Women Candidates in Politics

This year we have a number of women candidates in the election cycle. Two in the congressional race, one in the governor race, one in the land commissioner’s race, and many others in the lower races like representatives and judges. 

Races for women in this state are difficult because of the male biases. I have been told by male candidates that they support women’s issues. And that should somehow be enough for me to vote for them instead of a woman? Seriously! Guys…. 

I have had staffers come to me to try and mansplain to me that one of the women in the race is dishonest because she does not know who is appearing in front of her husband in his courtroom. How many wives can tell me everyone your husband is working with right now. Yes, she needs to set up a system to check names against her husband’s docket. It should not be her responsibility to keep people with cases in front of her husband from contributing to her campaign. But being a judge’s wife is not always the easiest thing when you want a career of your own that is not that of a teacher in this state. She did the honest thing and returned the money end of story.

While I want women in positions of power, it cannot be the only reason that I support a women candidate.

I will not support a woman who is sold out to big donors. Michelle Lujan Grisham and I have always been at odds when it comes to the money she takes in an election. The fact that she spends little time meeting normal voters is a big issue for me. I ask her to have a public forum for regular voters before the voting started. She told me that she would have her people contact me and set one up. It never happened and I am sure that she was only telling me what I wanted to hear at the time. I was really not happy with her at the time for taking money from John A. Smith in 2010. The man hates education and is head of the Senate Finance Committee that makes the state budget.  I don’t feel that Lujan Grisham even begins to understand how to build a plan that will provide jobs for the people in this state. So no I am not voting for her.

I also will not support a woman that has no respect for the U.S. Constitution. Specifically, the first amendment. A free press is a very important part of this country’s ability to keep honest government. Deb Haaland somehow came to believe that it was perfectly acceptable to ask a citizen reporter (Myself) to bury a story on sexual harassment. We don’t need more people in Washington that feel it is ok to behave that way and then to attack the citizen reporter when they don’t go along to get along.

Now before you say that there are no women candidates that I like you would be wrong.

Antoinette Sedillo Lopez is a wonderful candidate for congress. She is well educated and highly respected in the law field. She is active in her local community. She has worked hard during this election cycle to carry out an honest campaign that would represent the interest of women voters. Men have actually attacked her for being too pro-women on issues. When would a man every attack a male candidate for being too pro-male on any issue?

The next candidate is Stephanie Garcia Richard who is running for land commissioner. Stephanie is up against big money and is also having to deal with the good old boy network. She is well educated on all the issues. She understands the land issues and value of the land office contribution to education in a way that her male opponent never will. She is local teacher/legislator and has worked hard on issue in the statehouse. For a republican to change over to being a democrat and then getting his fishing buddy to support him with big out of state money and his own name is just beyond ethical standards. Yet Stephanie has keep her campaign about the issues and stayed positive.  

I hope the voting public will look closely at all women candidates this year and help to increase the number of women in government this year.