Letter to the Editor: Issues or Emotions – PAC Activities Pollute the Political Process

Letter to the Editor by Rep. Jim Hall-R
Los Alamos, Santa Fe and Sandoval Counties

Voters need to know about an issue raised in a recent Letter to the Editor in the Los Alamos Daily Post. Political Action Committees (PACs) are conducting phone surveys and sending out mailers—and may do other campaign activities in the future. 

These activities are independent of candidates, usually emotion-laden, and often misleading.  

PAC activities are neither sponsored by, nor coordinated with, any candidate or candidate committee. By law, fundraising and spending by candidates must be transparent.

Candidates report all donations and spending and reveal who paid for campaign activities. PACs act independently of candidates and collect money and spend it as they want.  

I have had no contact with any PAC. I first became aware that PACs were active in this race when a local voter participated in a phone survey and questioned the slanted call criticizing my opponent. 

She emailed me. I assured her that my campaign was not responsible for the calls and that I deplored the technique.  

Soon after, others told me about phone surveys where similar techniques were being used against me.

It is disturbing to both candidates and voters to be subjected to inflammatory and misleading political ads. Unfortunately, I expect to see more such activities by PACs.

Voters should look at who paid for the ads they encounter and ask people who appear at their door or who contact them on the phone about who is paying for the campaign activity.    

PAC campaign activities will almost surely be slanted and designed to appeal to emotion. PAC sponsored campaign activities may degenerate into personal attacks and outright lies, especially toward the close of the campaign. 

As voters encounter campaign activities from PAC sources, I recommend looking at candidate published sources and/or news reports to truly assess candidate positions. 

If that is not clear, call or email the candidate directly and ask about the issue.  

We have serious issues in New Mexico. Let’s keep this campaign focused on issues, not emotions.

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