October 22, 2026
Mark your calendar –
Join us for a special post-election PVA meeting:
Thursday, November 5, 7pm
Munson Center, Las Cruces
Create a logo for Progressive Voter Alliance!
Hey you creative people! PVA does not have a logo and we want one. The PVA executive committee is sure that there are certainly creative people in our network who can produce a logo, right?! We can do this! We want to see what you’ve got. We suggest not using a white background, and bonus points for hinting we are a southern NM organization (NM colors, etc.).
We are asking that your submissions be turned in by midnight of November 5. Then, at the January meeting we will all vote on our favorite. And, yes, there will be a prize for the winner!
For more information or to submit your PVA logo, contact Anastasia Walhovd at amwalhovd@proton.me.
Vanessa Ordonez, running for Doña Ana County Sheriff
Vanessa Ordonez, the Democratic candidate for sheriff, says she is glad to be at PVA, which she finds welcoming and a good place to hear people’s concerns. She thanked everyone for the support her campaign has gotten and explains that, with the election close, she wants to spend tonight taking questions rather than giving a speech, since she assumes most people already know her background. She offered to talk with anyone individually afterward, and she briefly dealt with logistics, including arranging a campaign sign for an attendee.
Responding to a question about the Sheriff’s job time commitments, she said the state statute requires a sheriff to work only eight hours a month, but says she doesn’t expect that to be the reality. She intends to treat the position as full-time and beyond, even though it is salaried, with a focus on being present for the community and sheriff’s deputies and collaborating with stakeholders. She closed by saying that voters who think she is working hard on the campaign should expect her to work even harder if elected.
For more information, contact Vanessa at vanessaforsheriff@gmail.com.
County Assessor, running unopposed, fights for equitable taxation
Eugenia (Gina) Montoya-Ortega, the current county assessor, is running for re-election unopposed but still asks for voters’ support. She says she’s grateful that people continue to believe in her work, and she emphasizes her work ethic: although the assessor, sheriff, treasurer, and clerk are only required to work eight hours a month, she is in the office every day, all day, because she believes she shouldn’t expect her staff to be there if she isn’t. She also attends Doña Ana County Commission meetings, where she sometimes disagrees with commissioners, but she describes these as productive disagreements aimed at doing right by taxpayers.
Gina described her priorities as fair and equitable taxation, where everyone pays their fair share. She closed by inviting residents to call or visit the office with any questions, including those about value freezes, veteran exemptions, or understanding their notice of value, stressing that her office is always there to serve and help.
For more information, contact Gina at euortega00@comcast.net.
Project Jupiter’s 1st Citizen Committee Meeting
Lynn Moorer invited the public to the first meeting of the Community Monitoring Committee for Project Jupiter, set for Saturday, October 31st, at 2 p.m. in the Doña Ana County Commission Chambers. This opening session is an organizational business meeting where officers will be elected and bylaws adopted. The group will then begin discussing which subjects to study in later “information meetings” and which experts to invite, and she urges attendees to bring ideas, since all input received will be considered. Initial priorities will likely be set, followed by consultation with experts and probably a second business meeting to finalize plans.
Lynn expects the committee to meet mostly in the southern part of the county, such as Santa Teresa or Sunland Park, though this first meeting is in Las Cruces. The meeting will have live Spanish interpretation, and all materials will be provided in both Spanish and English. She says the outcome is hard to predict but that the group will work together. As an example of the kind of transparency she hopes for, she mentioned speaking with the local State Office of the Engineer representative about Project Jupiter’s current water usage, and she hopes to have that information posted on the Doña Ana County website’s Project Jupiter page so residents can see the latest figures.
For more information, contact Lynn at lmoorer3045@gmail.com.
Support for Susie Kimble, Candidate for Doña Ana County Commission, District 3
Rico Gonzalez, speaking as a neighbor of Susie Kimble’s for nearly 20 years, enthusiastically endorses her for County Commission District 3, describing her as an honest person who comes to meetings prepared, has done her reading, and knows what she wants to accomplish. He asks voters to support her, whether by voting early or on Election Day.
For more information, contact Rico at cfg0032@gmail.com.
Let Senator Heinrich know your views
Logan Adams strongly opposes Senator Heinrich’s “American Affordability and Jobs Act,” which he described as a bipartisan bill that would fast-track federal permitting of energy projects, including natural gas pipelines that would serve Project Jupiter and make similar AI data center developments easier to build. The proposed bill would shrink public input, mitigation requirements, and legal challenges, while weakening tribal consultation on cultural and historic sites, limiting states’ authority to protect water quality, and removing public input on historic site protection. It also could let the federal government take over tribal and state historic preservation offices deemed “inadequate,” and shift Endangered Species Act protections to states with weaker laws, noting that these reforms originated with Trump and his Republican allies.
Supporters present the bill as a way to create jobs and cheap energy, including grid improvements and renewables, but streamlining projects without careful planning, public input, and legal recourse costs communities, the environment, and water resources too much. Logan concluded by urging us to tell our senators and our representative to vote no and to call Senator Heinrich directly to express opposition to the bill. Senator Heinrich’s Las Cruces Office phone number is 575-523-6561.
