The hope of Election Day

Today (as I write this) is Election Day. Regardless of your political leanings, I can’t help but view today as a day of hope for New Mexico and our country. Today is a day of change, at least in part. Today, we turn over a new leaf.

At least after today, the inundation of political propaganda in every venue, across every platform, at every opportunity, will cease. That is a day to celebrate indeed.

On a more serious note, I was disappointed to find one candidate in particular running unopposed on my ballot. I won’t name the office or the candidate, but let’s review the implications of candidates without competition. For context, in the June 2026 primary race for Dona Ana County Sheriff, residents had to pick between seven Democratic candidates and four Republican candidates. Eleven people running for one office.

On my ballot for this midterm election, one race stood out – a race where I only had one choice of candidate. This candidate, coincidentally, also happens to be one of the sponsors of the Constitutional Amendment, also on the ballot this cycle, to provide a salary to legislators. I’ve written before about the legislative pay amendment and we will see what comes of that question and how voters decide on that issue.

Interestingly, though, this same candidate, as was recently reported by several news outlets across New Mexico, misses a large majority of committee days in her role on the Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee, an interim committee that meets outside of the regular 30-day or 60-day legislative sessions.

For succinctness, let’s review days in attendance over several periods, for official legislative meetings (excluding advisory-only committee assignments). From 2017 to 2022, she attended 68% of recorded interim committee meeting days. In 2024, she missed every day, 0% attendance. In 2025, she attended only one of 26 days. For the entire period between 2023 to 2025, only 6% attendance was recorded. Yes, six percent. For the entire period between 2017 and October 2026, her attendance record falls just below attending 1/3 of the days of the interim committee meetings.

Of note, this also includes absences to committee meetings that occurred right here in her home area of Las Cruces.

That is embarrassing. Unacceptable, in my opinion, given the per diem and mileage allowances already available to legislative members to attend these and other official meetings.

Now, she wants to ensure a salary, too, in the amount equal to the state’s median household income, starting at $67,800 per year, all while failing to attend committees where situations are discussed that will eventually lead to legislation being crafted for introduction during the regular sessions of New Mexico’s congress.

But this candidate is not the only one at fault. Why is she running unopposed?! This is a failure of the opposing party to identify and support a candidate to run against her, essentially delivering this under-achieving, long-term representative $2,593.50 per month for life (assuming she paid the $1,000 per year buy-in to PERA), as part of the existing, generous legislative retirement package after 10 years of service, as well as, potentially, a $67,800 salary should the constitutional amendment that she sponsored, pass on the same ballot.

Irony abounds. But it is only possible with voter and party apathy that seems well and truly rooted in New Mexico. So, while today I am hopeful overall about the change in store for us, New Mexico could, objectively, do better.

Shawna Pfeiffer is a life-long Dona Ana County Resident, graduate of NMSU, small business owner, hobby farmer, dog-lover, outdoor enthusiast and mother to two young children. She can be reached at srpfeiffer1@gmail.com.