A GUIDE TO THE CONGRESSIONAL RACES: NEW MEXICO

NEW MEXICO

Population (1994): 1,654,000 (up 9.1% from 1990), 0.6% of U.S. total

Voting-age population: 1,167,000; 1994 turnout, 39%

Median age: 31.3 years

Median household income: $26,905 ($5,259 below U.S. median)

Unemployment: 6.7% (1.1% above U.S. average, March 1996)

Last presidential election:

Clinton (D): 46% Bush (R): 37% Perot (I): 16%

Congressional delegation: Three Republicans, two Democrats

New Mexico has the fifth-largest land area in the U.S., and its culture is as expansive as its mountains and high plateaus. More than most states, it is a combination of high-profile extremes: trendy settlers are moving to the towns east of Santa Fe, living in the same kind of adobe buildings that housed the Pueblo Indians hundreds of years before Europeans set foot on this continent. Now artists share the land with the scientists at Los Alamos, and there is a larger percentage of Hispanic people there–38%–than in any other state. Politically, the state is a bellwether, having supported the victorious President almost invariably since Woodrow Wilson in 1912.

PETE DOMENICI (R) SENIOR SENATOR

BORN: May 7, 1932, Albuquerque EDUCATION: U of New Mexico, B.S., 1954; U of Denver, LL.B., 1958 FAMILY: Wife, Nancy; eight children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Lawyer POLITICAL CAREER: Albuquerque city commission, 1966-70; Republican nominee for Governor, 1970; U.S. Senate 1972- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 2206, Albuquerque 87103. Tel.: 505-271-2122

Incumbent Domenici, who once pitched for the Albuquerque Dukes, won his past two elections with 72% and 73% of the vote, and is favored to win his sixth term just as handily. In the Senate he has made his name as a deficit hawk, sitting on his powerful perch as chairman of the Budget Committee, and he clashes even with fellow Republicans when their proposals to cut taxes–especially the capital-gains tax–would stand in the way of a balanced budget.

THE ISSUES Budget YES Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion NO Guns NO Gays NO Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare NO National Service NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “The change in the temperament of the people seems to make it easier than reducing the deficit in the past has ever been. It’s a lot different.”

ART TRUJILLO (D) SENATE CHALLENGER

BORN: Nov. 25, 1940, Chico EDUCATION: U of Oklahoma, B.A., 1963, M.S., 1965 FAMILY: Wife, Elaine; two children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Marketing executive; regional planner POLITICAL CAREER: Santa Fe County commission, 1974-78; mayor of Santa Fe, 1978-82; Bernalillo County Democratic Party chairman, 1990- ADDRESS: 303 San Mateo Northeast, Suite 100, Albuquerque 87108. Tel.: 505-265-4000

Trujillo, a former mayor of Santa Fe, earned the daunting privilege of going up against the heavily favored incumbent, Pete Domenici, by winning 72% of the vote in the party primary. A moderate Democrat, he vows to make education his No. 1 priority, protect college loans and reinstate full funding for Head Start programs. A big reason to hope for victory: New Mexico voted for Clinton in 1992.

THE ISSUES Budget NO Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion NO Guns YES Gays NO Bosnia NO NAFTA NO Welfare YES National Service YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “The answer [to the crime problem] lies in economic opportunity through pro-active education, stronger families, and moral leadership.”

STEVE SCHIFF (R) District 1 (Central–Albuquerque)

BORN: March 18, 1947, Chicago EDUCATION: U of Illinois, Chicago Circle, B.A., 1968; U of New Mexico, J.D., 1972 FAMILY: Wife, Marcia; two children RELIGION: Jewish MILITARY: Air National Guard, 1969-91; Air Force Reserve, 1991- OCCUPATION: Lawyer POLITICAL CAREER: Bernalillo County district attorney, 1980-88; U.S. House, 1988- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 25185, Albuquerque 87125. Tel.: 505-255-9600

A law-and-order Republican, Schiff sponsored the Sexual Crimes Against Children Prevention Act, which increased sentences for those convicted of child pornography, and supports a “two-strikes” policy: those convicted of two violent crimes would be sentenced to life. That, along with his protection of the Sandia National Laboratories for nuclear and solar research, has earned him solid victories in the past three elections.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “If we are addressing violent crime, then two separate violent crimes should be enough to warrant getting someone off the street.”

