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The Pre-Primary Delegate Election is Right Around the Corner! | |
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Registration for the pre-primary delegate election runs from Saturday, January 27 to Friday, February 2. Read our explainer below for more info!
What is the Pre-Primary Delegate Election?
This election allows wards to choose who will represent them at the statewide convention in March. (For more information on the statewide convention, please read the official Call from DPNM Chair Jessica Velasquez.)
What Will the Delegates Do at the Statewide Convention?
Delegates will vote for which statewide and Congressional candidates will appear on June's primary ballot. In the case of the 2024 primary, delegates will vote for the Democratic candidates running for the U.S. Senate and our three Congressional districts.
Candidates who receive at least 20% of the delegate vote will appear on the primary ballot. In cases where multiple candidates for a position receive 20%, the ballot will list them in order of their total votes from most to least.
How Many Delegates Does Each Ward Elect?
Most wards will elect between two and six delegates. To see how many your ward will elect, use this table.
Who Are the Automatic Delegates?
SCC members and Ward Chairs are automatic delegates. As they don't need to be elected, they are not counted in the table linked above.
How Can Bernalillo Democrats Participate in the Pre-Primary Delegate Election?
From January 27 to February 2, BernCo Democrats can register to vote in the election and nominate themselves to run for a delegate position. (Since SCC members and Ward Chairs are automatic delegates, they should not self-nominate to run.)
When registration opens, you'll find the form on our website. We'll also include a link to the form in the January 30 edition of the Blue Review.
When Will the Pre-Primary Delegate Election Be Held?
The election will be held via electronic absentee voting from Friday, February 9 to Wednesday, February 14. All ballots will need to be returned by 8:00 pm on the last day of voting.
Will There Be a County Pre-Primary Convention?
Yes. The Democratic Party of Bernalillo County will hold our county-wide convention on Saturday, February 24, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The convention will be held both in-person and via Zoom. More details to come.
How Can I Stay Up to Date on the Pre-Primary Process?
Don’t know who your Ward and Precinct Chairs are? Email [email protected] with your name and voter ID, which you can find here, and we will put you in touch with the right people.
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How to Get Democrats on the Primary Ballot | |
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Democratic candidates need your help getting on the ballot!
The easiest way to help is by signing their nominating petition, which you can do at the New Mexico Secretary of State's website.
Just fill out your voter registration info, and the site will present you with every candidate whose petition you're eligible to sign.
Don't see a candidate you expected to be on there?
First, confirm your State Senate and House district to ensure you're eligible to vote for them. Second, reach out to the candidate directly and let them know they need to register with the NM Secretary of State to appear on their website.
Check the nominating petition website regularly — new candidates are being added as they register.
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Week 1 Legislative Roundup | |
By Lance Chilton, Blue Review Legislative Session Correspondent | |
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Guns and crime and climate change, oh my! Four days into the Second Session of the 56th Legislature, these are the predominant themes the legislature is discussing in committee rooms, on the Senate and House floors, and in the hallways in the Capitol.
But that’s not all, of course. Anything from necrophilia to oil and gas emissions, from drug exposure of newborns to support for the elderly is also on the docket for our busy lawmakers. As of this writing, legislators have filed 315 pieces of legislation. More are expected each day until January 31, the final day to introduce bills, resolutions, and memorials.
Amid all the talk of impending doom due to guns, crime, and climate change, a strong ray of sunlight illuminated the halls of the Roundhouse on Thursday, one of many days where exhibitors show the diversity of New Mexico. It was Early Education Day, curated by the Early Childhood Education and Care Department, with tables for the department, home-visiting agencies, preschool providers, purveyors of free books for young children, and many others.
The halls rang with the happy cries of hundreds of small children; their teachers and others interested in ensuring our youngest residents are well cared for. New Mexico is home to some 109,950 children under age five — yet only about eight percent of newborns receive home visits from trained home visitors, and entirely too few little ones are offered highly competent childcare. Almost a quarter of them receive monthly books thanks to Dolly Parton’s Foundation and its local affiliates. These numbers need to be improved, and provoked by the smiling faces of those with the longest futures ahead of them, there was optimism in the Capitol Rotunda Thursday that something, finally, may be done.
