Why Jeff Apodaca and not Michelle Lujan Grisham for Governor

People in the political world often forget that I am not a progressive or conservative democrat. I am very much in the middle taking sides on issues and not candidates. I vote on the grounds of how candidates come down on issues. I look at what they want to achieve for our state and the people who live in it. I always side on what I think will work for my college level students in the fields of education and jobs. I want someone who is strong when it comes to women’s rights and the fair and decent treatment of women in general. 

I also feel very strongly about candidates spending time with normal people who cannot afford to give large sums of money to support a campaign. I feel that ever since the court ruling on Citizen’s United that normal people have no voice with candidates. Candidates that spend all of their time in private parties and debates never get to know the voters. They claim that parades are their public events but there is no time spent just talking to the people.  They feel no connection or friendship with average people. People that can afford to spend $50, $250, or $500 to spend time in private with a candidate don’t have the same world views or struggles as a single mother trying to make ends meet.

Michelle Lujan Grisham

Now as far as Michelle Lujan Grisham is concerned I have a number of reasons why I will not vote for her. 

She promised a public event in Albuquerque but no one from her campaign ever even bothered to contact me. Then she cancelled debates in this city.

She took money from Senator John A. Smith and calls him her friend while she hates to even spend 5 minutes talking to me about any issue. 

She is unwilling to understand that foreign trade with Mexico could have problems if the President starts a trade war with that government. Yet most of her jobs plan was based on that issue. This approach has not worked in the past and will most likely not work in the future by itself. 

Some of the biggest donors to her campaign are people we don’t want our governor being friends with such as Big Pharmaceutical Companies. The same companies that promote pain killers that are now causing a drug problem in our state. 

I have told Michelle many times that I don’t like how much money she takes from these big donors and she feels that it is the only way that she can win a race. She spends the money on fancy ads and mailers. Paying for staff to run her campaign and other types of items to sell herself to the public but all the public wants is time to tell a candidate what type of issues matter to them. I acknowledge that candidates have to do some private fundraising events but it should not take all of their time away from the voters. 

Jeff Apodaca

Now as far as Jeff Apodaca is concerned I like his stands on issues and his desire to make positive changes for our state. I like that he is willing to lead and not be a follower when it comes to issues.

Yes, the man is angry at how the current system has failed our state. And he is willing to call other candidates out for behaviors that should not be happening. I try to get him to tone this down some and focus on his own issues but at the same time I completely understand the frustration he is feeling. 

 I love that he goes around the state making as many free events as he can afford just so that he can talk to real people and so that he can listen to their concerns. We have not had a candidate who cared about these individuals in years and it has harmed our state.

Yes, Jeff is willing to stand his ground on issues that he has strong feelings about but he will listen to you if you have other ways of dealing with those issues that are grounded in reality. And that I feel is all you can ask of a government official. This makes him come off as abrasive at times but once you get to know him then you understand that it is just that he cares. 

Jeff Apodaca and I are the same age, we speak the same language of business very well, and we have many of the same behaviors. Which makes him an easy person to understand and to support. He can be a little glib at times but so can I when provoked. In other words, I get as good as I give when it comes to this candidate. 

I would never tell another voter who to vote for but I can tell you who I like and why I like that candidate. This year I will be voting for Jeff Apodaca for New Mexico Governor.