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Real Conversations for Real New Mexicans.
The Chile Wire with Abe Baldonado. Hey, everyone. Welcome back to The Chile Wire. It's election year and of course, we're ramping up here in the last week as we get to November 3 election day. With me today is my friend representative Nicole Chavez.
Abe Baldonado:Representative, thank you for stopping by The Chile Wire.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Absolutely. Good morning. It's such beautiful day. And the Lobos won last...
Abe Baldonado:A delay.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Yes.
Abe Baldonado:Little weather delay, a little bit of lightning. But it looked like an amazing game. I wasn't there last night, unfortunately. But it looked like a great turnout. It was a
Rep. Nicole Chavez:great turnout. It was so nice to see all of the fans there. Yeah. It was wonderful.
Abe Baldonado:Coach coach Ek has brought like a different dynamic to Lobo football. I mean, it is crazy to see the excitement that is in that stadium these days.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:He is amazing. I love coach Ek and what he's done for the university. And so I don't want him to leave.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah. No. Coach Ek, stay in New Mexico. We need you. Please.
Abe Baldonado:Well, representative, we're gonna have a good conversation today. I gotta ask you the toughest question today on the Chile Wire, red or green?
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Christmas.
Abe Baldonado:Alright.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Or around Christmas specifically or Thanksgiving, red over my mashed potatoes instead of gravy for sure.
Abe Baldonado:A little bit of pork meat in there.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:You know, I do a big tamale making weekend and definitely read over your tamales.
Abe Baldonado:Oh,
Rep. Nicole Chavez:yeah. But other than that, usually Christmas.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah. I'm gonna get in trouble here. I'm gonna say, I actually am not a big fan of tamales. I know. I know.
Abe Baldonado:Don't cancel me everyone. I... Hot take. Does not really like tamales.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Spend hours making tamales in the family. My aunts, my cousins, myself, my daughter, and her friends actually came last year to learn. And don't get me wrong. There's a certain time after the holidays where I'm like, no more tamales because we make so many and freeze them. But come on.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Yeah. Fall and winter is all about the tamales.
Abe Baldonado:I'm all about the biscochitos, honestly. Like that's...
Rep. Nicole Chavez:I make those as well. Me and one of my best friends who taught me how to make them so good, we make those. But tamales,
Abe Baldonado:it's I always know. I know. My in laws, even my mom, I mean, they're just like, who are you?
Rep. Nicole Chavez:I'm gonna have to give you some of mine, maybe. Like, there's a lot of meat, not as much dough That is great tamales.
Abe Baldonado:That is my problem right there. So if they are filled with meat Mhmm. That's what I love. But sometimes they're very dry and they're No. Just full of masa and
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Mine are juicy meat tamales. So I'm gonna I'm gonna have to take a bath.
Abe Baldonado:Okay. Perfect. We're gonna get some on the Chile Wire here now for the holidays. Representative, you're in a very hotly contested general election race right now. Your opponent, trial lawyer with a lot of money.
Abe Baldonado:Interestingly enough though, she called you out of touch, which I thought was hilarious, giving that she's sued the state's largest hospital for millions of dollars. She has multiple mansions and she drives a McLaren. She has an Audi r eight and I think maybe a Lamborghini or two. Yet she's gone out to say representative Nicole Chavez is out of touch with New Mexicans.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:It's funny you bring that up because I found it so laughable. I think if anybody is the everyday New Mexican, it's definitely myself. You know, I have been through the hard times, very hard issues. But I'm like the normal New Mexican, you know, working every day, having my one house, which I'm very proud of, driving my beautiful vehicle, but it's definitely not two $3,000,000 mansions just in Albuquerque itself like her. I don't have three different cars over $300,000 each that aren't even my daily drivers.
Abe Baldonado:Right.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:So when you are talking about New Mexicans that are trying to balance their checkbook every day, I know what it's like. Because I was a single mom at a very young age, I know what it's like when you're at the checkout line and you're like, I'm gonna have to put something back. What is it gonna be before I have to get this total? I know what that's like. I don't think she does.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:And it was very laughable when I saw that video.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah. I was like, you're out of touch, clearly.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:And clearly.
Abe Baldonado:And clearly, there's an agenda here, right? I mean, Lisa Curtis is one of the biggest funders of Emerge New Mexico. She also wrote herself a $300,000 check. No average New Mexican can just pull out their checkbook and say, I'm gonna write $300,000 check to myself for my campaign. Like, that is just wild.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:It it is wild to me. I've never seen somebody that pretends. And let me just say, because I do have colleagues or friends that have done very well for themselves Yeah. And good for you, Don't pretend that you're something that you're not. That's the worst thing ever.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:You are out of touch. She's clearly out of touch with reality, and she's been for a very long time. And I think, you know, seeing her first three mailers alone were the most shocking of all. Because it was all about, I am for access to health care, everybody needs to see a doctor, doctors are human and make mistakes. And I thought, there is no possible way that this woman is running a campaign about the crisis she created
Abe Baldonado:And wants to recreate. Like, her whole agenda here... And we'll get into how she was handpicked to fill in on this district because she wasn't even elected during the primary election. There was a different gentleman who was running against you who dropped out of the race. We're gonna show photos of Lisa Curtis's ad to say she stands with healthcare, stands with doctors.
