Teague mounts write-in challenge to Commissioner Sanchez

For a moment, the District 5 Doña Ana County Commission seat was the most unstable office on this side of the Rio Grande. 

In February 2018, Commissioner John Vasquez resigned after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced. Kim Hakes, a Republican appointed to finish the term, could not withstand an electoral challenge from Democrat Karen Trujillo; yet Trujillo held the office for just 29 days, leaving to become the state education secretary in 2019. 

Then came Manuel Sanchez. Appointed to replace Trujillo in 2019, Sanchez withstood a challenge from Republican Robert Bruce Flora in 2020, pulling about 56 percent of the 16,352 votes. Since then, Sanchez has taken a prominent role in county governance, serving as board chair and participating in the removal and replacement of the former county manager. 

And at the start of this election season, it seemed Sanchez would coast into a second full term unopposed. But after the filing date, Republican Marcy Teague announced she would challenge Sanchez as a write-in candidate. 

Teague, who hails from Phoenix, Ariz., and owns a business in Doña Ana County, faces an uphill battle. Aside from the added difficulties of being a write-in candidate, Teague is running in a district that favors Democrats. A review of election results shows that no Republican has won this seat in 20 years. 

Geographically, the district includes the northwestern communities of the county: Hatch, Rincon, Garfield, Radium Springs, and Doña Ana join the northernmost parts of Las Cruces to make up this district.

The Bulletin asked Teague and Sanchez to answer six questions about their backgrounds and positions heading into the election. The answers were written by the candidates and have been lightly edited for grammatical correctness or style. 

Please provide relevant experience or background information about yourself that readers should know.

Sanchez: Both sides of my family immigrated from Mexico to work the fields and farms of the Mesilla Valley. I grew up in Anthony and El Paso, where my family instilled in me the value of hard work. I was able to attend MIT, where I received my Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. 

I currently work as a sales manager with GE Vernova, where I’ve worked for over 23 years in various leadership roles. These experiences have helped me serve the residents of District 5 as commissioner since 2019, where I’ve worked to ensure our colonias are not forgotten.

Teague: Raised to appreciate the value of each hard-earned dollar, to work harder every day, and to do the right thing always, living in Querétaro, México during my youth helped to mold my views on family, business and belonging. 

Taking advantage of my past opportunities and developing necessary skills that have supported me throughout my career in international business, I want to help influence the direction of our community through maximizing partnerships and nurturing entrepreneurship throughout, supporting our residents and helping to improve their quality of life, from our young future leaders to the generations that have paved our way forward.

Why are you running for this position?

Teague: I am a business owner, wife, mother and proud American. I will stand firm in my core values of faith, family and freedom when you elect me to do the job and be your voice. 

We need positive energy, availability, honesty and integrity in our commission, and I vow to bring in these qualities and work with any willing person that shares the desire to improve our community for all residents of Doña Ana.

Sanchez: I’m running to continue the efforts I’ve started. I championed the county’s five-year strategic plan that was approved in November 2023 that creates metrics for each county department that are tied to improving quality of life of our residents and will drive our budget priorities in a way that residents can track. 

I’ve also advocated for infrastructure projects, including flood control, sidewalks, lighting and energy efficiency projects. In 2024, we hired our first economic development administrator to plan our strategy to ensure our county continues to establish our plans for long-term growth.

What will you do to address homelessness in Doña Ana County?

Sanchez: The county has worked with Tierra Del Sol to increase low-income housing with various projects. We need to work with our municipalities and other partners to identify new projects. In 2023, the county provided $1.5 million partnering with Las Cruces in funding the Peachtree Canyon housing project. 

We are also in the process of building our emergency housing project near the government center that will help people released from the detention center. Our Crisis Triage Center is close to resuming operations with a local provider that will be better positioned to connect visitors to other behavioral health services they may need.

Teague: I deeply desire comprehensive and compassionate tactics to address the homeless crisis in our community. We must work together, state, city and county, with a multi-faceted approach to effectively impact the lives of those affected. 

While we can't force help on those who don't want to be helped, supportive services, crisis intervention, community involvement and education need to be available to tackle homelessness. The path forward requires immediate, mid-term and long-term strategies to address root causes and symptoms but again, the desire for help and to improve one's current situation must exist.

What will you do to improve the finances of Doña Ana County residents?

Teague: We can be a small-business incubator by supporting local entrepreneurs and providing services to encourage their growth while also attracting large, long-term businesses through bolstering our infrastructure and ensuring that necessary utilities and services are available to support incoming commerce. 

We need to focus on areas where more services are needed and/or desired by the community residents. We must nurture unique individual colonias by providing better infrastructure, ensure solid education and improved healthcare services to build enhanced opportunities for them presently, and for future generations.

Sanchez: We can help by increasing opportunities for higher wages, bringing services closer to where residents live and improving infrastructure that reduces costs. We are working on economic development by investing in infrastructure and marketing the advantages for businesses to move and grow in Doña Ana County. 

We are exploring opportunities to bring specialty healthcare providers so residents don’t have to travel outside the county. We are developing plans to use modular office space within our communities to connect residents with county service. We have paved more roads that reduce wear on vehicles and allow emergency services faster response times that may reduce insurance premiums.

What will you do to improve the quality of drinking water for rural water systems in the county?

Sanchez: There are numerous water associations and systems across the county, making it a challenge for the NM Environmental Department to monitor them all. I believe we need to review the possibility of the county taking ownership of water associations to standardize services across the county. 

By reducing the number of providers, we can ensure we’re bringing clean water to all our residents and working to reduce the number of septic systems being utilized. This will also allow us to install more fire hydrants, giving our fire department easier access to a water supply when responding to emergencies.

Teague: We must work closely with our current providers to ensure our rural water systems operate and maintain high level quality for residents and promote sustainable water use. Treatment solutions, source protection, infrastructure maintenance, regular water testing/monitoring are steps that can be taken to improve water quality in our outlying communities. 

We can explore partnerships with non-governmental organizations as well as international sources to secure funding and beneficial technology to add to the knowledge of our local experts. We must combine forces to find solutions and be transparent in the process and results so that the community stays informed.

Do you support the board's choice of county manager? Please explain your answer.

Teague: Honestly, I was disappointed the BOCC chose an outsider that, from comments made during interview process and presentations during public forum, does not truly have a grasp on the diverse makeup of our community and our deep-rooted culture. 

We had a well-qualified, proven candidate that would have led our community to a better future. While I don't agree with the choice, personal opinion will never affect my ability to work with anyone who has desire to improve the lives of each resident of Doña Ana County, in all districts. We will work together toward solutions that create better days, every day, for everyone.

Sanchez: Dr. Andrews will bring a wealth of economic development experience to Doña Ana County that will bring new approaches and ideas to maximize our opportunities. During his interview process, Dr. Andrews showed particular interest in engaging the public, particularly the youth, in community services and creating a talent pipeline for Doña Ana County. 

He also showed a passion for finding ways to connect county services to communities, such as the colonias, that may have difficulties reaching them. I absolutely support Dr. Andrews and look forward to him joining the county.