Six Republican politicians visited campus Thursday, helping students register to vote and sharing their platforms with passersby.
UNM College Republicans brought the group — including possible Republican candidates for governor Allen Weh, Doug Turner and Janice Arnold-Jones — to the Duck Pond during the annual Student Organization Day. Weh, Turner and Arnold-Jones will run against each other in the upcoming Republican primaries.
Heather Hall, president of College Republicans, said her organization brought the candidates to UNM so students can get informed about politics and make an educated decision when they vote.
Hall said students would also be more likely to register if they could talk to candidates in person.
“Voter registration is really important, especially during Welcome Back Days, because there are a ton of freshmen who are new to the democratic process,” she said. “They haven’t necessarily registered to vote so, it’s important that they do that and start engaging in politics.”
Hall said other Republicans attended, including congressional candidate Jon Barela, mayoral candidate Richard J. Berry and land commissioner candidate Bob Cornelius. She said these candidates advocate things that are important to UNM students, like small government.
“I think the biggest issue right now that really resonates with the campus is limited government,” Hall said. “I think all of us really value our freedoms and don’t want a government intruding upon our personal decisions.”
Weh said he will focus on the economy and education, because these two issues impact students the most and get them out to vote.
Weh said he plans to revitalize New Mexico’s small businesses and bring in businesses from outside the state. He said this will help the economy and allow students to get jobs after graduation.
Weh said when he talked to students on Thursday, many told him that they didn’t think legislators in Santa Fe were doing enough for UNM.
“I have experienced a lot of comments about student dissatisfaction with the state of New Mexico’s government and their impression of it,” he said. “I really didn’t expect the cynicism towards Santa Fe on this campus.”
Cornelius said he came to UNM to talk with students about making educated voting decisions — not necessarily to campaign for himself. He said UNM students represent a valuable age group to all candidates.
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“I talked to a lot of students about getting involved in general — whether it’s Democrat, Republican, whatever,” Cornelius said. “I think college is when you start forming your own opinions.”
Cornelius said that if students are not satisfied with government — on campus or in New Mexico — they should take action. He said he will be coming to UNM again to encourage students to register to vote.
“I would like to see younger voters get more involved,” Cornelius said. “The last campaign showed that young people actually do have a voice — they just need to get out there and vote.”