Abe Baldonado:Ironically, you're the one in a photo with local doctors from New Mexico who are saying, We back representative Nicole Chavez. And I'm like, Lisa Curtis has not one doctor standing with her. You had multiple doctors standing with you, including our good friend, Doctor. Nathaniel Roy Ball, who is a great friend who's leading the charge on medical malpractice. And also, you helped get House Bill 99 over the finish line this last session.
Abe Baldonado:And it appears to me that there's an agenda here to go back and just tear apart that bill that made progress. Were not... It wasn't a... It didn't fix everything. It wasn't a Super No, Bowl it a
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Band Aid.
Abe Baldonado:But it was a Band Aid, it was an incremental approach to fix the larger issue, and the hope was to continue going on. If Lisa Curtis got elected, she wants to dismantle it and go back to the way it was before. That's just what I get away from this.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Absolutely. And I can say that, first of all, I am very proud that I am backed by doctors. In one of the letters, there were 68 doctors across Albuquerque and New Mexico that wrote my endorsement. A lot of them are Democrats. In my commercial, they are Democrat providers in my district that know that she would probably be the worst thing for access to healthcare in New Mexico.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:And I know because I in I'm on health committee, and I'm also on the judiciary committee. And who was in the front seat at those committees opposing medical malpractice reform? My opponent, Lisa Curtis. She was standing there in opposition. She spoke in opposition on the Senate side.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Her partner in her law firm is Senator She Katie was the one that put all of those horrible amendments back in that bill after we passed the bill in the House. And she put them in there, and thankfully Senator Crystal Brantley took them out and had to debate her on the floor. But clearly, I mean, they're law partners, they're in the same practice, they both opposed medical malpractice reform. And there is no way that she is for access to health care. She would be the opposite.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:It's already bad enough that doctors could not afford their medical malpractice insurance, and they were leaving. And this gave them hope to stay. If that goes backwards, we are not going to keep our doctors here. And we And want to know so I've been telling everyone, this election isn't just important to me and my district. It is so instrumental in health care for New Mexico in general.
Abe Baldonado:Absolutely. And, you know, I think the frustrating thing is that I want New Mexicans to realize this isn't an election about Donald Trump. It's not like... If you're frustrated with national politics and the president, well, you know, you get another chance in 2028 to voice that opinion. But right now, do not hurt New Mexico for what's happening nationally.
Abe Baldonado:And usually Washington DC doesn't really impact New Mexico. What what I I want people to realize is that the folks that we elect here in our local municipalities, at our state level, they're the ones that really make the decisions that hurt us or benefit us. And a lot of the reasons that New Mexico is hindered is because of local policies and things happening
Rep. Nicole Chavez:in Absolutely Santa local policies. And that's what I tell people when I'm talking to them in the community or at the door when they're talking to me or when they're upset about Trump is, first of all, you know, he has no impact on the very important issues and crises we're facing here in New Mexico. Public safety is one of them. Health care is another one. Education.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Like, that, he does not have control over. Those are three very important issues that we have to fix in order to bring economic development back to New Mexico or to New Mexico in general. Because people look up New Mexico or Google us or trying to, you know, bring a company here or say doctors trying to recruit them. On top of medical malpractice reform, they look up where are we when it comes to crime, where are we when it comes to education. And we're not ranked very well.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah, we're last in And the
Rep. Nicole Chavez:we have to fix those here at the state level. Washington just doesn't fix that. At the national level. And so that's what voters need to know. And so this election is so important.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:It has nothing to do with Trump. Has nothing to do nationally. It has to do everything with New Mexico and New Mexicans.
Abe Baldonado:Absolutely. And we need to be real about, you know, we've had this conversation many times. Who is running Santa Fe? And it's not Republicans. It's not conservatives.
Abe Baldonado:I mean, for a long time now, it's been Democrats. And the policies that we're facing here in New Mexico that we're like, yeah. Hey. You know what? New Mexicans are struggling.
Abe Baldonado:We're we're we're lacking in mobility. We're lacking in economic development. Well, why? It's not Washington DC. It's right here at home.
Abe Baldonado:And it's who we are electing, and we need to pay attention to the truth. And I think... I'm glad you brought up the point about the one doc... Like many of the doctors that are Democrats because you were on recently with Mark Ronchetti and Christie, and, you know, he pointed out, hey, there's one doctor here that did not like me whatsoever, and she's supporting you. And he said, this tells everything that we need to know that how important your election is, especially in maintaining your seat in the House of Representatives because if Lisa Curtis were to get elected and let's say Deb Holland, you have a governor candidate who says the way we recruit doctors and keep them here is our great outdoors.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah. To go hiking. I'm sorry. That's not what the doctors are looking at. They're looking like, can I make a livelihood here?
Abe Baldonado:Can I raise my kids here? Can I send them to good schools? Can I know that they're safe in the community? Can they go ride their bike and I don't have to worry about anything? Those are the things that matter.
Abe Baldonado:The quality of life matters. And New Mexico is beautiful. Like, I I will put New Mexico up against any other state in the nation that we are the most beautiful state. But like any other state, we have our problems and we need to address them. And we we cannot be naive to the fact that we have just outrageous crime, that we have failing schools, and we're we're not doing our due diligence to educate our children and prepare them for those next levels in life.
Abe Baldonado:And as a former educator, you know, I hear people saying, oh, Trump wants to dismantle the Department of Education. I'm like, okay, like, do you know what the Department of Education does? Because I do as a former educator and as a former school board member, they just fund. That's all they do. They don't have any impact on student progress.