For more information, Logan can be reached at logan@desertdocket.org.
Women’s March turns 50!
Jo Ann Bingel, an assembly leader for the Women’s March, announced that the organization will mark its 50th anniversary next year with a national experiment aimed at rebuilding a democracy that works for everyone. Under its Feminist versus Fascist platform, 175 assembly leaders have been chosen from every state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico, including three in New Mexico (Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Las Cruces). Their goal is to strategize, develop, and ratify a women’s bill of rights at the 50th anniversary convention, and over the next 10 to 12 months they will hold assemblies in every state to gather input from women across the country.
Jo Ann has scheduled two local assemblies: Thursday, November 12th, from 5 to 7 p.m., and Saturday, November 21st, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Both will take place in the Roadrunner Room at the Branigan Library, with snacks and refreshments provided. More assemblies are planned after the new year. She invited us to bring a friend or two.
For more information, contact Jo Ann at las.cruces.resist@gmail.com.
Susie Kimble, running for District 3 Doña Ana County Commission
Susie Kimball, the current District 3 county commissioner, is asking for votes ahead of the November 3rd election. She noted that she has not yet been elected: the governor appointed her in February to fill the seat after Shannon Reynolds resigned. Since taking office, she says she has mostly been asking questions about Project Jupiter to make sure the right things are being done, since she’s unsure how the project could be stopped. She points to the industrial revenue bond (IRB) the commission approved before she was appointed, which the company will repay from its earnings. The IRB bars the project from hooking up with El Paso Electric, which she considers important, but the company can cancel the bond, which would leave the county with no control over what it does. She worries about that risk, especially since the company has plenty of money and likely didn’t need the IRB at all.
Susie promises to keep asking questions and pushing for the right answers and the best path forward on the project. She also praises fellow officials in attendance, noting that Gina Montoya Ortega is always at commission meetings and that Vanessa Ordonez (if elected Sheriff) will put in more than the required eight hours a month. Commissioners aren’t required to serve more than eight hours monthly, she says, but meetings regularly run eight or nine hours on their own. She closed by asking for support and inviting anyone with questions about Project Jupiter to reach out to her.
For more information, visit the campaign website: kimblefordac.com.
Heinrich’s new bill
Glenn Landers said he agrees with Logan Adams remarks (above) about the bill that Senator Martin Heinrich is sponsoring called the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (here is the bill). Glenn said this bill limits public participation, will fast track permits, and will allow polluters to sue and collect damages. The bill claims to improve the grid, and the fossil fuel industry and data centers are poised to take advantage. Furthermore, Glenn said that Senator Heinrich is building bipartisan support for this bill by limiting public participation, setting hurried deadlines for permit issuance, limiting the ability of states and tribes to challenge permits, and giving polluters greater ability to sue the government for damages.
For more information, contact Glenn at glenn.landers@gmail.com.
Project Jupiter Air Quality hearings
Rocky Bacchus announced the following hearings related to Project Jupiter, happening at the Sunland Park Multi-Generational Center:
Monday, October 26, 8:30am – Dismissal
Thursday, October 29, 8:30am – Discovery
Monday, December 7, 8:30am – Hearing on Merits
Public input will be allowed at the December 7 hearing. Rocky also gave a shout out to some candidates in tight races: Rep. Nathan Small, Rep. Sarah Silva, and County Commissioner Susie Kimble.
For more information, contact Rocky at rockybacchus@gmail.com.
Want to cross Alameda safely?
Lucy Silva let us know about the North Alameda Reconstruction Project (Picacho to Amador) and that the City of Las Cruces is taking public input until November 23. You can submit comments and questions for the study and design phases. Here is who to contact:
You can call 575-528-3113 or you can email Jonathan Billingsley at jbillingsley@lascruces.gov or Gene Paulk, PE (phone # 505-313-1240) at gene.paulk@stantec.com.
For more information, contact Lucy at lucy.silva.abq@gmail.com.
Fundraiser for DharmaHorse Equine Sanctuary
Jennifer Kreie spoke about DharmaHorse Equine Sanctuary, which provides a safe home for abandoned and abused horses, mules, and donkeys. They are having a fundraiser – the tickets are $25, which buys a bale of hay plus a delicious meal for you!
Hay for Horses
November 14, 10:30am-1:30pm
Habanero’s Restaurant, 600 E. Amador Ave.
For more information or for tickets, contact Jennifer at jenniferkreie@gmail.com or 575-571-0300.
There’s a lot happening at the Branigan Library
Sandy Katayanagi is on the board of the Friends of the Thomas Branigan Library and therefore she can’t tell you how to vote on the GO Bond for the library; however, she wants you to know about the Bond, and there’s great FAQs on the website. Sandy reminded us that there’s a lot of fun to be had at the library, such as reading Frankenstein with the Banned Book Club, or joining role-playing games on Game Day, or the Lil’ Pumpkins Parade, Grandparents/Grandkids movie afternoon, the romance book group, and more!
