Latest news with #SaraAttleson
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Mexico Democrats elevate labor leader as top party official
From left: DPNM Chair Sara Attleson, Vice Chair Cam Crawford, Secretary Brenda Hoskie, and Treasurer Julie Rochman. (Courtesy photo) Democratic Party of New Mexico insiders this month chose a labor official to lead the party for the next two years. Sara Attleson is the new chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico, according to voting results announced on Sunday. Attleson, of Albuquerque, chairs the party's Labor Caucus, as well as the Albuquerque Teachers Federation's Committee on Political Education. She defeated Marisol Enriquez, Letitia Montoya and Joseph Weathers to lead the party. Former Chair Jessica Velasquez did not seek reelection. Attleson said in a statement she wants to work with county-level Democratic parties 'to make sure we have a presence in every community.' 'Democrats across the country have our work cut out for us,' she said in a statement. 'But here in New Mexico, we have the energy to make sure that MAGA Republicans and Donald Trump are never able to get a foothold here.' DPNM announced the results at the spring meeting of its governing body, the State Central Committee, at the Albuquerque Little Theater following voting by 466 SCC members via online absentee ballot from April 19-26. The new party officers' terms end in 2027. Party members elected Cameron Crawford as vice chair. Crawford, of Santa Fe, defeated incumbent Manny Crespin and Augustine Montoya to win the seat. 'In an era of unprecedented political turmoil, I will go to counties red and blue to rebuild community by showing up for everyone, regardless of who they vote for,' Crawford said in a statement. 'Politics is about making people's lives better, and I'm more than prepared to take that message far and wide.' The party elected Brenda Hoskie as its treasurer. Hoskie, from Springstead, is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and chair of the McKinley County Democrats. She defeated Daniel Alfredo Garcia and Barbara Jordan to become secretary. Members elected Julie Rochman as Secretary. Rochman, of Albuquerque, defeated Joseph Ortiz to become treasurer. The Republican Party of New Mexico elected its party officers in December. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NM Democrats pick teachers union official as new state party chairwoman
Apr. 26—SANTA FE — With a key election cycle on the horizon, New Mexico Democrats on Saturday picked Sara Attleson to lead the party for the next two years. Attleson, a school librarian and teachers union fundraising official, received 38.8% of the ranked choice vote points to win election as party chairwoman, edging three other candidates. The votes were cast by more than 460 party insiders via online balloting, with results tallied Saturday at a state central committee meeting in Albuquerque. She takes over the party reins from Jessica Velasquez of Sandia Park, who did not seek reelection after serving as state Democratic Party chairwoman since 2021. Attleson said in an interview after the meeting that she would seek to unite Democrats across New Mexico. "New Mexico is a blue state, but in order to keep it blue, we need to stay united on a county level," Attleson told the Journal. She also said she would strive to bring the state Democratic Party back to its working-class roots, saying, "I think we've gotten a little far away from that." New Mexico has largely shed its swing state label over the last decade, as Democrats hold all statewide offices and sizable majorities in both legislative chambers. The last Republican presidential candidate to win New Mexico's five electoral votes was George W. Bush in 2004. But the Democratic Party's national approval rating has sagged in recent months, and New Mexico's all-Democratic congressional delegation has found itself in the minority in the Republican-controlled Congress. Given that backdrop, Attleson said the Democratic Party needs to reconnect with many younger voters and Hispanic men who have drifted away from the party in recent election cycles. Attleson and newly elected Democratic Party Vice Chairman Cam Crawford of Santa Fe also raised the alarm about the impacts President Donald Trump's policies could have on New Mexico. In addition to possible changes to public schools and Medicaid, Crawford, a full-time firefighter, also expressed concern about the Trump administration's response to natural disasters as the state prepares for a potentially dangerous wildfire season. Along with a new party chairwoman and vice chairman, New Mexico Democrats also elected Brenda Hoskie of McKinley County as party secretary and Julie Rochman of Bernalillo County as treasurer during their Saturday meeting. The terms the new party officers were elected to will run through the 2026 election cycle, in which all statewide offices will be up for election. The election cycle could feature several competitive Democratic primary contests, including a race for governor that has already seen Deb Haaland and Sam Bregman announce campaigns. Other Democrats could also enter the race to succeed Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is barred under the state Constitution from seeking a third consecutive term next year. Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., is seeking reelection next year, and Democrats will also be defending the three U.S. House seats in New Mexico they currently hold, including the hotly contested 2nd Congressional District seat held by U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez. Democrats currently make up about 43% of New Mexico's more than 1.3 million voters, though the percentage of registered Democrats has been decreasing in recent years.