Abe Baldonado:They're not the teachers in the classroom with your kids. They're not your principals that are running the school and fostering a culture that wants to keep teachers and make your teachers better. That all happens at the local At
Rep. Nicole Chavez:the local level. And we've thrown so much money at education, clearly that's not the answer. And these poor teachers are in there, you know, they have to be the parent sometimes. Have to be behavioral
Abe Baldonado:School health colleges. Care
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Yeah. We expect them to do everything and they can't. And so we have to look at what are the local schools and classrooms doing? Are we getting good outcomes? If not, what do we need to fix to get there?
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Throwing money at the problem and not getting good outcomes is not an answer. And when it comes to health care, you know, I think someone said, you know, she said you didn't have a plan when it comes to health care, but she does. I'm like, really? What is it?
Abe Baldonado:Like, Repeal House Bill 99.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:That's
Abe Baldonado:her. Repeal House Bill 99. That's Lisa Curtis' I'm
Rep. Nicole Chavez:have been working... Granted, I've been there for two years, but I think we've done a lot of work. Medical malpractice reform was huge, especially in a thirty day session. I was also a co sponsor with the medical compacts, and we have a lot more to get done. We only passed two of those.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:We need to get rid of the GRT for medical services. There's so much we need to do when it comes to health care. And I think that I have a plan, we've worked on the plan, and it's bipartisan. You know, both sides have worked really hard to try to get some of these pieces of legislation done. We gave more for reimbursement for their scholarships and college tuition for doctors and providers.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:That's huge. We need to work on rural health care. I think we need to set up some kind of housing for rural health care It's hard because they don't know if they're going to stay or not. So let's set up some housing for them so that they don't have to worry about that. If we give them more for reimbursement, hopefully they'll stay.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:But let's make sure that they're signing something to show that they will stay in New Mexico before just handing that out as well. And so you're right, we have to work on those. And then public safety. Public safety is huge. And know, I And it's
Abe Baldonado:personal to you.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:It's very personal. It's personal to And that's, you know, what I try to remind everyone of is I'm not running. I never wanted to be a politician or pad my own pockets like my opponent, but my son was murdered. He was murdered at the age of 17 on a summer evening on a Friday night. He had just been accepted to the Air Force Academy.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:That's a huge accomplishment. That was
Abe Baldonado:a very big accomplishment.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:He was four hours away from getting his pilot's license. He was a wonderful leader at school, captain of his football team, captain of the wrestling team. And to get that call that no parent, would not wish It's the worst nightmare. I would not wish that on anybody. And then to be thrown in the judicial system in New Mexico was horrifying.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:There are no rights. There are a little bit more now. We've worked really hard on that. There were no rights for victims. It seems like there was more rights for criminals.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:There's no accountability, it's a slap on the hand. You know, one of my son's murderers, who was also the driver and a shooter, only had to spend one year. Is. Why DC? And you're gonna tell me that that's enough.
Abe Baldonado:That was fair justice, yeah.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:It's not. And then, you know, they went even back further. First degree homicide was a thirty year sentence. It wasn't a life sentence. So our life sentences are thirty years here in New Mexico.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Well, a few years ago, which I fought hard, they even turned that back. If you were a juvenile that committed first degree homicide, and let me tell you, you have to do a lot to get a conviction for first degree homicide. It's premeditated. They have to be over the age of 15. They're not little kids.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:But they even went back and changed that to either eighteen, twenty, twenty five years. So that even took less from my son's killer and I... It's bad. It's bad. The judicial system is bad in any
Abe Baldonado:is very bad. And the individuals I've seen speak on this that are advocating for the criminals talk about, you know, well, we don't want to take their life away. I'm like, that is so insulting to the real victims and their families because they could never get back their loved one. And it is So a life
Rep. Nicole Chavez:imagine being, you know, going up to Santa Fe and fighting for stronger public safety bills, and senators, specifically and representatives, hug you and say, Sorry for your loss, but we don't need to lose two individuals. And I think I was beside myself the first year or two when I would hear those excuses. And now that I'm there speaking and have a place at the table, like I earned that place at the table, there needs to be a spot for victims and people that have lived through the failed policies in Santa Fe. And they don't listen. And so I think that opens up conversation.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:And so I have also been working really hard in trying to figure out a way for better vocational training, skill training for people that are in the institutions, whether it's, you know, the adult prisons or juvenile facilities. Because I agree, we need to be teaching them something new. Because if we don't, they're going to get released and go right back So into a life of I have been working really hard on both meaningful reform and not just, you know, locking them up and throwing away the key. But we need real accountability, not a slap on the hand when you're taking a life.
Abe Baldonado:And talking about accountability, we need judicial accountability. And a lot of folks, I'm going to say it, you know, rep. I'm just going to go out here and say it. We need to get rid of judicial retention. Like, that is one of the worst things.
Abe Baldonado:Also, we need to hold judges accountable because there are soft on crime judges. And quite frankly, a lot of our judgeships are now emerge graduates, and they're taught to be empathetic for the wrong people. And a lot of these folks are now holding positions within our government, and they're siding with criminals rather than families, and they are taking a very different position than what most common sense New Mexicans would want. And it's something that, you know, New Mexicans don't get to see that. Like, you know, I saw senator David Gallegos call out state land commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard asking her what Emerge was and if she was an Emerge graduate.
