Social worker Liz Barrett declares bid for Santa Fe City Council District 2 seat

Yahoo

14-05-2025

School social worker Liz Barrett has announced her campaign for the Santa Fe City Council District 2 seat with a platform focused on making the city more livable for working families.
"I just see an opportunity for problem solvers, social workers, teachers to jump into politics," Barrett said in an interview Tuesday. "If not now, when?"
A political newcomer, Barrett, 46, has some insight into what the campaign will entail: Her husband, former city Planning Commissioner Phil Lucero, ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2023. Though Lucero didn't win, Barrett described the campaign as a learning experience for the family.
Liz Barrett headshot 2
Liz Barrett
"I kind of got a firsthand view of what it takes, which is funny, because everyone's like, 'After you watched him do that, you want to do that?' ' she said with a laugh.
Lucero lost to Councilor Michael Garcia, who was elected to a second term with 54% of the vote. Despite raising over $45,000, significantly more than publicly financed Garcia, Lucero said at the time the incumbency advantage had been difficult to surmount.
That won't be a factor this time around — District 2 Councilor Carol Romero-Wirth announced in April she will not seek a third term in office, paving the way for a new face on the dais. Air Force veteran and former government contractor Paul Bustamante also is running for the District 2 seat.
Garcia, meanwhile, is running for mayor, which could create an additional vacancy in the district if he wins. The city charter calls for the mayor to appoint a district resident to fill a council vacancy within 30 days. The appointee, who must be approved by the council, serves until the next municipal election, when someone must be elected to the seat for the remainder of the term.
At a glance, Barrett and Bustamante have many similarities: Both said they were inspired in part to enter politics because of their dismay at actions being taken by the Trump administration, and they want to try to help create a better city for their children.
Bustamante is a stay-at-home father to his youngest daughter; Barrett has two children and adopted the campaign slogan, "Moms get it done!"
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Phil Lucero, a former City Council District 2 candidate, and his daughter Zoe Lucero, wave to voters at the Santa Fe County Fairgrounds on Election Day in November 2023. Lucero's wife, Liz Barrett, is now running for the District 2 seat following his unsuccessful bid.
A native of Michigan, Barrett moved to New Mexico in 2003 for an AmeriCorps post in Albuquerque and has lived in Santa Fe for the past decade in the same neighborhood near Ragle Park where Lucero grew up. She has a Master of Social Work from New Mexico Highlands University and is employed as a social worker at the state-chartered THRIVE Community School in Santa Fe. Previously, she was a social worker at Santa Fe Public Schools from 2010 to 2023, primarily at Aspen Community School.
She is a volunteer coach with the Northern Soccer Club and was a Girls on the Run coach at her previous school. She has coordinated a Special Olympics program for students with disabilities at schools.
Barrett described herself as a natural problem solver and said the ever-changing nature of her job has primed her for working in politics. "You could have an agenda and it could all change at a moment's notice," she said.
Barrett's campaign website describes her as a Democrat and says one of her priorities is standing up to the Trump administration's "weaponization" of the federal government. Though the council race is nonpartisan, Barrett said she chose to publicly list her political party because it feels like an encapsulation of many of her priorities.
"A lot of the things that I stand for, like affordable housing, mental health support, getting more money into rehabilitation services for addiction and substance abuse — I think those are historically Democratic issues," Barrett said, adding she is "very open" to working across the aisle.
Like many other council and mayoral candidates, she said the high cost of housing is one of her major concerns, noting many of her colleagues in education cannot afford to live in Santa Fe.
"That's just outrageous to me. ... If you work here, you should be able to live here," Barrett said.
Making the city more welcoming for the families who already live here is also a top priority for Barrett, who said creating more incentives to draw kid-focused businesses to Santa Fe would be a boon, keeping tax revenues here.
When it comes to public safety, Barrett said more investments are needed in support services to help get people back on their feet and in the Santa Fe Police Department. She cited the importance of close relationships between police officers and others in the city as key.
"We need police to know our communities and where we need more support," she said.
Like Lucero, Barrett has hired Sandra Wechsler as her campaign manager. Wechsler was Mayor Alan Webber's campaign manager in his successful bid for a second term in 2021, but neither of the candidates she worked for in 2023, Lucero and District 1 candidate Geno Zamora, won their races. Wechsler is not currently working with any other municipal candidates.
Barrett is opting for private financing, while Bustamante has said he will pursue public financing. As a first-time political candidate, she said she plans to hit the ground running so District 2 can get to know her.
"I'm going to go that route and give it my all," she said.