March 12, 2013

For Immediate Release Contact: Scott Forrester 505-934-56 1

!e" Me#ico $o%se &emocrats $a'e Stron( Recr%itment Class )or 2014 *lection +l,%-%er-%e, !M House Democrats have a strong recruitment class for the 2014 November general election.

Doctors, firefighters, educators, advocates for working families, attorne s, a football

coach, communit activists, and !ob creators round out the recruits to kee" the New #e$ico House %lue in the November election.

New #e$ico is a diverse state, made u" of so man different communities. &ver two ears candidates from across the state file their "a"erwork to have the o""ortunit to run for election and re"resent their communities.

'his ear, House Democrats recruited a slate of diverse candidates, as diverse as New #e$ico, well suited to re"resent the working men and women of their districts.

%elow is a statement from ("eaker ). *en

#artine+,

-.andidates and cam"aigns matter. 'he issues those candidates and cam"aigns fight for also matter./

-0 am so "roud of the Democrats who are running for re1election, and those who are challenging the 2e"ublican incumbents./

-'he have made a difference in the lives of ever da New #e$icans. )hether it is fighting for working families b fighting to increase the minimum wage, smaller class si+es and "a raises for teachers, working da in and da to create high "a ing !obs, 0 am confident our Democratic candidates will run strong grassroots cam"aigns that

take their message to all corners of their district./

-0f we learned an thing from the last two cam"aign c cles it3s that grassroots "ower means something, and the House candidates who running will have strong grassroots o"erations that carr the da ./

-)e will kee" the New #e$ico House %lue come November, and these candidates are the reason wh ./

$ere is a list o) the to. races and candidates r%nnin(:

$o%se &istrict 4: Sarah Jane-White 1 lives on the Nava!o Nation near the .haco )ash in northwestern New #e$ico and is a longtime advocate for health living on the Nation.

$o%se &istrict 4: Harrison Todachenne born and raised in (hi"rock, served in the 4ir 5orce for four ears, went on to become a civil engineer, and then went on to work for the Nava!o Nation as "ro!ect manager.

$o%se &istrict /: Dr. Teresa Smith De Cheriff, medical doctor, reci"ient of the 6overnor3s distinguished )omen of N# award 720089. )as a single mother who worked her wa through medical school. (he currentl serves on the (oil and .onservation %oard of :alencia .ount .

$o%se &istrict /: Andrew Barreras 4ndrew is from 'ome, N#, former state re"resentative from 200; to 2010, small business owner, owner of local restaurant, and real estate develo"er. #arried for 2< ears, and currentl raising three children.

$o%se &istrict : Jim Danner =im was born and raised in %elen. He has a master3s degree in health and "h sical education from >N#. He started off as a teacher and worked his wa u" to "rinci"al of %elen high school. He was multi1s"ort coach, where he went on to become 4thletic Director. He received the outstanding "rinci"al of the ear award in 1884 b the N# 4ssociation of (chool and .urriculum Directors.

$o%se &istrict : Frank Otero 5rank is a retired facilities manager at the N# De"t of Health. He has a degree in business management from >N#. 5rank served on the ?os ?unas school board of education from 200; to 2011. 5rank served as school board "resident from 200@ to 2008. 5rank is longtime activist from the communit .

$o%se &istrict 15: Rep. mi!" #ane 2e". *ane is running for re1election. 2e". &mil *ane is a ca"tain in the 4lbuAuerAue 5ire De"artment. (he has been "rotecting the citi+ens of the 4lbuAuerAue area for over twent ears. &mil has the distinction of being onl of two female ca"tains on the 4lbuAuerAue 5ire De"artment. (he resides in the north valle with her husband 2obert.

$o%se &istrict 1/: De$$ie Armstron% 1 Debbie obtained her bachelor3s degree from the >niversit of #ichigan, and her =D from >N# ?aw in 2001, focusing on health law. Debbie has more than 20 ears of e$"erience in "rogram management and administration within healthcare organi+ations. Debbie has s"ent seven ears in (tate government at the N# 4ging B ?ong 'erm (ervices De"artment, the last half of which she served as .abinet (ecretar .

$o%se &istrict 23: Catherine Be%a"e & .atherine is C; ears old, a "racticing attorne , small business owner who o"ened her law firm last ear. (he3s the oldest of three children raised b a single mom. (he grew u" in 5lagstaff, 4D, and moved to 4lbuAuerAue for college in 1884 and have never left. .atherine is a Nava!o woman,

an aunt to two ne"hews, and her momEs caretaker.

