I made a personally impactful decision earlier this year when I announced my candidacy for New Mexico’s U.S. Senate seat up for election this year.
I decided to run for several reasons. But first and foremost, I want to take my life’s experiences as a businessman, Marine, husband and father to Washington to help break the gridlock and get this wonderful country back on track again.
I have maintained a lifelong commitment to serve my nation, and give back to my community and state. When not on full-time active duty in the Marine Corps, I remained active in its Reserve and was recalled to active duty on numerous occasions.
In 1979, I started a business in New Mexico that now employs over 30 people and brings millions of dollars into our economy. I could, to use an old saying from my Marine Corps days, “take my pack off,” and no one could fault me for doing that. But that’s not who I am. I prefer to serve in a capacity where I can draw on my life’s experiences to help New Mexico, our nation and continue to give back something.
I don’t need this job; I want to help. But the job sure doesn’t need someone who has spent a lifetime in political office and knows very little about “life outside of political circles.” Frankly, most New Mexicans live their lives outside of politics and, in every election, they have to vote for career politicians and frequently are disappointed. The same old record keeps getting played over again.
Voters deserve to have someone represent them who appreciates what they go through every day and has legitimate insight into what is needed to help improve their lives, and the conditions in this state and country.
The fact that this state is 49th in the nation with people living below the poverty line bothers me and should bother us all. And I want is to do something about it.
The same old solution of throwing money at the problem with another failed program isn’t the answer. We need bipartisan agreement and cooperation to work together in fixing this serious problem, and I’m committed to working with all our state’s leaders toward that goal.
It is an undisputed fact that New Mexico’s economy is lagging and the state lost jobs last year. U.S. Senate candidates normally don’t run with economic development on their minds, but I am!
When I first attempted to start a business, I failed. Five years later, I gave it a second try and succeeded. I learned some valuable things along the way. Because of my experience, I have an easy time negotiating with business executives.
So I’ve made a commitment to the governor and to every mayor in this state that I’ll be there to help facilitate and cement any, and every, opportunity to bring business and jobs into New Mexico.
We desperately need that.
And while I’m on the subject of using business experience to help economic development, let me offer a thought on how that same experience could help reduce gridlock in the U.S. Senate.
To succeed in business, there are a lot of things you have to do, but among the more important is the ability to negotiate mutually beneficial outcomes between competing interests. Any business executive worth his or her salt will be able to successfully negotiate with his or her wholesale suppliers to achieve mutually acceptable costs; to successfully provide customers with goods or services, often with demanding delivery requirements, at prices that are both competitive in the marketplace and profitable to the company; and be able to successfully implement personnel policies and practices that enable the company to retain talented employees, without which no company can be successful.
Now, how does this transfer to my being an effective U.S. Senator? Very simply by my commitment and willingness to sit down with both Democratic and Republican colleagues, and make a genuine effort to reach agreements on solutions that will be mutually beneficial to the state and the nation. Pure political partisanship rarely accommodates such an approach and, because of that, look at the mess we have in Washington.
Some people believe that seniority is so important to a U.S. Senator that it trumps almost everything else. I don’t think that’s right and I’ll tell you why.
Seniority, in and of itself, does not always produce promised, or presumed, results. A senator is still human, so motivation and skill generate results for them like they do for everyone else.
Moreover, there’s not much seniority difference in being a senator with six years and one in his first year. So it’s not like arguing the difference between sending someone to replace a Pete Domenici or Jeff Bingaman at the apex of their careers.
In fact, my opponent has been in the Senate for almost six years, has introduced only 52 bills, but has had only one signed into law. And that was a very non-controversial bill allowing the Forest Service to swap some land with Sandia Pueblo.
If that’s all one has to show, you sure can’t make a good argument for six year’s seniority counting for much.
That prompts another consideration for New Mexico voters – balance!
For over 30 years, New Mexico had two senators (Domenici and Bingaman), one a Republican and one a Democrat, who looked after New Mexico. During that time, control of the U.S. Senate switched back and forth several times, but we always had one of them in the majority and thus one always in an influential position to help the state.
If, as now appears will happen this November, Republicans take control of the Senate, it does not help New Mexico to have both of our senators in the minority. That’s a fact!
We are all in this together. If you elect me in November, you have my word that I will work hard for all of you and do my very best. Thank you very much for your consideration!