Abe Baldonado:And, you know, the way they sell it sounds fluffy and nice, like, oh, it's a woman's candidate training. No. It's far deeper than that. It's an indoctrination and a brainwashing of young folks and folks who aspire to run for office, but asking them to carry out this agenda. There is an agenda to it, and that goes across all levels of government.
Abe Baldonado:And they put these candidates into specific positions, your school boards, your county commissions, your city councils, your your state representatives, your state senators, your governors, you know, Deb Haaland is like the poster child for Emerge right now that they're running on. And it sells emotion rather than real accountability, real common sense, real policy.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Exactly. It really does. And I think that it's not just democratic policies, it's far, far left progressive policies.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah. Or democrat
Rep. Nicole Chavez:socialist And I find it so interesting, I guess, looking in as a New Mexican, as a Latina, as a Hispanic. Do you know that the democrats, I think the majority, they're not Hispanic. I think they're white. Yeah. And so I I try to understand like...
Abe Baldonado:Yet they say they represent you.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Who are you representing or what are you fighting for when we don't... I think actually if you look and it would be interesting, so we should look that up. On the Republican side, I think we have more, you know, Hispanics on the Republican Senate and House than maybe even, you know, the Democrats, so it'd be interesting to look at. And then the other thing, you know, where they're fighting for the people, I was very proud. First of all, I'm the first woman and I'm the first Hispanic to ever hold my seat.
Abe Baldonado:That's amazing.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:It's always been a white man, and I love Bill Ream for it. But then what are they pushing against me? A white woman. So, you know... Says you're out is it gonna be?
Abe Baldonado:Who says you're of touch?
Rep. Nicole Chavez:That's why I'm, like, trying to understand what they're pushing out to the public or what are they doing privately, but it doesn't match or it doesn't make sense. No, it's a hypocrisy. Let me just say, I do not advocate for identity politics. I hate that. You should not be voting for somebody based on their color or their gender.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:You should be voting for somebody by what they are doing, what they plan to do, and what their policy and agenda looks like. Yeah. Carefulness. Anything else. Absolutely not anything else.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah. And I've said, look, representation matters. That's great. However, if that individual does not match your character that you're looking for, authenticity and integrity, wisdom, experience. You know, I I don't believe that it is fair to say, we're gonna elect this person even though they don't have experience.
Abe Baldonado:Like, that to me is just wild.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:You know, and I've come from, you know, the other side of the world. When you apply for jobs, they look at your resume. Mhmm. Merit. They interview you.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:They look at your experience. You're in a panel interview. They wanna make sure that you actually have experience and that you can do the job. Mhmm. I think we should do that same thing for politicians.
Abe Baldonado:Absolutely.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Especially for these huge jobs.
Abe Baldonado:Especially ones that don't show up when they're being interviewed for a job and they don't show up to a debate. Like that should be a red flag
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Should you imagine not showing up to an interview? No. That's crazy.
Abe Baldonado:And yet still And yet expecting a still want
Rep. Nicole Chavez:to be hired.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Yeah.
Abe Baldonado:It's crazy. And rep, I want to make it an important note like to the audience that as we talk about you and your opponent and just making it very clear, you've worked in healthcare. When you talk about healthcare, it's from a place of experience. You've been in the healthcare system, you understand it. And so when you're in Santa Fe, it's...
Abe Baldonado:I can speak to these not as a trial lawyer who's looking to sue, you know, insurance companies or doctors and take away their whole livelihood and their kids' livelihood. You can look at it from the inside of healthcare is a very complex industry. There are multiple facets to it and you have to be able to look at things holistically. And, you know, to say... Like Lisa Curtis would probably walk into a room and say, I'm an inexperienced healthcare professional because I sue doctors.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:So I sue doctors for a living. Very different. Very different. I mean, I've been in healthcare for twenty six years now and I have seen the gamut and been in different areas, whether that was in even customer service, contracting, provider network, product development, sales, community outreach, retention. I have seen it from one side to the other.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:And so I think that that helps me in the health committee when I see bills that are, I know, very well intended, but I know what it's going to do to the average New Mexican because their premium is gonna increase. I know that it's well intended to, you know, zero out certain things, but who do you think is gonna end up paying that in the end? The average New Mexican. And so you have to balance things. Things are really good when you're doing them for sound bites.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Again, really well intended legislation, but when you know that you can only push so far and health plans are hemorrhaging money or the state is hemorrhaging money for health care or who's going to end up paying that, it's going to be us. It's going be the taxpayers.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah. And no one understands that trickle down like No. Hey, it's gonna happen on you. And this is where the other side is really good because they're manipulative. They have a good way of fear mongering New Mexicans.
Abe Baldonado:I mean, even on the data center, I think what the most frustrating thing that I've seen too in your race is like, they're bringing up data centers in your district where data centers You is not even an issue in your
Rep. Nicole Chavez:know, when I first saw that commercial, it was laughable because one, I thought there was not one piece of legislation we voted on. I think the Senate may have voted on something to into the house.
Abe Baldonado:I think the micro grid
Rep. Nicole Chavez:was That has nothing to do with a data center being developed. The data center was developed a year and a half ago with our governor and economic development team.
Abe Baldonado:In Dona Ana County, not
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Dona Bernalillo. County, not Bernalillo. And I thought, oh my gosh, if I, in the minority party as a freshman, had that much power, trust me, we'd be passing a lot more public safety I definitely am not responsible.
