MORE LOCAL LEADERS ENDORSE BALDERAS FOR SENATE

For Immediate Release: May 5, 2011

ALBUQUERQUE – New Mexico’s local officials are continuing to pledge their support for Hector Balderas’ campaign for the United States Senate. Just over one week into his candidacy, Balderas continues to build his grassroots campaign as leaders across the state are pronouncing him as a leader capable of bringing people together by putting politics aside and finding commonsense solutions for the working people of New Mexico.

 

Balderas today accepted the endorsement of local leaders from across New Mexico, including:

• State Senator Carlos Cisneros (Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Taos)
• State Senator David Ulibarri (Cibola, Socorro and Valencia)
• New Mexico Rep. Luciano "Lucky" Varela (Santa Fe)
• New Mexico Rep. Thomas Garcia (Mora, San Miguel, Colfax, Guadalupe, Taos)
• District Attorney Richard Flores (San Miguel, Mora and Guadalupe)
• District Attorney Donald Gallegos (Taos, Union, Colfax)
• Taos County Commissioner Dan Barrone
• Taos City Councilor Rudy Abeyta
• Taos City Councilor Michael Silva
• Las Vegas City Councilor Diane Moore
• Santa Fe City Councilor Carmichael Dominguez
• Santa Fe City Councilor Ronald Trujillo
• Taos Mayor Darren Cordova
• Las Vegas City School Board Member Ricky Serna
• Former Chaves County Commissioner Michael Trujillo
• Former Taos County Commissioner and former Mayor of Questa Charlie Gonzales
• Former Truth or Consequences School Board Member Lydia Bamonte

 

New Mexico Rep. Lucky Varela praised Balderas’ commitment to fiscal responsibility. “There is no one more accountable with taxpayer’s money than Hector Balderas. Over and over again as State Auditor, Hector identified and rid New Mexico’s spending of waste, fraud and abuse. It is exactly that type of vigilance that our national leaders must possess.”

 

“Our country is strongest when we stand together as Americans and tackle our most serious problems. But far too often party politics trump collaboration, hindering our ability to reach solutions and hurting those most vulnerable. Hector Balderas is a transformative standard-bearer who rejects this failed approach and instead strives to unite people because he always remembers who he works for—New Mexicans,” Las Vegas City Councilor Diane Moore said.

 

“There is nothing more precious than our children’s futures. This is why Hector Balderas is devoted to ensuring that every child has access to a high quality education. Although Hector is committed to cutting spending, he will always make the needed investments in education,” Las Vegas City School Board Member Ricky Serna added.

 

“I’m thrilled to receive this outpouring of support from more of New Mexico’s leaders,” Balderas said. “As we embark on our mission to bring New Mexico values to Washington, DC, I look forward to working with these public officials to identify and eradicate the systemic problems that plague our national politics and loom over our children’s futures,” Balderas concluded.

 

About Hector Balderas: Raised by a single mother in public housing, Balderas is the first to graduate from law school in his town of 310 people. He also served two years as a prosecutor before being elected to the NM House of Representatives in 2004. After one term in the legislature, he was elected state Auditor in 2006, becoming the youngest Hispanic statewide elected official in the nation. As Auditor, he restored fiscal accountability to state and local government, cracking down on waste, fraud and abuse. As a result of his work, his office put an end to double-billing for expenses by a Grant County Commissioner; uncovered a $3.3 million embezzlement scheme at the Jemez Mountain Public School District, the largest such case in state history; stopped lavish travel spending by Angel Fire village officials; caught $10 million in illegal over billing by the Las Vegas city utility company; exposed the New Mexico Housing Authority’s mismanagement of taxpayer dollars and Sandoval County's multimillion dollar broadband boondoggle; and helped uncover the misuse of funds and corruption that led to the indictment of a former New Mexico Secretary of State on embezzlement and money-laundering.

 

In 2010, Balderas was reelected Auditor with overwhelming bipartisan support. He currently lives in Albuquerque with his wife Denise and three children Hector Reyes, Jr, Mariola and Arianna.

 

Media Contact
Joan Griffin
(505) 261-4444

 

 

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