Two Republican candidates are vying to run against Democratic Representative Melanie Stansbury in the fall for New Mexico’s District 1 Congressional seat, which covers the central part of the state, including most of Albuquerque. But first, they’ll square off in the June primary.
Democrat and current U.S. Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury was reelected to the seat in the 2022 midterm elections, gaining 56% of the vote. The district leans blue, with Democrats typically nabbing 54% of votes, and Republicans about 46%.
Republican candidate Steve Jones says that hasn’t discouraged him from running.
“We basically have the heart of New Mexico in this area,” he said. “Which means that if you’re really, truly going to do some good for New Mexico, those are the areas that need to be improved.”
Jones lives in Ruidoso, and is a retired accountant with experience in the oil and gas industry. He is running on a mostly economic platform and said he wants to use his background to help keep the country financially sound.
He also used to produce a show with his wife on a Texas PBS affiliate station covering statewide financial news.
His opponent is Louie Sanchez, who heads a sales team for a health care company and co-owns several shooting ranges. He is advocating for less government oversight on businesses and less government spending.
“Right now, our representatives treat our money, our tax money, like Monopoly money,” he said.
He lives in Northeast Albuquerque and is from the South Valley. He identifies as Hispanic and says that politicians overlook his demographic.
“Republicans never have given us a reason to vote Republican. They don't come down here,” he said he has heard from voters in the South Valley.
Sanchez said he sees a growing number of conservative, Hispanic voters who identify less and less with the Democratic Party.
He is also calling for a closed border and more resources for law enforcement. Both candidates support stronger protections for gun ownership.
New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District saw changes to its borders in the state’s most recent redistricting effort. As of January 2023, the district includes a greater portion of rural communities to the south and east of Albuquerque, including Santa Rosa, Fort Sumner and areas just north of Roswell. It lost a piece of Southwest Albuquerque, including the South Valley.
As of May 15th, Jones had raised about $70,000, which came out of his own pocket. Sanchez contributed about $28,000 of his own money and received another $275 in individual contributions.
Both candidates have run for Congressional seats before – Sanchez ran for the same job in 2022, but lost in the primary. Jones was a District 2 write-in candidate before redistricting moved him into District 1.
This coverage is made possible by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and KUNM listeners.
