Cervantes says he will stand on principle in Congress

State Rep. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, told a crowd of some 200 people on Monday evening that he’s running for Congress because Washington needs more leaders who – like him – are willing to act on principle and with conviction.

Such leaders, he said, will help restore America’s position as a beacon.

“I believe the most important task today in Washington, D.C. is to recapture that role of the United States in the world,” Cervantes said. “… I want to represent you in Congress because there are not enough people in Washington, D.C. today who are willing to risk the political consequences by standing on principal and political convictions, but I think we need at least one more.”

The kickoff of Cervantes’ bid to replace U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., who is vacating the seat to run for Senate, was held at the Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces and attended by about 20 elected officials, a number of family members and other supporters. The enthusiastic crowd cheered frequently as Cervantes and others spoke.

Cervantes joins Al Kissling of Las Cruces, Doña Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley, Roswell businessman Frank McKinnon and former Lea County Commissioner Harry Teague in the Democratic primary.

On the Republican side, only GOP restaurant-chain owner and rancher Ed Tinsley has formally entered the race, but former Bernalillo County GOP Executive Director Bob Cornelius has formed an exploratory committee and intends to run. Sierra County Republican Party Chair C. Earl Greer and Aubrey L. Dunn Jr. are expected to make final decisions soon, and others are also considering the race.

Cervantes spoke on Monday evening about the importance of leading by example and of working with legislative colleagues to make a difference. He said his seven years in the state Legislature sets him apart from other candidates.

“In this day and age, it’s not a time for us to send people to Congress who don’t have that background,” he said. “It’s not a time to go learn the political process. It’s not a time to go learn the legislative process. The needs of our country are immediate.”

Big-name supporters

Cervantes had previously released a long list of endorsements that included House Majority Leader Ken Martinez and state Reps. Mary Helen Garcia, Dona Irwin, Al Park and Peter Wirth. Also on the list were former Gov. Jerry Apodaca, former state Rep. J. Paul Taylor, New Mexico State University Regent Laura Conniff, Mesilla Mayor Michael Cadena, Mesilla Trustees Jesus Caro and Nora Barrazas and Doña Ana County Commission Chairwoman Karen Perez – a significant endorsement in part because she is a colleague of McCamley.

Many of those officials were present for the announcement, and some spoke to the group about Cervantes. McCamley colleagues Kent Evans and Oscar Vásquez Butler also attended Cervantes’ announcement but said they were not endorsing him.

Taylor, in speaking about Cervantes to the crowd, said he “has a great heart.”

“He will not let you down,” Taylor said. “He will be there for the poor and the sick and the hungry.”

Irwin said voters should choose Cervantes.

“If you want someone that is honest and who has integrity, then you want Joseph,” she said.

Also speaking favorably about Cervantes was Robert E. Robles, chief judge of the Third Judicial District Court in Doña Ana County. He called Cervantes “the epitome of professionalism” and said he “is intelligent, he is honest, he is personable and he knows how to lead.”

“Joseph, you have earned my respect,” Robles said. “You have all the qualities to be a great leader, and I’m so pleased to be here with you today.”

The state’s Code of Judicial Conduct forbids judges from endorsing political candidates. Asked afterward whether he was endorsing Cervantes, Robles said he was not.

“I was just speaking from the heart about someone I’ve known a long time,” Robles said.

Juggling campaigning, legislative duties

Cervantes said in an interview after the event that he doesn’t plan to shut down his law practice, and does plan to participate in the 2008 legislative session. Still, he said, he and his family are committed to campaigning “full-time.”

He said that will be a challenge during the 30-day session, but he plans to sponsor fewer bills than he has in the past, and said he will spend some of his time in Santa Fe meeting with people from throughout the Second Congressional District who also travel there for the session.

Other times, he said, he’ll miss portions of the session, just like Gov. Bill Richardson does when he’s on the presidential campaign trail.

‘We had to try to change things’

Asked when and how he decided to run, Cervantes said he and his family made the decision during the summer that he would seek this seat “when the time was right.” Pearce’s decision to run for Senate made this the right time.

Cervantes said one of his daughters was in a serious horseback riding accident in Colorado during the summer and fractured her skull. She was moved from one hospital to another and required a number of expensive tests and procedures.

He said he and his wife discussed, at some point during that ordeal, the fact that they could afford such medical care but many others could not. In part because of that, improving the health-care system is at the top of his priority list.

“We knew that we had to try to change things for the better, and there were better opportunities than the New Mexico Legislature,” Cervantes said. “We decided then that we would do this when the chance arose.”

Supporters wrote checks to Cervantes during Monday’s event, but he said he would not release a fundraising total for the evening.

“Tonight is not about money,” he said.

Watch his speech

Here is video of most of Cervantes’ speech. I had to switch memory cards toward the end and missed about a minute of it.