Abe Baldonado:Better health care bills
Rep. Nicole Chavez:for Much better health care bills if it came to me and I was that powerful. So, you know, it's very laughable. And I know that data centers are a hot topic. But to throw that on me that it was all my fault for something that had to have been decided at the governor's level and in Donna Ana County where their county commission voted on it, that's like saying someone in Las Cruces is responsible for something that Bernalillo County Commission voted on Right. And created here.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:That's crazy.
Abe Baldonado:It is crazy. And I think the frustrating thing is that there's a lot of misconceptions about data centers, and there's a lot of misinformation about Project Jupiter that I'm like... I've told folks. I'm like, if you want to know the absolute truth about the data center development at Project Jupiter, read the administrative record. Go to the administrative record because they work with the environment department.
Abe Baldonado:They submit their testing, their numbers for emissions for usage and, you know, this whole thing, I think the fear mongering that's like, they're going to take up all the fresh water. I'm like, well, hold on. Because they actually purchased private water from a landowner who sold his water rights or leased his water rights. That is very different. You, New Mexico, do not control a private person's property.
Abe Baldonado:And so if a private individual has water rights that he wants to lease or she wants to lease or sell, that's on them. And also understanding the technology. You know, my understanding is Project Jupiter is a closed loop system. It's a one time fill It's a closed will last system. I think almost a decade, I believe.
Abe Baldonado:It lasts at least potentially up to ten years. Yes. One time. And golf courses used Yeah. Far
Rep. Nicole Chavez:more Compared comparison, I think it was 2.4 gallons over the next four years. Now, to compare, a golf course here in New Mexico is 100,000 gallons to run annually.
Abe Baldonado:And that's one golf course.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:One golf
Abe Baldonado:course. One golf course.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:In New Mexico. And so, you know, it's a closed loop system. It's on its own grid, it is not going to affect utilities for anybody in the county or the state because they're on their own power grid. And so when they're talking about that, we looked at it as a project that's gonna bring economic development, that's gonna show a sign of New Mexico's open for business. Invest in us.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:I think between the IRBs and the GRT, it's like $200,000,000,000 back to the state of New Mexico. And so it's just frustrating when they put up a commercial that's not true. And a year and a half into the project, because I signed on to a letter talking about jobs, so it's 1,500 union paying jobs. And so looking at that, my dad was a boilermaker for the union, and he traveled the country. And we didn't see him very often because those high paying jobs were out of the state.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:So these union jobs, they can be home eating at the kitchen table with their families every night with probably one of the highest paying jobs they've had in a very long time and not have to travel, which Democrats are all for. And so signing on to a letter with the entire Senate Republican caucus as well, it's saying yes to economic development. But by no means was I responsible was like,
Abe Baldonado:were personally...
Rep. Nicole Chavez:$100,000,000 project that started years before.
Abe Baldonado:Roseanne Nicole Chavez was personally responsible for the project Creating this Yeah. And that's the frustrating thing as well, that a lot of folks don't understand microgrid, and that a lot of these companies now are bringing their own energy sources. So they're bringing their own wind, solar, whatever, choosing, you know, natural gas, whatever it may be, to power their facilities, which protects ratepayers. So that way, with their increased usage, it actually doesn't trickle down to the ratepayer. And that's why we had microgrid legislation to say, hey, yeah, you know what?
Abe Baldonado:Facebook data center, if you want to come in, you could bring your own microgrid and build it out so that way you don't tap into everyday New Mexicans' electric resources.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Right. And it's renewable energy on its own energy cells. And so it seems like a great idea. And then when you look at just economic development, you know, you brought up meta and data centers, They have taken us, I think, on two different tours for our... Because I'm on the economic development and rural development committee during the interim.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:And we've gone to the Meta data center in Los Lunas, and it's a great facility. We've looked at their cooling systems. And then you just look around at before it was created and after the economic development, the fusion centers, the houses being built around Valencia County. I mean, it's done so much good. And so I think as long as we look at the guardrails for our water, for our utilities.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:We absolutely need to make sure that we're looking at that and protecting New Mexicans, but we also need to make sure that we are open for business and we're bringing economic development here. You know, it's... The saddest thing to me was, you know, my son graduated from La Cueva in May. He's now at ASU. He wanted to go out of state.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:And when I had conversations with him, he's like, yeah, I don't
Abe Baldonado:think I'm I'm gonna coming go back.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Yep. He is loving Arizona. He loves how much there is to do there. There's economic development. You know, he's majoring in finance and he already says he may have jobs lined up, you know, in the summers.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:And there's just so much more opportunity. And what we need to do is instead of our kids leaving, we need to create opportunities I for them to have a 18 old grandbaby and if she was not here in Albuquerque with us, I would be so sad if they didn't I stop get to babysit her probably at least three or four nights a week when my daughter goes to the gym and dad lets her come over, And see her on the weekends. She's not that far away.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah, and see her grow.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:I want them to stay here. They're both graduates from UNM. You know, they graduated a few years ago and they're in their first, you know, adult jobs. But, you know, they look at opportunities elsewhere. I want And them to stay here.
Abe Baldonado:Want them.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:We have.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah, we all have, right? I mean, I almost left for law school, and I'm glad I didn't because I didn't want to stay home in New Mexico. I wanted to help the efforts here to see the potential New Mexico has because there is an untapped potential there. And I have faith in voters to go out and vote. And one thing I will say, and representative, you know, add on, get out and vote.
