Leland's Priorities

The essential role of government is to provide those things that individual citizens cannot provide for themselves.  First among those is to preserve law and order in the community.  To do this, I am committed to prioritizing funding for our officers and deputies to accomplish two main objectives:  

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1. Ensure our officers have the training they need to maintain proficiency, and

2. Improve manning to expedite response times in our hardest hit neighborhoods.  

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The success of law enforcement depends on the laws we pass.  Our legislature has consistently passed laws that prevent pretrial detention for individuals who are dangerous to the public.  These catch-and-release laws put criminals back on the street only to commit more crimes without the threat of consequences.  

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Today our state is rated the most dangerous in the nation.  The brazen behavior of modern criminals is a clear and unmistakable call for new legislators and new laws that prioritize the safety and well being of New Mexicans.  We have restricted our ability to keep our communities safe. To improve safety and stop this growing culture of lawlessness, we need to get serious about fighting violent crime, holding non-violent repeat offenders accountable, and tackling the underlying mental health issues that underpin many of the problems we see in our streets.  The time for legal reform is long overdue.

Today, the median household income in New Mexico is $58,722, well below the national average ($74,580).  Our state economy currently ranks 44 of 50.  To improve, our state government cannot and should not seek to do it for us through more government spending.  Instead, the Roundhouse should set the conditions for our success by taking the necessary steps to attract increased business investment to the state.  

One major factor that will improve our state economy is increased diversified private investment.  Although New Mexico offers some tax exemptions and incentives to companies seeking to do business in the state, there are still too many fiscal barriers to economic growth.  

Leaner tax policies will help attract business but the most effective way to improve our economy is to grow and equip our workforce for in-demand jobs.  The quality of our educational system has the most significant impact on the skills of our workforce. If we want high-paying jobs to come to New Mexico, we must grow the people who have the drive and skills needed most in our nation’s evolving markets .  

We must:

1. Reform the gross receipts tax that hinders the promise of long term corporate and personal profitability   

2. Attract Fortune 500’s and innovative start-ups specializing in areas where New Mexico has talent.  This will help us diversify our economy beyond gas, oil, and big government.

3. Focus our educational approach on mastering the essentials while helping young people develop technical skills that will make them competitive in industrial sectors where the US economy is growing.

When it comes to investing in the future of our state, nothing is more important than how we raise and educate our children.  In a state as diverse as New Mexico, it is clear that one size does not fit all.  College is a good fit for some but I am committed to working with educators, administrators, and industry leaders to develop technical skills programs in public schools as a cornerstone of a new educational approach. 

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Many of the high-paying jobs we want to see in our state require college and post-graduate degrees.  To prepare our children to compete in what has become a global marketplace, we must do more to get them across the finish line.  Our graduation rate in 2022 was 76.2%, ranking New Mexico among the lowest (49 out of 50) in the nation.

Our proficiency levels are also at an all-time low.  Only one in four elementary school age children are proficient in math.  Only one in three can read at their grade level.  Through the collaboration of parents and teachers, we must address proficiency levels in a way that is sustainable over the long term.  

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As a start, we must welcome parents back to the classroom.  Parental involvement in the schooling of their children is essential.  However, recent legislation passed in 2023 does just the opposite, driving a wedge between parents and schools instead of encouraging the collaboration that promises a better future for the children of New Mexico.

As a combat veteran, I understand the sacrifices our service men and women make for our nation. That's why I am committed to ensuring that our veterans receive the support they deserve. One crucial aspect of my plan is to remove state taxes from veterans' pensions. Our veterans have dedicated their lives to protecting our freedoms, and it is unjust to burden them with additional taxes on the pensions they've earned through their service. By eliminating state taxes on veterans' pensions, we can provide our heroes with the financial security they need to thrive in their civilian lives. This is not just a matter of policy; it's a matter of honoring our commitment to those who have served our country bravely. 

The family is the building block of any society and unfortunately we’ve seen its decline over the last 60 years.  I come from a single-parent home and while Mom did a great job raising my brother and me, I did not have the strong influence of a father in the home.  Men in my church filled that role so that now I have a better understanding of what it means to be a husband to my wife, Jennifer, of 20 years and father to our two amazing girls and three energetic boys.

Through it all we have looked to the truth of God’s word to provide an undimmable lamp unto our feet and light unto our path. 

The situation at our southern border today is one that is both dangerous and unsustainable.  Never before have our Federal and State governments found it so hard to exercise their sovereign responsibilities to preserve the integrity of our national boundary.  Whether this lack of action is due to insufficient laws or an unexplainable lack of will, it is clear the safety of our communities hinges on getting our current state of immigration under control at the Federal and State level.  If our current leaders are unable to make this happen, new leadership is needed to undertake three main tasks:

1. Enforce current immigration law.  Not doing so has allowed between 7-10 million undocumented people into our country illegally, imposing unsustainable costs on community public programs from Eagle Pass,TX to Chicago, IL.

2. Interdict the unmitigated flow of illegal narcotics and Fentanyl into New Mexico that has caused over 3400 deaths in our state–1430 in Bernalillo County alone.

3. Stop dangerous foreign nationals on the DOJ’s international terrorist watch list from entering our country--260 known individuals in 2022-23.

The government’s unwillingness to protect and defend the integrity of our nation's borders is itself an attack on the system of laws that have provided the stability and order that have attracted so many people from around the world to the United States.  These laws provide the cornerstone for an effective and flourishing economy, vibrant communities, and safe schools. We should welcome immigrants who come to the United States legally.  That is our heritage and the bedrock of our society.  But when we ignore the laws the people have established through the voice of their representatives, we undermine the very form of government we cherish.