Martin Heinrich was my city councilman for four years. I like a number of his positions on issues. He is young and admittedly will season with age but he has a good heart. He is driven and hardworking for the voting public. I have the bad habit of comparing these candidates to Congressman Tom Udall and that can be a high standard to live up to but I think with time and experience Martin Heinrich will develop into a quality congressman. He will do a far better job then Sheriff Darren White could ever hope or dream of doing because Martin Heinrich does have the voter’s best interest in mind. The one thing that I like most about Martin Heinrich is the love he shows for his wife and family. Like Congressman Udall he has a strong base with his family which will give him the roots in his community that will keep him grounded even after he has spent time in Washington.I am more then willing to give fair and equal time to all of the candidates on my website so please check back for any interviews with the other congressional candidates. Time is short but I will do what I can to help the candidates get their views out to the voting public.
The Interview:
The Interview:
Do you have a campaign web site? Yes, www.martinheinrich.com. The site features information on my background, experience, my stance on many issues, as well as a list of endorsements my campaign has received. I urge all individuals interested in my campaign to take a look at the website.
How old are you? I am 36 years old.
What is your favorite subject area and what was the last book you read?Environmental issues have been a life-long interest of mine. Right now I’m reading Apollo’s Fire: Igniting America’s Clean Energy Economy, by Jay Inslee and Bracken Hendricks.
Tell us about your family and what affect they had on your decision to run for the U.S. Congressional seat? My wife, Julie, and I have been married since 1998 and we have two sons, Carter and Micah. My wife and children are the most important things in my life. Running for public office is a challenge, and balancing a family life and a campaign schedule is a daily struggle. My parents were blue collar workers who worked every day to ensure that I would be successful in life. I gained so much from my parents’ support and sacrifice, and I want to provide my own children with the same opportunities that I had growing up. I want them to have the same hope for the future I had.
Who is the better cook in your family and do you help out in the kitchen? Well, of course with two small boys running around the house it’s hard to say who is in the kitchen at any time! It’s definitely a team effort. We do have our specialties: Julie loves working with vegetables and I enjoy barbequing. We try to buy only locally grown produce and locally raised meats, to show support for local farmers and their businesses.
Where did you get your education and why did you decide to work here in Albuquerque, New Mexico?I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from the University of Missouri. I also did some graduate work at UNM’s Community and Regional Planning program.
I decided to work here in Albuquerque while I was visiting Spain with Julie. I had considered jobs in other states, but Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima changed our minds. Sitting one night in Spain, we talked about all the places we could move to in order to find jobs and begin our lives together. Julie thought back to Rudolfo Anaya’s book and suggested Albuquerque. Both Julie and I had visited New Mexico many times and we knew we loved it there. It wasn’t a decision to follow a job. It was a decision to go back to a place we knew we loved and could raise a family in.
What is your work history?Over the past fifteen years I've had the opportunity to work in the non-profit, private, and public sectors, and in each position of responsibility I've worked hard on behalf of New Mexico's families. As Executive Director of the Cottonwood Gulch Foundation I nearly tripled our budget and enrollment. This meant we were able to provide even more young people with a unique wilderness experience in backcountry New Mexico. I founded a small business consulting firm to represent non-profit organizations. We brought together a coalition of tribal and environmental leaders to establish the Ojito Wilderness, which includes 11,000 acres of tribal and wild land. I've had the great opportunity to work for my community. On behalf of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I worked on the Mexican Wolf Recovery Project. Governor Bill Richardson appointed me as the Natural Resources Trustee for the State of New Mexico, where I directed funds to clean up nitrate-polluted waters in the South Valley. Finally, I served four years on the Albuquerque City Council, including a term as President of the Council, during what is described as one of the most productive sessions in Albuquerque history. We brought together business and community leaders to cooperate in successfully raising the minimum wage in our city.
Tell us the experience and qualities that you have which will make you a good U.S. Congressman?The main quality I have is my ability to get people to work together towards a common goal. There are so many problems that affect New Mexicans and could have been addressed already, except for the gridlock in Congress. My experiences on the Albuquerque City Council taught me the importance of service to my community. As President of the City Council, I gained experience in juggling all the different views of my fellow Councilmen while still maintaining a productive atmosphere. It’s about the results, not about who gets the credit.
What distinguishes you from your opponent(s)?I am the only candidate to have any kind of experience creating and passing legislation. As a Councilman, I established a reputation for bringing together people who disagreed on issues. Together we were able to cooperate in solving the problems that are so often gridlocked by leaders who do not agree.
What is the biggest problem(s) facing New Mexico Congressional District 1 when it comes to woman’s issues and what would you do to help solve them?Pay equity is the women’s issue of most concern to me. In the United States, women earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn, an inequality that exists even in New Mexico. Congress and all its members must act, by reforming equal pay laws to ensure that women are paid fairly for the work they do. This includes increasing access to quality, affordable childcare, so working families and single mothers have the ability to choose the employment option that is right for them. It also means we need to improve equal access for women to basic education, financial education, and housing.
