Though it wasn’t until November that he won his first election, Jeff Steinborn comes across as a seasoned politician.
A look at his résumé reveals that Steinborn, the newly elected District 37 state representative and a Democrat, has about as much experience as is possible without holding elected office. Steinborn has worked in many areas in politics – as a congressional aide, a campaign worker, an activist and lobbyist, and as chair of the Doña Ana County Democratic Party.
Steinborn is one of several freshman House members who will start their first legislative session on Tuesday.
Steinborn, whose father is former Las Cruces Mayor David Steinborn, said he first got involved in politics while a student at the
“Suddenly, my eyes were wide open to this race and the differences in each candidate,” Steinborn said.
After that, he became an avid watcher of American politics, and in particular the work of Congress.
“I’d watch C-SPAN for hours and watch these guys debate on the floor,” he said. “The overwhelming thing that drew me into it was how unique and how important our country is.”
An internship with Public Citizen and a bachelor’s degree in political science helped the young, idealistic Steinborn see the “potential for tremendous good” in a life dedicated to public policy.
Now 36, Steinborn still has that idealism, but his vast experience in the political arena has made him more seasoned. Before his first run for office in 2004, Steinborn worked as a legislative aide for Bill Richardson when he was a congressman and as an adviser and staffer for Sen. Jeff Bingaman, in addition to working on Tom Udall’s 1998 congressional campaign and with several non-profit activist groups.
“A person shouldn’t really run for office until they have the experience to do that and know they can do a good job,” Steinborn said. “You shouldn’t do it for a title or paycheck.”
‘An agent of change’
Steinborn said his work for politicians and activist groups gave him the experience to know this was his calling.
“I’m an agent of change,” Steinborn said. “I’m not here because I think the status quo is hunky dory.”
Steinborn’s ambitious, tireless drive may be his most criticized attribute, but it’s also what earns him the most praise. As a Democrat who is fairly liberal on most issues, Steinborn is an outspoken critic of the Bush Administration, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce and many other high-profile Republicans. He’s a strong environmentalist who works for a non-profit conservation group, the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance.
His ambition rubs many the wrong way. Some see him as being overly partisan. At the same time, some party insiders don’t like that he enters a situation and immediately pushes for change, at times stepping on the toes of more veteran politicos in the process.
Others say more politicians should challenge the status quo in that way. Die-hard environmentalists and other liberals living in Steinborn’s district were among the most passionate supporters of any House candidate in the state last year.
He is often painted as a partisan player, but Steinborn insists he is not. One example he cites is his commitment to reducing the national debt – a topic that is currently hot among Democrats but that Steinborn has promoted for years. He also pointed out his “A” rating from the National Rifle Association.
“I’m a new Democrat, a new leader who understands that we all have to work together,” Steinborn said. “That’s what I’ll do at every turn. I’m not interested in partisan solutions. I’m interested in good legislation and good solutions.”
Steinborn said that’s why he is an enthusiastic supporter of Gov. Richardson.
“We have an incredible governor who, while I may not agree with him all the time – and I will certainly be independent – is on the right track,” Steinborn said. “He’s concerned with solutions.”
Narrowly winning election
It wasn’t until his third try in November that Steinborn was elected to public office. He spent more than $100,000 – a massive amount for a state legislative race – to defeat Republican Scott Witt by 309 votes, a margin of 3.2 percent.
But it wasn’t just money that won him votes. Steinborn was a tireless campaigner. On June 7, the day after last year’s primary election, there wasn’t much campaign activity going on. General election campaigning hadn’t really started, but Steinborn, who didn’t have a primary opponent, was knocking on doors in the Las Colinas subdivision off U.S. Highway 70.
Steinborn ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2004, losing in the June primary to Democrat Gary King, now the state’s attorney general. Fresh off that loss, the Democratic Party put Steinborn on the ticket to run against Republican William “Ed” Boykin for the House District 37 seat in November 2004 after Ray Storment dropped out of the race.
Steinborn lost by 344 votes.
He said he was pretty certain at the time he would run for the seat again in 2006. Though he nearly won in 2004 despite not having much time to organize, Steinborn knew securing victory would be difficult. The district is a moderate one that both parties expect to be hotly contested for years.
Steinborn outspent Witt by about $50,000 to win by only a few hundred votes. He’s the first Democrat to hold the seat in 14 years.
‘Really honored to be a state representative’
With that in mind, Steinborn said he plans to use his time wisely. In addition to environmental issues, Steinborn said he has many other passions, including improved border security, accessible health care, veterans’ issues and ethics reform.
Steinborn said it’s hard to say whether he’ll carry legislation that relates to environmental issues, but he doesn’t see a conflict with his job. For starters, the Wilderness Alliance works mostly on the federal level.
Beyond that, Steinborn said, he has a general problem with legislators who “carry legislation related to their industry.”
“I’ve always found that personally distasteful,” he said, adding that he’ll recuse himself from votes if necessary, but will make such decisions on a case-by-case basis.
On another topic that has ethical implications, Steinborn would not reveal how he voted in last month’s contest for speaker of the House. Democrats opted to keep Ben Lujan as speaker despite questions about his relationship to a lobbyist and former housing authority director, and the way he has handled capital outlay and procedural issues.
“I feel that I voted in the best way for my district, and the state of
Steinborn said he knows he has a lot to learn and a team with which he has to work. He said he is anxious to start the session next week and get his feet wet.
When asked if he has future ambitions to run for Congress or another higher office, Steinborn wouldn’t say.
“The old axiom in politics is you never say never and you keep your options open,” he said. “You never know what the future brings. For now, I’m just really honored to be a state representative.”