Abe Baldonado:Like, let's get Get out and
Rep. Nicole Chavez:out and vote. We need you to get out and vote. I know that some of you are frustrated with what's happening nationally, but let's fix New Mexico. We need opportunities for our youth to stay here, to stay in New Mexico to succeed. We want to fix public safety.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:We want to fix health care. We want to fix education. Those are all done here in the state. So please get out to vote. Voting sites are open now Monday through Saturday from ten a.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:M. To seven p. M. And we need you to get out and vote. It's It so
Abe Baldonado:is important. And one thing I will add is that it's important, please look up the candidates. Do your research. And I'm not telling you to vote party, you know, this whole vote blue no matter who, you know, like, don't do any of that. Find out who actually has the experience, what someone's record says, what their words say, pay attention to that.
Abe Baldonado:Integrity matters and character matters. And so I encourage each one of you... Each and every single one of you to pay attention. Know who you're voting for, know their record, listen to their rhetoric, because there are people who run like yourself to make a difference. Then there's people like Lisa Curtis who run to make a profit, and that is very different.
Abe Baldonado:And so please pay attention to who you're voting for. Identify who's actually running to... For the best interest of New Mexico, not for the best interest of themselves. And I think we have too many self serving people in Santa Fe a lot of times that is out of touch with New Mexico. And, you know, rep, last week, you know, I don't know your position on this and...
Abe Baldonado:But the paid legislature thing and the ads right now of like from Vote for Change...
Rep. Nicole Chavez:I saw the commercial and I I was like, what? Millionaires? Wow. I didn't I didn't know I was a millionaire. Not far from it.
Abe Baldonado:And you can't run And
Rep. Nicole Chavez:it's a joke.
Abe Baldonado:Well, and, you know, I've seen comments on Facebook and and and social media from, you know, I critiqued it. I said, look, you're gonna pay a legislator $68,000 a year to be more like you and they keep their day job, they keep their current pension plan, and they keep per diem. I'm like, there's no way. And someone commented and they said, well, it allows for poor people to run. I'm like, no, because you're No.
Abe Baldonado:You're going to be able to run because... Well, first off, you still don't have the means. If you don't have the means to run, you're not going to get $68,000 to go run for office. No. You have to win first Right.
Abe Baldonado:Before you even get that $68,000. But they've done a really good job with their advertising because it is very misleading.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Look, what I tell people is you should give raises because again, I come from the business world. You give raises or increases when somebody is doing their job right and they are exceeding expectations. We're not even meeting expectations in New Mexico, and you want to give them a raise. On top of that, there are a lot of ineffective legislators. There just is.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:You know what they should have done first, and maybe I would have been a little more towards voting for it? Term limits.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Give term limits.
Abe Baldonado:Term limits.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Because these ineffective legislators that have been there for decades are now really never going to leave. People should not be in there, I don't think, beyond ten years. Like, if you haven't made a difference or haven't done what you wanted, why are you still sitting there twenty years later, have no thirty years And it
Abe Baldonado:still never passed a bill.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Crazy. It's There are so many ineffective legislators. And, you know, don't get me wrong, I went in there thinking that I was gonna change the world. And again, I'm in the minority as a freshman, and, you know, my public bills die. Andy, Riebe, and I, we tried to pass the Children's Code, so for juvenile crime, died on its first committee.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:I've tried to fight for pretrial detention, which we will again, died in its first committee. So those people, I just want to say, and if you look, they're dying in CPAC. Can I just say that for those of you that are voting on statewide elections? There are legislators on CPAC that are up for election right now. One of them is not rerunning, but it's very important the way committees are made up and who's in those committees.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Look at how they're voting on public safety legislation that should be so important to listen, New
Abe Baldonado:listen, they're saying, you know. God bless you, Rep, for sitting alongside representative Liz Thompson, but she has been the absolute worst on health care, on public safety, and I am shocked. Like, I encourage every single one of you, go listen to a legislative health and human services committee meeting. Like, just go listen to these interim meetings where Liz Thompson is It's frustrating. Is leading the committee and some of the just outlandish things that she says that I'm like, how did you even get elected saying something like that?
Abe Baldonado:And because a lot of times it is very insulting to healthcare professionals, to victims who have experienced crime, and it's just like, where are you coming from If with
Rep. Nicole Chavez:you were to sit there and I say, every New Mexican, if you can't go to Santa Fe, tune in. They're webcasts. Listen. I think they would be shocked at half of the legislation we listen to and more so what our legislators are saying in those committee meetings or fighting for or fighting against. It's not what the average New Mexican believes.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:So the fact that some of these legislators are there and go unopposed and keep their seats for so long is extremely frustrating when there are so many New Mexicans that want to make a difference. And I think a majority of New Mexicans want somebody in there to make a difference, but they're not paying attention to what those legislators actually fight for, believe in, or how they vote.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah. How they vote. Yeah. That's like one of the most important pieces. How is your legislator voting?
Abe Baldonado:And Rep Chavez will tell you, go look at my record. I've defended health care. I've defended doctors. I've defended victims who have fell to criminals that have been let go and not really received full justice. There are still families right now that are fighting for justice.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:They are fighting for justice. They are fighting for just someone to listen to them and hear them. And they're fighting against, I mean, even here, plea deals, right? They're fighting for plea deals that they have no control over. It's awful.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:My son's murderer is in there for not thirty years anymore because it got pulled back to '25, but he also, after Jaden was murdered, killed somebody at point blank at a house party six months after killing my son because the investigation hadn't been solved yet on who was responsible for my son's murder. So unfortunately, he was out there. He had eyewitnesses. The victim's family was low income, they didn't feel like they had a voice. They had to take a plea deal for twelve years.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:I mean, there was witnesses at point blank you're shooting this guy over a game of beer pong, I believe. And to me that that is not justice. Just And they had to sit there and say, you know, we're we're waiting to watch the trial for you because hopefully we'll get justice for our son at this trial. And it shouldn't be that way.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah. The revolving door of catch and release, our bail
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Bail reform.
