Tara Jaramillo faces Rebecca Dow in House District 38

Up in the northern reaches of Doña Ana County, two women are competing to be the New Mexico Statehouse representative for District 38.

Tara Jaramillo, a Socorro Democrat and speech language pathologist, is looking to stave off a challenge from Rebecca Dow, a Republican from Truth or Consequences and former statehouse representative.

Dow left the legislature in 2022 to run for governor, losing in the Republican primary. The same year, Jaramillo beat Republican Sandra Hammack to secure the House District 38 seat. But it was a narrow election, Jaramillo winning by less than 200 votes.

Jaramillo and Dow answered questions generated by the Bulletin’s readers about their positions on a slew of topics.

Upon reviewing Dow’s answers, the Bulletin found that, in three instances, they were identical or nearly identical to answers submitted by Kim Skaggs, a Republican candidate for the House in District 36.

When reached by phone, Dow said the duplication was unintentional and that she had edited and suggested changes to Skaggs’ answers on a separate document as a favor to the candidate. Dow said she accidentally sent that document instead of a second document with originally written answers. Dow resubmitted her survey with new responses to the questions.

Skaggs corroborated that account and told the Bulletin that she had not accepted Dow’s suggestions, and that her answers to the survey, as previously published by the Bulletin, were her own.

Please provide any relevant experiences or background information about yourself that you believe readers should know.

Jaramillo: I have had the honor of serving as state Representative for House District 38 since 2022. I am also a member of the Socorro School Board. In my professional career, I am a proud local business owner. More than two decades ago, I founded Positive Outcomes Inc., a successful business in my hometown of Socorro, which provides early child care and home care for children and families living with disabilities. We now employ more than 500 people. Because of my years of experience in this area, I am a fierce advocate for child welfare in our Legislature.

Dow: I have dedicated my life to serving New Mexico, the state where I was raised, raised my family and started businesses. Along with owning a technology and consulting company, I founded multiple community organizations designed to help families thrive. In 2017, I was first elected to the New Mexico House, where I fought to deregulate industries, and successfully challenged powerful opponents of our basic, inalienable rights. I always have and will continue to fight to protect our western way of life and our shared values.

Do you support the governor's public safety agenda as proposed in the 2024 special legislative session? Please explain your position.

Dow: While I didn’t entirely support the governor's proposed safety agenda for the 2024 special session, I believe in engaging constructively in the legislative process. Addressing rampant crime is crucial, and New Mexico's citizens deserve decisive action. The decision by the Democratic majority to end the session without any committee hearings raises concerns about maintaining the status quo rather than pursuing necessary reforms. It’s time for public safety solutions that prioritize community well-being and justice.

Jaramillo: Although I did not support the heavy-handed tactics of the special session, those internal political debates are ultimately irrelevant to the New Mexico families and workers who just want to feel safe in their communities. So I do support and will vote in favor of taking strategic actions that will keep violent criminals behind bars, stop the “revolving door” and keep drugs and human traffickers out of our communities. To that end, in the legislature I have voted to invest more than $100 million into police and public safety recruitment and retention; tens of millions for felony warrant enforcement; and specific new statutes to crack down on retail and auto crime.

What short-term and long-term solutions would you propose/support as a legislator to address concerns around crime in southern New Mexico?

Jaramillo: If we’re going to stop crime, we need to attack the issue upstream. We need to continue to invest in new drug addiction treatment centers and career pathways for people to staff them. Studies have shown that building just one addiction treatment center in a county will reduce the homicide rate in that county. We have to invest in public safety and support for our law enforcement today and also invest in social services and programs to help reform criminal behavior. 

Dow: In the short term we can standardize law enforcement pay between governmental agencies and provide necessary resources and technology. We must reform the pretrial detention system and competency laws to prevent catch and release practices. In the long term we must implement evidence-based prevention, intervention and rehabilitation programs. CYFD must be overhauled to better protect children, ensuring that parents with verified abuse or neglect must engage in mandatory programs for reunification. Supporting families in crisis and strengthening community resources will be critical. By addressing these areas, we can promote a safer environment and lower crime rates for the future.

What solutions would you propose/support to improve the finances of New Mexico residents who experience higher prices of essential goods and stagnated wages?

Dow: The current inflation is due to excessive spending by the federal government compounded by many misguided rules and regulations by the state. We should streamline state regulations and reduce overregulation. Leveraging our oil and gas revenue surplus, it's crucial to reform the tax code and enhance competitiveness with neighboring states. Consider eliminating the personal income tax or replacing GRT with a low, flat tax. These measures attract businesses, boost job creation and increase wages. By fostering a more business-friendly environment, we can stimulate economic growth and offer residents relief from rising essential goods costs and stagnating wages, ensuring a more prosperous future for all.

