Southern NM House race has new candidate

Three candidates were competing to be the Democratic nominee for a Las Cruces state House district going into the weekend of Aug. 24.

The race took center stage in early August after Jon Hill, who beat the Democratic incumbent, state Rep. Willie Madrid of Chaparral, by 180 votes in the June primary, withdrew from the contest. Hill disclosed in an interview with Alamogordo radio station KALH he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He died weeks later.

Hill had served as a school board member, teacher, program specialist, principal, special educator and superintendent. He was also called to the legislature on occasion as a subject matter expert on education issues.

Each candidate had pitched their case and waited through the weekend for the results.

But it wasn’t the thousands of Democratic voters in the district who’d be making this choice. Instead, a select committee of eight decided who would take on the Republican challenger.

The process resolved over the weekend, with the committee unanimously anointing Sarah Silva, a long-time community organizer, to the ticket.

“I’m honored to have the trust of the members of the State Central Committee and excited to shift my focus to making sure this seat stays in Democratic hands,” Silva said in a statement.

But the show of unity generated by the unanimous vote was preceded by two weeks of political infighting and a process panned as opaque.

According to party rules, a select committee of Democrats living in the district would have nominated a successor to replace Hill. Three Democrats sought the party nomination following Hill’s death.

Sarah Silva, a community advocate in Las Cruces, was the first to throw her name into the ring as Hill’s chosen successor.

“I am excited to endorse Sarah Silva, who has organized and fought for our communities in House District 53,” Hill said in a news release before his death. “Sarah shares my vision for long-term economic and social growth while building on our strengths to improve the quality of life for all New Mexicans.”

Madrid, the Democratic incumbent Hill beat, made it clear he wanted back into the race. Kasey Peña, a political newcomer and Las Cruces teacher, was the third candidate.

Despite Madrid holding the seat for Democrats since 2018, party officials and officeholders scurried to endorse either Peña or Silva.

Silva told the Bulletin that, if elected to the office, she’d focus first on gathering input from the communities that comprise District 53. She’d prioritize her legislative staff – a new perk of being a state legislator as of 2024 – on “listening and learning.”

“We could really do a lot with that additional capacity of constituent services,” Silva said.

Silva also said she’d prioritize reproductive health, protecting local businesses from private equity takeovers, and public land protections. Silva said she would also work to create renewable energy infrastructure.

Silva’s list of endorsements included state Reps. Nathan Small and Joanne Ferrary along with state Sen. Jeff Steinborn. Peña received endorsements from state Sens. Carrie Hamblen and Bill Soules, along with state Rep. Angelica Rubio and a slew of other local Democrats.

Madrid did not respond to a request from the Las Cruces Bulletin for an interview about his platform and his thoughts on the process. However, he told Source New Mexico he was concerned that residents of Chaparral were not included in the vote—despite the entire colonia being included in District 53.

In a text message to the Bulletin, Madrid said of the process, “They have not been clear.”

Criticism of process

Madrid was not the only one to criticize the process. CAFé Acción, a faith-based political group that advocates for change around poverty and justice, issued a news release stating “the public is not being properly represented according to the (committee’s) bylaws, there are no voting members from Otero County” and accusing the body of “communicating misinformation.”

“We must also note that most residents in Chaparral had no idea that Dr. Jon Hill had passed away or that the party had decided the process to select these eight delegates to represent them in voting for a new candidate,” the release added.

The Bulletin confirmed that all of the voting members were from somewhere other than Otero County, although two Otero residents were allowed to participate as advisory members. The Bulletin received conflicting information that couldn’t be verified about why, and the state party declined to provide an official reason. Daniel Garcia, a spokesperson for the state Democratic Party, declined to answer a set of questions the Bulletin asked, instead providing a statement from the party announcing the results, pushing back on CAFé Acción’s position and calling for unity.

“We appreciate both Kasey Peña and Willie Madrid for their participation in this election. We are always grateful to Willie Madrid for his years of service in the state legislature, and we wish both candidates success in their future endeavors,” Garcia, who is not related to the author of this article, said. “Now we call on every Democrat to throw their support behind Sarah to win in November and keep this seat blue.”

The 2024 election was set to be a big one for District 53 before the scramble.

After state officials adopted new districts in 2022 following the decennial census, District 53 took on a new look. A judge ruled in 2023 that the Democrat-drawn maps were gerrymandered, but not significantly enough to violate state law.

In the last decade, District 53 included a large swath of Otero County and just a sliver of Las Cruces. Now, it includes a much larger share of Las Cruces and a much smaller share of Otero. Before the district map was redrawn, Silva did not live in District 53.

The House seat flipped back and forth from Democrat to Republican representation until Madrid ousted Republican incumbent Ricky Little in 2018. Madrid managed to hold on to the seat despite razor-thin margins in 2020 and 2022.

This year, Madrid was one of several Democrats ousted in primary challenges after he and other declined to support progressive efforts to expand paid family medical leave during the 2024 legislative session.

Silva thanked the other candidates in a news release announcing her victory.

“We must move forward together if Democrats are going to hold this seat,” she said. “There are 72 days between now and Election Day. Early voting starts in 44 days. We need to raise money and begin making contact with voters immediately.”

Silva also took shots at her opponent, Republican Elizabeth Winterrowd, in the news release.

“Winterrowd’s extreme stances on abortion, transgender issues, immigration, and law enforcement are not what residents of House District 53 and New Mexico need, and Silva is committed to defeating her,” the news release said.

In a statement to the Bulletin, Winterrowd offered her condolences to Hill’s family.

“As for my campaign, my goal is to represent all of the people in HD53, no matter where they live or what their status is. It is disappointing that so many Democrat voices were unheard during this nomination process, but I look forward to proving to them and all voters in the district that I share their values and listen to them while my opponent seems to already march to the beat of whatever agenda Santa Fe politicians have for the state- an agenda that has never quite worked out in our district’s best interest,” she said.