Abe Baldonado:Just what they did with that. And then just the... You hear about it. And I mean, every New Mexican, if they go look up news articles, there are plea deals made every day behind the backs of the victims and their families where really it's a slap on the wrist to
Rep. Nicole Chavez:It's slap on the wrist. It's a slap in the face to victims. And so, you know, this fight is personal to me. I had to live through that nightmare. And I promised other victims that I would stand there in Santa Fe and fight for them, and I wouldn't use excuses.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:And so that's why this election is so important. You know, look at the individual. I'm sitting there and I'm still fighting when I could have easily, you know, gone in a corner and stopped. Because it's really hard, I think, to go on every single day when you've gone through something like that. But I will be damned that my son died in vain and that we don't push something forward just in his name.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:And so that's why I'm there. I'm there because families need justice. Criminals need accountability. Not a hug, you know, they need accountability.
Abe Baldonado:Not a I'm sorry.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Not I'm sorry. Why did you do it? We need to find out why they did what they did, but they need to be held accountable as well. We need doctors when we need them. We don't most of us don't have the luxury of leaving out of to get surgery and find doctors.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:We need those in the state when somebody is sick. People can't even find a primary care doctor Much right
Abe Baldonado:less specialist.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Much less specialist. So, you know, I am fighting for those New Mexicans that want health care to be a priority and public safety, and I just got started. So, you know, I would love the honor of being reelected so that I can fight for New Mexicans and continue that fight forward.
Abe Baldonado:Absolutely. And Rep, I think your story is very telling because you didn't run right away. You went and advocated in Santa Fe. You saw a broken system with broken legislators who were not there for the betterment of New Mexico and for New Mexicans. And then you said, you know what?
Abe Baldonado:If not me, who? So you said, I'm going to run for office. And so you've seen both sides. You've seen what it's like to advocate in Santa Fe and really just have your priorities fall on deaf ears, and that's unfortunate. And I experienced that when I was working in education reform.
Abe Baldonado:You know, I got so just... I was disgusted. Mhmm. I realized there's a status quo that doesn't... They say they wanna reform things, but then you provide some solutions and reform them.
Abe Baldonado:They're like, well, we can't
Rep. Nicole Chavez:do that. We can't do that because it's the way we've always done it. And it's frustrating. And I did that for eight years, right, before even saying, Maybe I'm interested in running for office. Eight years is a long time when you go there every single year or special sessions or trying to get in front of legislators to just listen to you.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Just give me a reason why you don't feel that we need accountability. Give me a reason. Give me a reason why you don't feel like victims need rights. Like, give me that reason. And it is, like you said, it's frustrating and people don't come back.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:You know, some of my victims of crime are frustrated and they... It's exhausting emotionally and physically and they don't want to come back the following year to fight again because they're like, we've done it a few years and and I just can't anymore. And they give up. Well, I'm here to tell you I'm not giving up and we need more of you because I think that there's power in multiple voices.
Abe Baldonado:Absolutely. And I've heard you share those voices with the platform that you have as a legislator in committee to tell the story of another who may be tired. You know, a lot of folks are tired of the pat on the back, like, I'm so sorry what you experienced, but I'm not going to do anything And about that does get exhausting. It gets frustrating. And I can see why many folks are like, I don't like this.
Abe Baldonado:Like, this is more of a It drain on is, you know, holding me back, like the grief continues to keep coming out. Right? But yet you feel like I'm not making progress here, and I'm putting myself through this with folks who just pat me on the back, tell me they're sorry. And then when it comes down to voting on legislation that would actually, you know, fix something that went wrong, they turn their back on it because there's, you know, special interest group or a friend of theirs that, you know, does something else. And it's just frustrating.
Abe Baldonado:So to and I can't imagine, rep, how many folks have appreciated that you can truly sit there and say, I understand. Because a lot of legislators can't understand or even fathom No. That feeling that a family who's coming to advocate for a loved one that they lost due to crime, you know, I think nothing's more insulting than someone saying, I understand, when they really don't.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:When they don't.
Abe Baldonado:But when they actually talk to a legislator who's like, I ran because I was in your shoes once, and I still am in your shoes. Yeah. Because I'm still seeking justice, because
Rep. Nicole Chavez:And I hope they see that. And that's what I've tried to do. Encourage them to come back. Give them a voice. Bring them on the floor.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:You know, I have an event in the rotunda every year, and bring them and their pictures.
