New Mexico Democrats vie for attorney general in primary

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Democratic voters are selecting on a nominee for New Mexico attorney normal as state prosecutors contend with a surge in city gun violence, outside promises to scarce water provides and fears about air pollution, customer protection and political extremism.

Albuquerque-based District Attorney Raúl Torrez is running against Point out Auditor Brian Colón for the Democratic endorsement to realize success termed-out Democratic Attorney Normal Hector Balderas. Absentee and early in-person voting are underway in progress of Election Working day on Tuesday.

The winner will compete in opposition to Republican legal professional and U.S. Maritime veteran Jeremy Michael Gay of Gallup. Republicans have held the office environment only 3 periods in New Mexico’s 110-calendar year record.

Torrez, a second-time period district legal professional for the county encompassing Albuquerque, has portrayed himself as a seasoned courtroom legal professional and prosecutor of crime and corruption.

He has pledged to extend the state’s capacity and knowledge to tackle shopper-rights litigation and prevail in a extended authorized fight with Texas above administration of Rio Grande waters amid a a long time-prolonged drought.

Colón is in search of to abide by in the footsteps of Balderas, who parlayed his operate as point out auditor into a effective bid for attorney normal in 2014. The two earlier worked at the same legislation firm.

Colón has emphasized his upbringing in an impoverished New Mexico household and his watchdog position as auditor reviewing area govt finances and contacting out misconduct by pubic officials — such as Las Vegas ex-Mayor Tonita Gurule-Giron ahead of her convictions of interfering in metropolis contracts to profit her boyfriend.

The marketing campaign has cast new light on the recent exercise of employing outside legal professionals to signify New Mexico in elaborate consumer defense and course-action lawsuits.

Torrez has criticized Colón for accepting marketing campaign contributions from legislation firms that could advantage from referrals. Colón defended the method as effective and has pledged a clear method in deciding upon outdoors attorneys.

Torrez’s current tenure as district attorney coincides with a crime disaster in Albuquerque, such as a record-placing range of homicides in 2021.

Colón describes his marketing campaign rival as a “failed prosecutor,” highlighting conviction prices for violent felony conditions less than Torrez that are underneath the national benchmark.

Torrez has sought unsuccessfully to roll back bail reforms that authorized judges to deny pre-demo release to perilous defendants and launch very low-possibility defendants who may continue to be in jail for the reason that they can not find the money for bail bonds. The reforms were being initiated by statewide referendum in 2016.

Both of those candidates have said they will help accessibility to abortion, enforce condition gun management provisions and confront political extremists who flout the regulation.

Torrez is prosecuting a proper-wing militia that introduced rifles and tactical gear to a 2020 protest in Albuquerque in opposition to a statue of Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate.

Torrez formerly served as as a federal prosecutor and senior adviser at the U.S. Justice Section less than Lawyer Standard Eric Holder during Barack Obama’s presidency. Colón is a former chairman of the New Mexico Democratic Party.

Independently, 5 Republican candidates for governor are competing in Tuesday’s major to take on incumbent Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Democrats are also determining on nominees in open races for state auditor and treasurer.

The most important will lock in nominees to problem incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury of Albuquerque and Republican Congresswoman Yvette Herrell of Alamogordo.