JOHN WERTHEIM (D) District 1

BORN: Feb. 12, 1968, Santa Fe EDUCATION: Yale U, B.A., 1990; U of New Mexico, J.D., 1995 FAMILY: Wife, Bianca Ortiz Wertheim RELIGION: Jewish MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Business consultant; financial analyst POLITICAL CAREER: New Mexico Democratic Party central committee, 1993-95 ADDRESS: P.O. Box 8998, Albuquerque 87198. Tel.: 505-878-9696

Wertheim believes in gun control and giving poor children better educational opportunities. He must be hitting some sort of nerve in the First, because even with a heavily favored incumbent, Congressional Quarterly calls this race the “only semblance of congressional competition” in the state. Wertheim, who directed Clinton’s 1992 victory in New Mexico, hopes to do for himself what he did for the President.

THE ISSUES:

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion NO Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA YES Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “I believe I am both on the right side morally, and in finding a solution to our nation’s crime problem, by supporting the Brady Bill and the assault-weapons ban.”

E. SHIRLEY BACA (D) District 2 (South–Little Texas; Las Cruces; Roswell)

BORN: May 3, 1951, Albuquerque EDUCATION: New Mexico State U, B.F.A., 1974, M.S., 1975; Antioch U, J.D., 1985 FAMILY: Divorced RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Public-policy consultant; state legislative analyst; community director POLITICAL CAREER: New Mexico House, 1990- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 8348, Las Cruces 88006. Tel.: 505-647-0001

If Baca can unseat Joe Skeen, she will become New Mexico’s first Hispanic Congresswoman. But she’ll have to work very hard to beat a 16-year incumbent who won by 31 points in 1994, even in the Second, which, after a 1990 redistricting, is 42% Hispanic. Baca speaks out in favor of preserving public land and against using immigrants as scapegoats.

THE ISSUES Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion NO Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA NO Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “It is not cost-effective to take child care and all the support systems away and giving a tax break to a family with an income of $210,000.”

JOE SKEEN (R) District 2

BORN: June 30, 1927, Roswell EDUCATION: Texas A&M U, B.S., 1950 FAMILY: Wife, Mary; two children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: Navy, 1945-46; Air Force Reserve, 1949-52 OCCUPATION: Sheep rancher; soil-and-water engineer POLITICAL CAREER: New Mexico Senate, 1961-71; New Mexico Republican Party chairman, 1962-65; U.S. House, 1980- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 2446, Roswell 88201. Tel.: 505-623-8323 After two runs at the governorship, Skeen won the House on a write-in vote and has been sent back ever since. Serving as chair of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee and a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, he protects the rural interests of his district, including Holloman Air Force Base and the White Sands Missile Range.

THE ISSUES Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “Spending on rural development has been reduced…but we have consolidated programs and given the Administration the flexibility it requested to better meet the requirements of each individual state.”

BILL REDMOND (R) District 3 (North and east central–Farmington; Santa Fe)

BORN: Jan. 28, 1954, Chicago EDUCATION: Lincoln Christian College, B.A., 1979; Lincoln Christian Seminary, M.Div., 1988 FAMILY: Wife, Shirley-Raye; two children RELIGION: Christian MILITARY: Army, 1984-92 OCCUPATION: Minister; teacher; roller-rink manager POLITICAL CAREER: New Mexico Republican Party central committee, 1994- ADDRESS: 1640 16th Street, Los Alamos 87544. Tel.: 505-661-2335 A part-time minister, Redmond represents a clear alternative to the Democratic incumbent. He promotes a Christian-conservative platform of balanced budget, voluntary school prayer, tuition credits for private and home schools and strong anti-gay positions: he would reverse the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, deny adoption rights to homosexual couples, and prevent immigrants with AIDS from entering the country.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NR Abortion YES Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA NO Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “America’s problem with crime is not a lack of gun control, but a lack of justice in the courts.”

BILL RICHARDSON (D) District 3

BORN: Nov. 15, 1947, Pasadena, Calif. EDUCATION: Tufts U, B.A., 1970; M.A., 1971 FAMILY: Wife, Barbara RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Business consultant POLITICAL CAREER: U.S. House, 1982- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 518, Santa Fe 87504. Tel.: 505-992-8633

Richardson, a rising star in the Democratic Party, has been a hugely successful public servant. His district has sent him to Congress eight times (in 1994 with 64% of the vote). And his President has sent him on a series of sensitive diplomatic missions: he secured the release of U.S. citizens from North Korea and Iraq, and this year traveled to Cuba to negotiate the release of three political prisoners. For his work he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

THE ISSUES Budget NO Medicare NO Defense NO Abortion NO Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA YES Welfare NO* Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “With Castro, it was nearing midnight, and I said, ‘I came here to negotiate an agreement…I’m going to have to say to the press…that I got nothing. Is that the message you want?’ I started making inroads after that.”