LETTER: NM GOP has been infiltrated

Ever wonder why Republicans can’t win in New Mexico?

We’ve been infiltrated.

We can’t win elections because the Republicans in name only (Republican majority) silence the Republican minority. This division within the Republican Party is the reason we have been unable to win elections and pass good public policy. We are not united in the very things which are supposed to differentiate us from our opponent, the Democrats.

“Republicans eat their own” is a phrase that I’ve hear over and over since 2020. Once you get to know what is really going on in our party, the depths to which Republicans in name only would go to stay in control and in power, you begin to understand that our party has left us.

No longer do the Republicans in name only in Sandoval County support a governmental structure to protect the rights of the minority; they “amass power” so that only a few can govern. They voted not to pass a rule on a fair parliamentary authority to be used during our governing body meetings. They gave the chair the power to appoint whomever he pleases to our governing body, throwing out procedures for this. It was blatant and clear to all those who know the battles we’ve had since Mike Nelson was a elected, by default, to represent all Sandoval County residents as our chair in January 2023.

We are supposed to be a representative republic to ensure laws/rules protect the rights of the minority. What they did at our RPSC meeting on Dec. 14, 2023, is a clear indication of how the Republican Party has been infiltrated by a group of people who do not like being a representative republic.

And this is the conundrum we in the Republican Party face. We must vote for these Republicans in name only or we stay home not voting and not getting involved.

Jan Parr, an RPSC governing body member who has helped the Republican Party of Sandoval County by hosting meetings at her church, walking for candidates and organizing events, was denied entrance to the Dec. 14 governing body meeting. Her offense? She had her husband with her, who isn’t a governing body member. She tried to explain her situation to Abi Armstrong, RPSC first vice chair, and Leticia Munoz, RPNM second vice chair and a paid employee of RPNM as executive director of the north, as soon as she entered the building because Jan noticed a sign on the door that said something to the effect that only CCC members were allowed. Jan thought this was odd as RPSC has never done this before. Jan approached Abi and Leticia, letting them know that her husband was disabled, and she had no caregiver to leave him at home. Jan is her husband’s full-time caregiver. She told them that he won’t remember anything come morning as he is a 100% disabled veteran with dementia.

Abi turned to Leticia for guidance, as Leticia is an elected leader and paid employee of RPNM, but Leticia turned away, clearly not wanting to do her job. Abi was left to tell Jan that she could not enter.

The Republican in name only majority in Sandoval County has left out the humanity of it all in their quest to amass power for the few.

Corrine Rios

Rio Rancho