Meanwhile, ceremonies began in the House and Senate's windowless halls. The State of the State address by Governor Michelle Luján Grisham shed light on the promise and problems of our state. Our lawmakers have already attempted to address many of these issues with bills to make guns less of a menace, alter the criminal justice system, and promote electric vehicles.
There are sixteen proposed constitutional amendments already introduced, including many to modernize the Legislature, changing session length, adding staff, changing which bills can be heard in even-numbered years – currently 30 days in length, even-numbered years can only consider germane bills dealing with the budget or on the Governor’s call.
As is the custom, legislators took the first Friday of the session off. Meanwhile, staff in the state agencies and the Legislative Finance Committee were hard at work, feverishly compiling information on the fiscal impact of all those 315 pieces of legislation. As of the time you read this, there will be 23 days of legislative activity to go.
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Contribute to the Blue Review | |
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The Blue Review is aiming to expand its coverage, reach new audiences, and grow its team.
To do that, we're looking to fill these roles. Check them out, and let us know if you're interested!
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Choosing a School Board Superintendent | |
By Sara Attleson, Blue Review School Board Correspondent and DPNM Labor Caucus Chair | |
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One of the essential roles of the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education is hiring a superintendent. Prevailing thoughts are that there are two types of superintendents: educational leaders and corporate reformers. What type of leader will the Board choose?
Educational leaders are seasoned educators with a great deal of experience in public education. Rebecca A. Summers, in her dissertation "The Superintendent as Transformational Leader: A Case Study", describes these leaders as:
Conscious and intentional change leaders of 21st century change. They have deep personal convictions and beliefs about students and education. They espouse clearly articulated visions, are well-read, and are immersed in current research. They are intuitive about leading change and hold an unwavering belief in people as learners and leaders.
This passage should give us hope that we could have a new superintendent who, while not perfect, has the intent, experience, and disposition to lead in this way.
The other type of superintendent is the corporate reformer. These superintendents are union-busters who seek to eliminate professional judgment in the classroom. They view educators as mere technicians working with widgets (i.e., students) on corporate sweatshop floors where standardized test scores are the ultimate measure of education quality.
Corporate reformers are often billionaire-funded and seek to destroy public schools by replacing them with charters and vouchers. They affiliate with groups such as Chiefs for Change, whose agenda is test-based teacher evaluations, school report cards, and charter expansion. Many might remember that our former Secretary of Education under Gov. Martinez, Hannah Skandera was the chair of Chiefs for Change.
Another group, the Broad Foundation Superintendents Academy, has taken the role of preparing future public school superintendents for disruptive, corporate-backed reform. Founded by billionaire Eli Broad, its graduates are known for disrupting communities, undermining school boards, and alienating teachers through top-down district privatization techniques. The result isn't better student outcomes but more charter schools.
As Democrats, it should be clear what kind of superintendent the Board of Education must select to lead Albuquerque Public Schools.
As participants in a democratic society, we get the opportunity to have our voices heard regarding the two finalists for the position. (We'll have more on these two candidates in next week's Blue Review.)
With time winding down before the schoolboard makes its pick, Democrats should pay attention to these two dates:
Now is the time to raise our hands and let the school board know that we have something to say.
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5 Things, January 23 Edition | |
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We're always on the lookout for articles, podcasts, YouTube videos, and other pieces of media to help inspire local Democrats. If there's something you read, watched, or listened to this week that impacted you, email us at [email protected] with a link and a quick note about why you want to share it.
1. "Oh, the germaneity!" Source NM
Pull quote: "Article 4, Section 5 of the Constitution of the State of New Mexico limits short sessions to only review bills relating to state agency budgets, appropriation and revenue bills, proposals that receive special messages from the governor’s office, and legislation from the previous regular session 'vetoed by the governor.'"
