ELECTION 2024 candidate column: Michelle Sandoval, New Mexico House District 57

Too many New Mexicans know the hardship and heartbreak of navigating the health care bureaucracy in New Mexico. My family is one of those stories: When my husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor, we had to make difficult choices, quickly, and with limited options.

Whether you need specialty health care or simply an appointment with a primary care physician, it’s simply too hard to get the medical assistance you need in New Mexico.

It’s why I’m running to represent my community in Rio Rancho in the state House of Representatives. No family should have to choose between caring for their loved ones and keeping food on the table, and that’s why I firmly support Paid Family and Medical Leave. Choosing between your health and your livelihood is no choice at all.

It’s also why I firmly support a woman’s reproductive freedom. Adding the criminalization of doctors and women to the already over-complicated and under-resourced health care bureaucracy in our state is a nightmare — but more importantly, it endangers the lives of women. Women are the only ones who should be deciding if, when and how they want to have children, and that decision often relies upon having access to adequate healthcare, safety in community and the financial stability to ensure their families are secure.

Improving our public schools and building economic growth go hand-in-hand, and both will take significant investment and work in our Legislature. As a new parent, I know all about hard work. We need good schools to not only give children the best education but to attract the health care workforce we desperately need. But education alone is not a silver bullet — if we want to attract more workers and diversify our economy, we must address crime and safety. I’m dedicated to placing more officers in high-need areas, investing in our overrun courts to ensure swift justice and investing in reentry programs to stop the revolving door.

We can only raise happy and healthy families in Rio Rancho if our elected officials are reflective of our values and our lives.

Rio Rancho deserves a representative who understands the struggles of everyday families because they’ve lived them. From putting food on the table to navigating the job and housing market, Rio Rancho’s working families are the backbone of our community. That’s why I’m proud that organizations that represent everyday workers and their families have endorsed me, including the Rio Rancho firefighters union, the Sandoval County firefighters union and New Mexico Voices for Children Action Fund. These endorsements reflect the deep connection I have with working families and the dedication I bring to ensuring we have robust public safety programs, good jobs and reliable health care for our community.

As a mother, a military wife, a professional whose work focuses on the safety of our nation, my mission is clear: to fight for policies that support our hardworking families, create safety in our neighborhoods, and defend every person’s freedom to make decisions about our bodies.

I believe Rio Rancho is ready for new, proactive, and enthusiastic representation in our state Legislature to move the ball forward on these key issues, and I stand ready to do the work.