$o%se &istrict 24: Rep. !i'a$eth Thomson 2e". 'homson is running for re1 election. 'homson earned a %achelorEs degree from the >niversit of New #e$ico. Her "rofessional e$"erience includes work as a Fh sical 'hera"ist. (he grew u" with < sisters and a brother, where she learned the values of working together, and the im"ortance of famil . &li+abeth credits her famil 3s "illars of giving back, and valuing education, as the im"etus that led to her run for House in 2012.

$o%se &istrict 30: Ro$ert (. Coffe" )Bo$ Coffe"9 High school government teacher at Highland school in 4lbuAuerAue. %ob is a former small businessman. %ob is a co1

leader of the Highland high school -)e 'he Feo"le/ "rogram.

$o%se &istrict 36: Rep. *hi!!ip Arch+!eta 2e". 4rchuleta is running for re1 election. 2e". 4rchuleta has been an avid fighter for working families in his district. 0n the 210C legislative session he was a cham"ion for raising the minimum wage and while he was unable to attend the 2014 legislative session, he s"onsored C bills, and fought for GH80,000 in ca"ital outla mone that will hel" local "ro!ects in his district. He worked in the ?abor ?aw 4dministration for the (tate of New #e$ico De"artment of ?abor from 188012012.

$o%se &istrict 3/: Joanne Ferrar" =oanne lost b @ votes in the 2012 election

against 2e". #c#illian. =oanne received her %4 and #%4 from N#(> and worked over 2< ears as an em"lo ee and traffic safet consultant with the De"artment of 'rans"ortation and other organi+ations. =oanne has worked tirelessl to reduce the incidence of D)0 crashes in our count , and to hel" educate the communit about the conseAuences of drunk driving and underage drinking. 5or the last two legislative sessions, =oanne has advocated for raising the minimum wage.

$o%se &istrict 3 : Terr" Forten$err" 'err is the former #a or of (ilver .it , 'err Es career has been in "ublic service, where he has s"ent over 2< ears in law enforcement with the (ilver .it Folice De"artment where he started as a "atrol officer and worked his wa u" the leadershi" ranks where he now currentl

serves as .a"tain of the De"artment. 'err was born and raised in (ilver .it , N#. He and his wife, =ean, have been married for C< ears, the have two children, .hris and 'race .

$o%se &istrict 39: R+do!ph ,R+d"(artine' 2e". 2ud #artine+ is running for re1election. 2ud was born and raised in (outhern N#. He is a :ietnam :eteranI he worked at .hino #ines for CC ears. He is a licensed !ourne man and member of 0%&) ?ocal H11. He served @ ears as councilman B @ ears as #a or for the .it of %a ard, N#, where also served as the District ; 7(outhern N#9 Director of N# #unici"al ?eague. He was elected as a N# (tate 2e"resentative for District C8 in200;.

$o%se &istrict 43: Rep. Stephanie .arcia Richard 2e". 6arcia is running for re1 election. (he was born in (ilver .it , N#. 4fter graduating high school she went to %arnard .ollege, .olumbia >niversit in New Jork and followed in her father3s footste"s and became a teacher. (te"hanie is a native New #e$ican and lifelong educator who has worked both abroad and in Northern New #e$ico. Having worked abroad and around the countr , she returned home to New #e$ico with her husband to raise their famil in )hite 2ock. 'oda , she is a Crd grade teacher in Fo!oaAue. 4s an educator, (te"hanie taught at a %ureau of 0ndian 4ffairs school, a charter school and within the "ublic school s stem. (he has seen firsthand how "ublic "olicies can succeedKand fall shortK in "re"aring our children for a "romising future.

$o%se &istrict 50: (atthew (c/+een #atthew is a conservation attorne from 6alisteo. #atthew is running to kee" 6alisteo and all of District <0, a good "lace to earn a living and raise a famil .

$o%se &istrict 53: (ariae!ena Johnson 1 =ohnson worked in education from 200H12010 as"iring to be an educator and attended N#(>. %orn and raised in .ha"arral, N#, she cham"ions "arent engagement, serving for 2 ears as a F'4 board member. (he was mentored b (tate 2e"resentative Dolores )right while in !unior high school and later became a local organi+er.