New Mexico’s house district 38 is among a handful of key swing districts being closely watched by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Now, the race to hold that seat is quickly proving to be one of the most hotly contested in the state.
Democratic incumbent Tara Jaramillo won the southern New Mexico seat as a political newcomer in the 2022 election by only 123 votes, flipping the district blue after years of Republican control.
In a recent forum hosted by KRWG Public Media, Republican challenger Rebecca Dow, who once held the seat before launching a failed bid for governor, said she wants to break what she sees as a one-party rule in the Roundhouse.
“There is now a supermajority of what would be considered the radical left in Santa Fe, and the voice of southern New Mexico has been drowned out.”
While Democrats control both legislative chambers, among House District 38 and the seven districts surrounding it, the seats are evenly split between Democrats and Republicans right now.
Jaramillo said she was first inspired to run during the pandemic. As a health care worker, she says she saw the effects on rural areas.
“We lost 70 members of our community and 6 of them were my colleagues, my employees,” she said. “That spurred me to say there has got to be more for rural New Mexico.”
The candidates both said they think violent crime, behavioral health support, and affordable housing are all important issues, but differ on how they think they should be addressed.
Dow said the first priority to addressing housing is to reduce government regulation, particularly on construction and taxes.
“A few years ago there was a mandate that all new housing must support solar, When a new owner takes a home the tax is based off the new home price all these things drive up cost”
She also said immigration is a key issue going forward, and has aligned with Trump policies.
“I think the very most important thing that is urgent and immediate right now is to close the border,” she said. “And I’m not just talking about migrants who are being abused. I’m talking about New Mexico citizens who are dealing with two fentanyl deaths a day.”
Jaramillo called for subsidizing housing for the most vulnerable populations as a key first step in addressing housing.
“Help them get into homes, help them get jobs, help them get into the workforce so we can build healthy families.”
Jaramillo said she thinks above all, to stop problems before they start, the state should invest in youth.
“Children must be our priority whether that is home visiting, early childhood education, and then of course moving forward so that families can thrive, in housing, drug rehabilitation, behavioral health support,” she said.
Earlier this month, Rebecca Dow ran a campaign ad accusing Jaramillo of pocketing tax payer money, prompting Jaramillo’s attorney to send a cease and desist letter, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
In 2022, Dow herself was forced to pay more than $4,500 in fines for a civil complaint against her when she failed to disclose her financial ties to an organization receiving public money.
Early voting is already underway across the state, and election day is on November 5.
Support for this coverage comes from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
