New Mexico House Democrats Have Strong Recruitment Class for 2014 Election

Campaigns and Candidates Matter

Al u!uer!ue" NM 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 re1 election, 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 are 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 ./

Here is a list of t#e to$ races an% can%i%ates running&

House District 4& Sarah Jane-White (arah 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.

House District 4& Harrison Todachenne Harrison was 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.

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

House District '& 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. children. #arried for 2< ears, and currentl raising three

House District (& 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 multi1 s"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.

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

House District 1)& 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.

House District 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. (he 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 .

House District 20& Josh Anderson - =osh was born and raised in 4lbuAuerAue near 'ramwa and ?omas. =osh graduated from #an+ano high school, he went on to graduate from N#(> in 2001. =osh3s father and mother have owned and o"erated "lumbing business in the district for over 40 ears. =osh has e$tensive e$"erience working with the New #e$ico state legislature, working the "ast 12 sessions.

House District 2*& 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.

House District 24& Rep. !i'a$eth Thomson 2e". 'homson is running for re1election. 'homson earned a %achelorEs degree from the >niversit of New #e$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.

House District *0& Ro$ert (. Coffe" )Bo$ Coffe"9 %ob is a High school government teacher at Highland school in 4lbuAuerAue. %ob is a former small businessman. %ob is a co1leader of the Highland high school -)e 'he Feo"le/ "rogram.

House District *+& Rep. *hi!!ip Arch+!eta 2e". 4rchuleta is running for re1election. 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. "uell

House District *'& Joanne Ferrar" =oanne lost b @ votes in the 2012 election against 2e". #c#illian. (he 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. (he 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.

House District *(& 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 and 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 .

House District *,& 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 he 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;. House District 4*& Rep. Stephanie .arcia Richard 2e". 6arcia is running for re1election. (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. House District )0& (atthew (c/+een #atthew is a conservation attorne from 6alisteo. He is an active leader in the communit on water conservation, and has worked tirelessl to su""ort small businesses. He is running to kee" all of District <0, a good "lace to earn a living and raise a famil . House District )*& (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.