Election 2016 – State Senate

Senator Sapien has been a strong voice in opposing the SandRidge application to drill for oil near Rio Rancho and for enacting protective ordinances in Sandoval County. He will continue to be an ally on important environmental issues in the Senate.

Simon, former director of New Mexico State Parks, has 30 years of experience working on conservation and environmental issues, including profession and volunteer positions at the local, state and national levels.
Simon vows to fight to safeguard New Mexico's water and land, keep public land in public hands, promote renewable energy, protect wildlife, and reform the New Mexico Game Commission.
The stakes for the environment in the race for this open Albuquerque-Rio Rancho sear are sky high. Simon's opponent is, literally, married to the oil and gas industry; her husband is an oil and gas lobbyist and form chair of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association.

Senator O'Neil has been a champion for the Sierra Club since this first election to the Senate in 2008. He has repeatedly gained our endorsement for his stellar pro-environmental voting record.
As a resident of Albuquerque's North Valley, he is concerned about the Mayor's plans for the Bosque and has attended several meetings to hear our issues.
Senator O'Neil has also earned Conservation Voters New Mexico's designation of Lifetime Champion.
His opponent is Blair Dunn, who shares the views of his father, State Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn, on privatizing public lands.

Senator Ivey-Soto earned an 89% score on the Conservation Voters New Mexico scorecard for the 2016 legislative session and a 100% for the 2015 session.
Ivey-Soot is a former state elections director and recently represented the League of Women Voters in a case that would make it easier for voters to change the sate law that requires school-board elections to be held separately from general elections.

Tallman managed one the first cities in Illinois to implement curbside recycling. He is a former member of the Albuquerque Mayor's Recycling Task Force and a RoadRunner Foodbank board member.
Tallman expressed support for increasing the Renewable Energy Act standards and ending trapping and coyote-killing contests.

Garrett, a teacher, is challenging Sander Rue, whose environmental voting record is just 34%.
"I am committed to what is best environmentally from the people of New Mexico, not just today but for our descendants 100 years from now," Garratt said. "Our waters, our lands and our wildlife — everything about our natural resources — should look better and be cleaner in the future, not polluted and removed from public access."

Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez has been an unsung hero for conservation issues.
Sanchez has passed legislation to increase standards for renewable energy and to protect our public water and acqequias.
When an anti-enviroment majority took over the state House of Representatives in 2014 and passed bills that would have truncated the Renewable Energy Act and removed cities' and counties' jurisdiction to regulate oil and gas operations, Sanchez was instrumental in defeating those measures in the Senate.
Sanchez is being targeted by out-of-state polluter-funded PACs in this Valencia County-Iseltea Pueblo-Mesa del Sol district, and his re-election is critical to the environment.

In his career and his tenure in the New Mexico House, Jeff Steinborn has proven to be a leader in protecting our drinking water, our land, our wildlife and our climate.
He has sponsored legislation that would outlaw coyote-killing contests in New Mexico and was an outspoken advocate for designating Organ Mountains Desert Peaks a national monument, which permanently protected the area and brought it an economic boost. His expertise is apparent when he’s speaking up about the importance of renewable energy, common-sense protections for drinking water and access to public lands.
In this north-central Doña Ana County seat, Steinborn is challenging Sen. Lee Cotter, who has a 0% record on environmental issues.
That’s not a typo. It’s a zero. Turning this seat over from staunchly and ideologically anti-environment to a smart and dedicated conservation champion would be crucial for policies like improving our renewable-energy requirements, ending trapping on public lands, ending coyote-killing contests and extending tax credits for rooftop and utility-scale solar energy.

Senator Soules has been a champion for progressive causes, and especially protection of our families’ drinking water, in his first term in this Las Cruces seat.
He has become a respected voice on the important Senate Conservation Committee, contributing considerable knowledge and thoughtfulness.
Soules has a stellar 97% record of voting to protect our climate, water, wildlife and public lands.
He is also one of the most approachable legislators and carefully listens to his constituents’ concerns.

Stefanics has been a long-time friend of the conservation community.
As a former state senator for District 39 (Eldorado and south) and as a current Santa Fe County commissioner, Stefanics has been an advocate for the safety and availability of water, the quality of our air, and for the protection of our most special places.
As a state senator, Stefanics was a member of the Conservation Committee, and in the Legislature she pledges to work to protect our state’s natural, traditional and cultural heritage and support land grants as political subdivisions.
In eight years as a Santa Fe County commissioner, Stefanics has supported acequia improvements, protected water resources essential to La Cienega, supported a Renewable Energy Improvement financing district and helped secure federal funds to provide energy-efficiency measures to improve county buildings.
She also helped secure a Youth Conservation Corps grant to train youth in management of natural resources. If she wins, Stefanics would replace a senator who consistently voted with polluting industries.