There was a Bag of Books sale this past Saturday, where you could get an entire paper grocery bag of books for $8. The next book sales are November 14 and December 12. All the proceeds go to supporting programs at the library.
For more information, visit this website: www.libraryfriendslc.org.
Do you have friends or family in other parts of New Mexico?
Gayle Eads advised talking to people who live outside of Doña Ana County and telling them to vote for Amanda Lopez-Askin for Secretary of State. She also enthusiastically said, “Go Gabe Go!”
For more information, contact Gayle at gayle.s.eads@gmail.com.
Our thoughts are with Elisa
Peter Goodman informed us that our friend, Elisa Sanchez, isn’t doing well. The PVA community sends good wishes, Elisa!
For more information, contact Peter at peter@pgoodmanphotos.com.
Love like Chris
Janel Carnero spoke about the heartbreaking loss of her 13-year-old son, Chris, who was shot and killed in his bedroom in March by another 13-year-old with a stolen gun. She talked about the 18 CYFD reports on the shooter’s mother, the two-year maximum sentence he received, and the threat he made from juvenile detention to shoot up Las Cruces when he’s released. Janel presented “Chris’s Law” which is being drafted for the 2027 legislative session, which focuses on accountability for violent juvenile offenders, judges seeing a young person’s full history, and parent accountability. She also shared the Love Like Chris movement, including school character awards, a rent-free teen center, and a citywide baseball tournament. She closed by asking everyone in the room to choose a way to help. You can read more about this here.
For more information, contact Janel at janel.rosec12@gmail.com.
Sarah Silva, running for re-election for State Representative
Sarah Silva, State Representative for House District 53, spoke about her first reelection race and her legislative work. She explained that her district has more independent registered voters than Democrats or Republicans, the only one in the state with that distinction, which makes it one of the toughest races in New Mexico; she thanked volunteers who have knocked doors while inviting others to join the final canvassing Saturdays on the 24th and 31st. She shared that she will present two bills at the Revenue Stabilization and Tax Interim Committee in mid-November: a data center tax bill that would tax data centers on the computes they produce, and a rural health care tax credit bill. She also announced that ground will be broken in December on the Chaparral Public Safety Facility, a project that took less than two years to secure $5 million for.
Let Sarah know if you want to canvass on October 31st at 9:30 am (meet at 4720 Sun Canyon Rd.).
For more information, visit the campaign website.
Lori Martinez, running for State Representative
Lori Martinez, the Democratic candidate for House District 37, spoke about the home stretch of the campaign and about young people getting involved in politics. She thanked everyone who has knocked doors, donated, and made calls, and encouraged us to keep going through the final stretch, especially by supporting candidates in tough swing districts. You can canvass for Lori on Saturdays at 9 am at Sagecrest Park. Reach her campaign at 575-215-3190 and www.Lori4workingfamilies.com.
A social worker by profession, Lori highlighted the political social work association at New Mexico State University, a student-led group working to bring systems-level, macro social work into their programs and everyday lives. She noted that the group welcomes social work students, social workers, and community members. This student led political social work association can be reached at politicalsocialwork@gmail.com and IG:politicalsocialwork.nmsu.
Daisy Maldonado, running for County Commission, District 1
Daisy Maldonado, the Democratic candidate for Doña Ana County Commission, District 1, spoke about her campaign and the Project Jupiter fight. She invited people to pick up literature and signs in the back and to sign up to knock doors, describing the canvassing as a mostly positive experience that has been different from the primary. She addressed the negative texts and mailer that targeted her faith, saying she isn’t worried about them, is happy to talk one-on-one, and does not plan to bring her faith into her work as a commissioner. She updated the room on Project Jupiter, noting that the companies have submitted a new air quality permit application, that a hearing on Monday could lead to its dismissal (which she hopes for but considers unlikely), and that a week-long public hearing is set for December 7th in Sunland Park.
For more information, contact Daisy at contact@daisy4dist1.com.
Yikes!
A man named Bill, who isn’t running for office, spoke briefly about voter apathy among younger people. He recalled asking two women in their 20s whether they had voted and getting nearly the same answer from both: that both parties are the same. He said the setting wasn’t right for him to respond, and that he finds it troubling that people with so much access to information can be so unaware of what’s happening in society. He closed with a plea for everyone in the room to talk to as many people as they can about voting.
For more information, contact Bill at bill1024k@gmail.com.
Julia T. Brown, running for District 3 Doña Ana County Commission
Julia T. Brown, a write-in candidate for District 3 County Commission, spoke about her endorsements and her qualifications. She listed endorsements from Congressman Gabe Vasquez, Representative Joanne Ferrary, Senator Bill Soules, the DPNM Veterans and Military Families Caucus, and Local 2515 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. She asked for votes by describing herself as a change agent, and she pointed to a background that spans government, corporate work, military service, civil rights, employment and criminal law, banking and public utility regulation, small business and nonprofit formation, and coalition building. She argued that the county commission needs someone with broad experience, referred us to the special audit findings, and said experience, transparency, and integrity still matter. You can visit her campaign website here.
For more information, contact Julia at juliatbrown@gmail.com.