Ramona Martinez

Provide a short bio of yourself and tell us how you got into public service?

I was raised in a family of ranchers, educators, and working people who believed in service, hard work, and taking care of your community. My dad was a union ironworker, and my mom was a teacher, so I learned early that public service is not about titles. It is about showing up, solving problems, and doing the work.

I became a lawyer because I wanted to help people navigate difficult systems. I have worked in criminal defense, state government, child welfare, public accountability, and as legal counsel for public agencies. Those roles taught me how government works, where it fails, and how deeply those failures affect real families.

I got into public service because I believe people deserve leaders who are prepared, accessible, who will listen, and willing to work through hard issues. I am running because District 33 deserves leaders who will show up and provide practical leadership focused on real results.

Residents across Doña Ana County continue to raise concerns about crime and juvenile violence. What specific state-level changes — whether in juvenile justice laws, behavioral health funding, schools or law enforcement support — do you believe are most urgently needed?

We need to stop treating juvenile violence as a choice between accountability and prevention. We need both. I have represented juveniles in the criminal justice system and have also worked inside the child welfare system, so I have seen this issue from more than one side.

I understand that some young people have experienced trauma, abuse, neglect, addiction, and instability — but I also understand that families and communities deserve to be safe.

The most urgent state-level change is to strengthen the juvenile justice system so serious and repeat violent conduct is addressed quickly and consistently, while also investing in the services that keep young people from reoffending.

That means better coordination between law enforcement, schools, courts, CYFD, juvenile probation, and behavioral health providers. It also means making sure judges have appropriate tools when a youth poses a real public safety risk.

At the same time, we cannot ignore what is happening before a child enters the system. We need stronger school-based behavioral health, truancy intervention, family support, substance abuse treatment, and community programs that reach kids before they are carrying guns, stealing cars, or hurting people.

My approach is straightforward: hold violent offenders accountable, support law enforcement, and invest in prevention that actually works. Families deserve to feel safe, and young people need a system that intervenes before they are lost.

Project Jupiter has generated excitement about economic growth but also questions about water use, infrastructure and public transparency. What role should the state legislature play in overseeing or supporting large-scale economic development projects like this?

I support economic growth, and I want Doña Ana County to attract good jobs, including investing in our unions, and major investment. I also understand the worries people have about Project Jupiter. Large-scale projects like Project Jupiter must be handled with transparency, accountability, and protection of our long-term resources.

The legislature should not micromanage local economic development, but it does have a responsibility when state incentives, infrastructure, water, energy, roads, or public resources are involved. The state should require clear public reporting on water use, energy demand, infrastructure needs, environmental impacts, and any public financial support tied to the project.

Large-scale projects should also be held to the same environmental standards as everyone else. Economic development cannot mean creating exceptions or lowering expectations when it comes to protecting our water, land, and communities.

My position is that we can be pro-growth and pro-accountability at the same time. If a project promises jobs and investment, the public deserves to know what it will cost, what it will use, who benefits, and what safeguards are in place. Economic development should strengthen our community, not leave taxpayers or local residents with unanswered questions.

New Mexico continues to rank near the bottom nationally in education outcomes despite increased spending in recent years. What do you believe is missing from the current approach, and what changes would you prioritize if elected?

New Mexico has increased education spending, but money alone is not enough. We have to get back to the basics and focus on reading and math. Every child should be literate by third grade, because after that, kids are expected to read to learn in every subject. If they are behind in reading or math early, it affects everything that comes after. That means focusing on those basics in K-3 grades through evidence-based reading instruction, early screening, targeted intervention, and real support for teachers and families.

We also need to address chronic absenteeism, classroom behavior, school safety, and behavioral health. Teachers cannot teach if they are unsupported, students cannot learn if they are in crisis, and parents need better communication when their child is falling behind.

I would also prioritize career and technical education, especially in high school, so students have real pathways into trades, health care, technology, public safety, and local industries. Education reform has to be measured by outcomes, not press releases. Our children deserve results.

Affordable housing has become a growing issue in Las Cruces and surrounding communities. What can the state realistically do to increase housing availability while also addressing concerns about rising property values and cost of living?

The state cannot fix housing overnight, but it can do several practical things to increase supply and reduce pressure on families.

First, we need to support the construction of more attainable housing, including starter homes, workforce housing, and rentals that working families can actually afford. That means helping local governments with infrastructure like roads, water, wastewater, and utilities so housing can be built in the right places.

Second, we need stronger short-term and long-term rental assistance options. Some families need immediate help to avoid eviction or get through a crisis, while others need longer-term leasing support so they can stabilize, stay employed, and keep their children in the same schools.

Third, the state should expand programs that help seniors, veterans, and working families stay in their homes as property values rise. We need to be careful that growth does not price out the very people who built these communities.

We should also support rehabilitation of older and vacant properties where possible, because affordable housing is not only about new construction. It is also about using what we already have. Housing policy has to balance growth, affordability, property rights, and quality of life. The goal should be stable communities where people can afford to live, work, and raise a family.

Many voters feel increasingly divided politically, even within their own communities and parties. How would you describe your governing style, and how would you work with people who strongly disagree with you on major issues?

My governing style is practical, direct, and solution-oriented. I am not interested in political theater. I am interested in whether something works.

I have spent much of my career working in difficult systems with people who do not always agree. As a lawyer, I have had to listen carefully, understand different positions, ask hard questions, and still move toward a result. That is the approach I would bring to the Legislature.

I will not agree with everyone, and not everyone will agree with me. But I will always be willing to listen, explain my position, and look for common ground where it exists. On issues like public safety, education, health care, housing, and infrastructure, people may disagree on the politics, but most families want the same basic things: safe neighborhoods, good schools, access to care, and a fair chance to succeed.

I believe leadership means showing up, staying grounded, and doing the work even when the issue is hard.