Jaramillo: We know working families are struggling to make ends meet, and that issue is particularly tough in rural parts of our state. What I believe we should focus on as policymakers is getting money back in the pockets of hardworking New Mexicans in ways that really make a difference. Already in the legislature we have eliminated the GRT on rural health care practitioners and reformed our tax code to benefit working families. But there’s more to do. I support expanding the child tax credit, expanding targeted cash rebates for working families and lowering the cost of prescription drugs in our state. Inflation is not something the state Legislature can fix with a magic wand, but those three tools would really help hardworking families who are feeling the strain financially.

What solutions would you propose/support to create more access to mental health resources, particularly for people accused of crimes, in southern New Mexico?

Dow: To improve mental health accessibility in southern New Mexico, especially for individuals accused of crimes, it's essential to include best practices in prevention, intervention and rehabilitation frameworks. Ending catch and release will allow individuals to complete programs. Easing reciprocity with other states will increase provider capacity. It is easier to build a healthy child than to mend a broken man, therefore, we must end voluntary participation in programs such as infant mental health and home visiting when substantiated abuse and neglect has occurred.

Jaramillo: Drug abuse is undoubtedly contributing to the crime in our communities. If an individual requires treatment, they should be required to get it. We should not be allowing drug-addicted criminals to commit crimes, including felonies, and then simply walk back out the door without any accountability or resources to manage their addiction. Most other states provide for outpatient and residential competency restoration in their criminal law, and we should follow their lead. Now, that will require significant investment by the legislature in building more resources and creating career pathways for New Mexicans to staff these centers. But it will make a real difference.

What solutions would you propose/support to access/restrict access to reproductive health, such as abortion?

Jaramillo: I believe these decisions are best left to women and their physicians. I chose to have my children, and I believe that choice is a woman’s to make. I strongly support the state’s recent investment in a brand new reproductive health care system in Las Cruces, and I support investing in maternal health care so that expecting mothers can safely and securely navigate pregnancy and deliver healthy babies. I strongly oppose any effort to empower the government to regulate family planning.

Dow: I support informed consent, offering information on adoption and available support services like behavioral health, housing, medical care, childcare and home visits. Ensuring this parallels NM’s standard of care. Allowing abortions that are not non-medically necessary up to birth is radical and should end. We should reinstate the conscientious clause, repealed in 2018, safeguarding healthcare professionals who object to performing abortions from job loss, respecting diverse beliefs. NM should not keep secrets from caring parents when their minor child has a life crisis. I oppose tax funds being used to advertise NM-funded abortions across the US, and to build facilities to conduct non-medically necessary abortions.

New Mexico has consistently ranked lower in education standings than the other 49 states. Why is this the case, and what steps would you take to improve education outcomes in New Mexico?

Dow: Despite increased spending, NM's public school ranking remains last in the nation. Enrollment is declining. The constant changes from new laws and excessive top-down PED regulations hinder educators from focusing on basic academic proficiencies. We must protect local control and allow funding to follow students, enabling diverse educational approaches and encouraging innovation among educators. By reducing bureaucratic constraints, we can focus on personalized learning. Increased parent engagement, allowing teachers to teach and increased community-based decision-making can empower educators to tailor their methods to students' unique needs, promoting a more effective and adaptable learning environment. This shift will ultimately boost New Mexico's student outcomes.

Jaramillo: As a school board member I’ve fought for more resources and programming for our public schools because public education is the key to our future as a state. Everyone knows we must do better to retain high-quality educators, to provide high-quality after-school programming and invest in evidence-based strategies that keep our kids on the right track. I believe our state public education system has been unstable for too many years and needs to delegate more control to local districts — while we continue to support long-term investments in our educators and students so they have what they need to thrive.

What is the legislature's responsibility in addressing human-caused climate change in New Mexico – especially considering the state’s reliance on oil and gas to generate revenue for state government and employment opportunities?

Jaramillo: I know a lot of New Mexicans, particularly in rural parts of our state, think that climate change doesn’t affect them or that it’s not a real threat. But all you have to do is look at communities like Ruidoso or Mora and see the devastation of more frequent and more intense wildfires — people lost their homes, their lives, their livelihoods. What I believe we must do as a state is invest significantly in emergency funds for exactly these types of scenarios, so that we as a state can help our communities of New Mexicans rebuild. I also support investment in wildfire preparedness and mitigation.

Dow: The legislature must balance environmental concerns with preserving essential revenue streams like oil, gas and mining. Nuclear energy offers a clean, reliable alternative, supporting energy independence and job security. Opposing electric vehicle mandates is vital, as they limit consumer choice and increase taxpayer burdens. We should support initiatives that protect the environment and economic vitality without compromising the prosperity of hardworking New Mexicans who rely on affordable energy. Reasonable interventions include using produced water for industrial purposes and boosting state investments in enhancing soil, water and forest health.