2. "New Mexico battles to clamp down on big oil," KUNM
Pull quote: "A trio of bills sponsored by Rep. Debra Sariñana would dramatically limit the use of fresh water in oil and gas operations and require detailed reports on how water is used; impose mandatory fines for spills of chemicals, oil and so-called produced water that comes up alongside oil and gas; and create child health protection zones that bar new oil and gas operations of any kind within a mile of any school facility, and require that all existing operations within those zones end by 2028. That last issue in particular gets Sariñana fired up. 'Kids shouldn’t go to school and get sick,' she says."
3. "Debate over independent redistricting commission moves to Senate this year," New Mexico In Depth
Pull quote: "In 2019, in a New Mexico In Depth report on redistricting, experts said New Mexico’s redistricting system offered few constraints on how lawmakers choose to draw political district boundaries. After that report was produced, lawmakers created an independent committee to gather input statewide, and then create a series of maps to inform the Legislature’s redistricting process. The Legislature ultimately adopted maps drawn by legislators, and not those recommended by the independent committee."
4. "Governor’s call for panhandling crackdown raises concerns," Santa Fe New Mexican (via NM Political Report)
Pull quote: "[Nayomi Valdez, director of public policy for the ACLU of New Mexico] said she believes trying to push through a statewide statute on panhandling could be a waste of taxpayer funds if it ends up posing a constitutional threat that’s later challenged. She pointed to cities like Albuquerque that spent considerable time and money fighting challenges in court.
'That money could be going toward housing people … toward building a behavioral health pipeline. That money could be going toward a whole number of things that actually get at the root cause of homelessness.'"
5. "Women legislators fight for salaries," Searchlight New Mexico
Pull quote: "Looking around at her colleagues, [Sen. Katy Duhigg] sees a lot more single mothers than single fathers, and she thinks that the women’s appreciation of what it takes to juggle work and family has led to the push for modernization. But some of her colleagues, she said, are happy with the status quo.
'They are these very rich men for whom the current system works very well,' she said. 'I think there’s a profound lack of understanding of how it works for everyone who is not a super rich dude.'"
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Submit your Community Announcements here. Deadlines are every Monday at noon.
Please note that DPBC does not issue endorsements in races where there is a Democratic primary. We encourage all Democratic candidates to submit events and engage our audience.
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Our newsletter tech, Daniel A Garcia, has experienced another loss in his family. Please join us in sending our condolences to Daniel and his family during this tragic time. | |
Sign My Petition - Get Phil Ramirez on the Ballot! | |
Sign My Petition - Get Bill Scott on the Ballot! | |
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I'm running to defeat Gregg Schmedes in Senate District 19. My district covers Torrance County, Sandoval County, and the East Mountains of Bernalillo County including Edgewood, Cedar Crest, Tijeras, and the far NE Heights of Albuquerque.
Virtual nominating petition link.
For more information, click here.
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Greg Seeley for Senate District 18 | |
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Follow Senate District 18 candidate Greg Seeley on social media:
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Adelante Caucus Membership Drive | |
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Calling all Democrats!
Adelante Progressive Caucus seeks like-minded Democrats.
Join us!
The Adelante Progressive Caucus is seeking members.
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If you care about fair and equitable economic and educational opportunities — we want to hear from you.
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If you care about our neighbors having clean air to breathe and clean water to drink — we agree with you.
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If you want to elect more people who share your values — in Congress, in the Roundhouse, in the Democratic party — come work with us.
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If you want a more democratic and transparent Democratic Party and want to be more active in the democratic process and you want to have your voice heard — we have a place for you.
We are reaching out to you to join us in our caucus. Our general membership meetings are on the first Thursday of each month. Check us out here.
If you want to make a difference, we want you with us.
Because there is strength in numbers.
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Promote Your Events with DPBC | |
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The Blue Review weekly newsletter reaches nearly 2,500 active Democrats and just as many social media accounts follow us across our various channels.
To submit an event for us to promote across our newsletter and social media feeds, use this link. Deadlines are every Monday at noon.
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