As a career prosecutor, I have dedicated my life to serving as a voice for those who couldn’t speak for themselves. I specialized in prosecuting child abuse and child homicide cases, and I saw first-hand how criminals who got off lightly ended up later committing unspeakable acts of violence.
That’s why my balanced budget proposal maintains adequate funding to New Mexico’s correctional facilities. We must get our fiscal house in order, but we cannot do it by opening the prison gates and setting criminals free.
I have also seen how the collection of DNA evidence from certain felons has led to the arrest of rapists and murderers in New Mexico.
That’s why I support the expansion of Katie’s Law to require the collection of DNA samples from those arrested for all felony offenses. I know this will help us capture violent criminals before they have a chance to hurt our children and loved ones.
And, as New Mexicans, we have become all too familiar with repeat DWI offenders and corrupt public officials failing to receive the punishment they deserve.
That’s why I support stiffer penalties for repeat DWI offenders and for the crime of public corruption.
Ensuring public safety is a key role of government. If New Mexico is a safe place to live, business owners will want to locate here and visitors will want to take advantage of all that our state has to offer. Keeping our families safe requires vigilance and a commitment to bringing justice to those who break the law.