Republican candidates visit, speak to students

College Republicans focused on educating students about New Mexico candidates and issues at their welcome back week booth in the SUB ballroom Wednesday. At the booth, students could register to vote and sign nominating petitions for various Republican candidates.

The group also invited several Republican candidates to come and talk to students about their campaigns. Of the five Republican gubernatorial candidates invited — Allen Weh, Doug Turner, Janice Arnold-Jones, Susana Martinez and Pete Domenici Jr. — Martinez and Turner attended the event.

“The main goal was to make students aware of upcoming New Mexico elections,” said Joel Hernandez, vice president of College Republicans.

Candidates spoke to students and handed out literature about their campaign stance.
Heather Hall, president of College Republicans, said their goal was to inform students about upcoming New Mexico elections and register them to vote.
William Kurth, a Republican running for Bernalillo County Sheriff, also attended along with Jon Barela, candidate for Congress in the first Congressional District. State Land Commissioner candidate Bob Cornelius also helped register students at the SUB.

Martinez said she decided to run for governor “to bring back strong ethical leadership.”

Martinez said she favored administration cuts over cuts to teachers in the New Mexico legislative session.

“It is important to keep good teachers in the classroom,” Martinez said. “The money needs to be in the classroom.”

Martinez said there are many unnecessary programs and political appointments that need to be taken away.

Turner said he is a small businessman who wants to fix the state’s problems as governor without raising taxes on businesses. He said state policymakers shouldn’t raise tuition.

“It is absolutely wrong to talk about raising tuition for students when there are so many places to cut from the administration,” he said.

Kurth said fiscal responsibility in the Sheriff’s Department is mandatory, especially amid the recession.

“The budget crisis will make it difficult to grow the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department, so the department must be made efficient and effective,” he said.