By David Gallegos

If someone wanted to devise a strategy to hold the state of New Mexico back from prosperity, growth, and a bright future, what would they do?

Certainly it wouldn’t be an easy task. After all, our state is naturally beautiful, and rich with diverse cultures and natural resources. It’s also home to some of the most amazing and kind-hearted people on the planet. So whatever their plan is, it would have to be sustained long-term; holding back a state like ours couldn’t happen overnight.

The first thing they might do is perhaps the easiest — simply refuse to address New Mexico’s current issues. Inaction would inevitably worsen the issues facing our communities like out-of-control crime, homelessness, poor educational outcomes, etc. Of course, to falsely reassure concerned New Mexicans, they would need to “say” publicly that steps were being taken to address these problems! But gaslighting is easy for those who want to hold us back.

Next, they would focus on damaging New Mexico’s top industries. If they could make New Mexico unattractive to large companies, investors, and innovative entrepreneurs, they wouldn’t have to worry about communities expanding or families being able to earn more with better job opportunities.

Unsurprisingly, they would focus their attacks on the state’s vital oil & gas industry and stack the deck against those pesky small business owners by piling on taxes and burdensome regulations.. In short, they merely would have to drive out existing companies while discouraging any future business ventures.

Of course, they would also need to ensure that the next generation of New Mexicans are unprepared academically. And for those highest-performing students who succeed in spite of our 50th ranked education system, they would have to encourage them to take their talents elsewhere.

This would accomplish two goals: making sure that the most talented young people leave New Mexico, while those who remain struggle to find meaningful opportunities. For the plan to really work, many of those young people who stay will instead choose to engage in illegal activities or not even want to work at all!

Speaking of not wanting to work, perhaps they would make New Mexicans generationally dependent on government assistance. They would raise taxes on hard-working families and businesses and then turn around and give those taxpayer dollars to the other half of the state. By creating more dependency on state government, they could protect their political future, as those receiving public benefits are sure to re-elect candidates who vote to continue and even expand these benefits.

Come to think of it, the progressive Democrats running New Mexico are already taking these exact steps. These radical leftists are indeed holding New Mexico back from prosperity, growth, and a bright future.

On the contrary, I want our state to move forward, not continue to slide backwards. I want New Mexico families to prosper. I want our children to choose to stay here to raise their families. I want our communities to experience less violence and more growth. That’s why I am advocating for common sense leadership. Progressives have a stranglehold on state government, and while some of them may claim to have good intentions for New Mexico, the reality is that their policies and “leadership” actively work to not only hold our state back, but to destroy it.

Ninety years of one-party Democrat rule has brought us here. I say: Let’s vote red instead and get back to common sense leadership instead of radical-left insanity.

Senator Gallegos is an advocate and leader in his local community, serving on the Eunice school board for over 20 years. He retired from the natural gas industry after 30 years and currently works as a Senior Superintendent in construction.

He served in the New Mexico House of Representatives from 2013-2020 and the State Senate from 2021.