Los Alamos County Councilor Pete Sheehey has announced his candidacy for state representative in New Mexico Dist. 43, which includes Los Alamos and portions of Santa Fe, Sandoval and Rio Arriba counties.  

Sheehey garnered the largest number of votes in the 2016 election when he ran for re-election to Council. He said he is not daunted by the larger population in Dist. 43, which has approximately 29,000 residents compared to 18,000 locally.

“We all want the same things,” he said. “There is really no difference among people.”

During an interview this morning at the Los Alamos Daily Post, Sheehey explained his reasons for running for the seat being vacated by fellow Democrat Stephanie Garcia Richard. She recently announced her candidacy for New Mexico State Land Commissioner.

“I’ve knocked on many doors in this community, and asked people what they want from government,” he said. “They tell me they want us to go ahead with the most important investments for our future, but make sure we get good value for taxpayers’ dollars. That’s what I have worked for, and what I will continue to do as a state legislator.”

Having completed his first four-year term on Council as well as the time spent since his re-election last year, Sheehey said he feels he is ready to serve at the state level.

“It’s a big step but the additional experience I’ve had in the last six years and with my contacts made in the legislature I’m prepared for the job,” he said.

Sheehey submitted the following information on his background.

“I grew up in a working class family, working for minimum wage in the summers beside my dad in a bookbinding factory in Pico Rivera, California. After serving in the Air Force and college, I came to New Mexico 31 years ago to live and work as a physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, first a single person, then with a family, and now retired. I can be a good representative for the people of this District.  As a County Councilor for the past five years, I have worked with and gotten to know many legislators at the Roundhouse. My skills, of an applied scientist focused on facts and sound science, will be a good complement to the skills in the existing legislature.

“I make sure to listen to different voices, and do my best to explain what I know about the issues. That’s how we can find common priorities for the investments that will move our community and state forward. We have had to deal with tight budgets in my time on the Council, but that has not stopped us from going ahead with the most important projects: infrastructure to offer better places to live and work, support for our public schools, and recreational amenities.

“We have done this while maintaining over $10 million in an uncommitted reserve, above and beyond the 8 percent of general fund revenues (for us ~$4.5 million) that all counties are required to keep in reserve. I successfully added an amendment to the most recent capital spending motion (for the multi-generational pool) that no construction funds may be committed until after we know that the new LANL contractor will continue to pay Gross Receipts Tax.

“Serving in the State Legislature, my approach will be the same: communicate, prioritize, be fiscally responsible, and do things in a sustainable way. I support values such as standing up for working people, equal rights for all, and the need for government to step in when free markets are abused by monopolies. As a legislator I will focus on:

• Support for public education;
• Economic development;
• Truly affordable health care for all;
• Environmental preservation;
• Renewable energy; and
• Campaign finance reform.

I will go into detail on these themes as the campaign progresses. To make real progress on any of them, I feel strongly that we need complete transparency and reasonable contribution limits on campaign financing. Without those reforms, too much corporate money will continue to push for private interests, and pollute the needed public debate on issues and politicians.

Dist. 43 and the state of New Mexico can afford the important things, as long as we make good choices. Visit my website, www.petesheehey.com. I am happy to offer my skills and experience to serve the citizens of District 43 as their state representative.”