio Maestas* (D) –   
House District 17: Rep. Deborah Armstrong* (D) –   
House District 18: Rep. Gail Chasey* (D) –   
House District 19: Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton* (D) –   
House District 20: Rep. Jim Dines (R) –  
House District 21: Debbie Sariñana* (D) – 
House District 22: Rep. James Smith (R) –  
House District 23: Rep. Paul Pacheco (R) –   
House District 24: Elizabeth Thomson (D) –   
House District 25: Rep. Christine Trujillo* (D) –   
House District 26: Rep. Georgene Louis* (D) –   
House District 29: Rep. David Adkins (R) –  
House District 33: Rep. Bill McCamley (D) –   
House District 35: Angelica Rubio (D) – 
House District 36: Nathan Small (D) –
House District 38: Mary Hotvedt (D) – 
House District 39: Rodolpho Martinez (D) –  
House District 40: Rep. Nick Salazar* (D) –   
House District 41: Rep. Debbie Rodella* (D) –
House District 42: Rep. Roberto “Bobby” Gonzales* (D) –  
House District 43: Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard (D) –   
House District 45: Rep. Jim Trujillo* (D) –   
House District 46: Rep. Carl Trujillo* (D) –   
House District 47: Rep. Brian Egolf (D) –   
House District 48: Linda Trujillo* (D) –
House District 50: Rep. Matthew McQueen (D) –   
House District 52: Rep. Doreen Gallegos* (D) –   
House District 57: Rep. Jason Harper (R) –
House District 70: Rep. Tomas Salazar* (D) –

SENATE RACES

General Election Endorsements:

Senate District 2: Sen. Steven Neville* (R) –   
Senate District 3: Sen. John Pinto* (D) –   
Senate District 4: Sen. George Muñoz* (D) – 
Senate District 6: Sen. Carlos Cisneros* (D) –   
Senate District 8: Sen. Pete Campos* (D) –   
Senate District 9: Sen. John Sapien (D) –   
Senate District 10: David Simon (D) – 
Senate District 11: Sen. Linda Lopez* (D) –   
Senate District 12: Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino* (D) –   
Senate District 13: Sen. Bill O’Neill (D) –   
Senate District 14: Sen. Michael Padilla* (D) –   
Senate District 15: Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto (D) –   
Senate District 16: Sen. Cisco McSorley* (D) –   
Senate District 17: Sen. Mimi Stewart* (D) –   
Senate District 18: Sen. Lisa Torraco (R) –   
Senate District 20: Sen. Bill Payne* (R) –  
Senate District 21: Sen. Mark Moores (R) –   
Senate District 22: Sen. Benny Shendo* (D) –   
Senate District 23: Sen. Sander Rue (R) –   
Senate District 24: Sen. Nancy Rodriguez* (D) –   
Senate District 25: Sen. Peter Wirth* (D) –   
Senate District 26: Sen. Jacob Candelaria* (D) –   
Senate District 28: Sen. Howie Morales* (D) –   
Senate District 29: Sen. Michael Sanchez (D) –   
Senate District 30: Sen. Clemente Sanchez* (D) – 
Senate District 31: Sen. Joseph Cervantes* (D) –  
Senate District 36: Jeff Steinborn (D) –   
Senate District 37: Sen. Bill Soules (D) –   
Senate District 38: Sen. Mary Kay Papen (D) –   
Senate District 39: Liz Stefanics (D) – 
Senate District 42: Sen. Gay Kernan* (R) –  

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Media Contact:
Jessica Johnson
Chief Legislative Officer
Jessica@apvnm.org
505-220-6656

About Animal Protection Voters
Founded in 2002, Animal Protection Voters is the leading legislative and political advocacy organization for animal protection in New Mexico. Its mission is to:
    Actively promote and support animal-friendly legislation at the state, federal, and local levels;
    Build an effective political voice for animal advocacy in New Mexico; and
    Hold New Mexico’s elected officials accountable on animal issues.
For more information about Animal Protection Voters’ accomplishments, current priority issues, and annual scorecards, please visit www.apvnm.org, and be sure to follow Animal Protection Voters on Facebook and Twitter.

About Animal Protection Voters-Political Action Committee (APV-PAC)
APV-PAC is the only political action committee in New Mexico dedicated solely to electing humane state lawmakers that support animal protection. Follow APV-PAC on Facebook to stay updated on its election work throughout the state.