Abe Baldonado:I'd love... Love to experience that. If you haven't experienced that, you have to go experience that.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:It is. I mean, it's it's the only time they get a voice. Because if you think about it, it... Like you said, it's very emotional and to drive all the way to Santa Fe and then things get moved hours and hours and hours or not at all and then they have to come the next day. So they're taking off work.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Most of them aren't rich. They have jobs. They have to take time off. They have to come and know that they have to be mentally prepared. And when they finally do get a chance to speak in front of a committee, sometimes those committee chairs only give them thirty or sixty seconds to talk.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:And I think that that is so disrespectful to shorten their time and say that's all you have. They're trying to first tell the of who their loved one was. That takes longer than sixty seconds to talk about their firstborn that was murdered, and then to talk about the story of how they were murdered or what happened to them, and then talk about why they are supporting this legislation or against it. And so, you know, I will give credit, and she wasn't a Republican, Representative Debbie Redella when she was a chair of one of the committees, she would let us, I remember that still, as victims talk. And there would be a line out the door and she'd say, And we're not leaving till everybody's done talking.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:She wouldn't time them. I mean, she wouldn't let them go on. Let me... Granted for, you know, ten minutes. But she was respectful enough to listen to somebody's story.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:And they just don't do that anymore. No. And it's frustrating.
Abe Baldonado:And they even silence you now to a point where if someone already said it, don't even bother.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Yeah. You don't have to. I've I've heard that in health committee. And if somebody's already said what you said, you don't have to say it. You could just say ditto.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Yeah. But you know what? That's still somebody's story. Mhmm. That is what they're fighting for.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:That's their right. They should be able to say it.
Abe Baldonado:And those folks going in for public comment, you work for them as a legislator. You work for them. So you should listen to them. You should let them grab that microphone and tell their story. And I think that's where there's that disconnect that many legislators are like, okay, we don't want to hear you, move on.
Abe Baldonado:Like, I have a job to do. I'm like, no. That's what
Rep. Nicole Chavez:we're here for is to listen to New Mexicans, to listen to our constituents. And I tell people that all the time, you know, whether they're emailing or talking to us about a certain bill, they're like, Oh, but you're not in my district. I'm like, I'm not in your district, but I affect bills across the entire state. So I am here to listen to you and to help you regardless of where you live in this state.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah. And the thing that I've seen too from some of these chairs, and I've seen it done to you, where they're like, is this relevant to what we're talking about? You're like, actually it is. If you give me my time to formulate my questions and frame it, yeah, absolutely.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Yeah. I push back all the time and I I'm get that a like, Yes.
Abe Baldonado:And they're trying to stop me. They're like
Rep. Nicole Chavez:So let me finish.
Abe Baldonado:Do you have a point rep? Like... And you're like, she just started.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Yeah. But, yes, I do. They do that to myself. They do it to representative Santa Cortez. We're...
Rep. Nicole Chavez:You know, we sit next to each other and help. So we're always, you know, getting our hands slapped by the chair. But I'm like, yes, what we have to say is still important.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah. Well, I think they're afraid because you're about to undermine everything that they have spewed out that will contradict everything that they've ever said. And they're just worried because they're like, oh, they're gonna make us... Our messaging and what we've said look just completely foolish and out of touch.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:It is. It's frustrating. And I think if you pay attention now, because we learned this, they won't even call on their side to ask questions till our side is done. Because we can't go back because our time has already been taken, so that they can speak at the end whatever it is that Get the last can words. To Yes.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Or argue what we've said. And so it's frustrating that even that is... You would think it's so simple to go in order or out of order, but they don't even give us the respect And enough to do
Abe Baldonado:that shows. And that's what I hope people get out and vote because there is unbalance in the legislature And right that type of, you know, weighted scale that is super leaning one way is never good for anyone it's not true representation. And that's where you get bad laws and bad policies.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:That's where we get bad laws, bad policies, unbalanced, and people get to bully their way through a process. I mean, just going back to my opponent, you know, and their side talking about, you know, bullying and pushing your way through at a national level. Well, what did she do? Even, you know, just to get the nomination?
Abe Baldonado:Yeah. She wasn't elected. Like, y'all... Like, it was Kamala Harris Stephanie Garcia Richard, the original primary winner. He dropped out.
Abe Baldonado:They went through this
Rep. Nicole Chavez:They went through the central central committee, and she wasn't Somebody elected the first else was. And she was so upset because clearly her intentions were to run because she was mad about us passing medical malpractice reform. So it's my understanding that they actually replaced or placed 13 new central committee members between her original vote and three weeks later to get her voted in to sit as the replacement as my opponent.
Abe Baldonado:Yeah. Shady. Shady.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:It's not normal. Yeah. They're not And our
Abe Baldonado:minds are Democracy in general. In our our our electorate process. Like, it is just shameful. And again, it's... Again, We the People.
Abe Baldonado:Like, and that is a select few people that picked that. It wasn't We The People. No. We The People picked the gentleman who won the primary, and that's fair. He won.
Abe Baldonado:He dropped out. They said, okay, hey, we're going to undermine. And when you start replacing central committee members, that is
Rep. Nicole Chavez:That's very really horrible vote. I think that's questionable. And so I would hope that regardless of where my district falls, Republican or Democrat or Independent, just look. Look at that activity, look at what my opponent stands for, what her intentions are, and then look at me. I mean, I think I have tried really hard to help New Mexicans once again: health care, public safety, education, trying to help the everyday New Mexican and doing my best to get through it on a bipartisan level because we have to.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:We need both sides and, you know, we need to agree. And my thought always is when you're coming and you're working on a piece of legislation, when both sides leave a little upset, that means you did a good job.
Abe Baldonado:Right.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Because when one side is happier than the other, then you really didn't come to some kind of agreement But when both sides leave a little unhappy, but you have something that's going to move the needle forward, I think that's where we get our best work done.
Abe Baldonado:Absolutely. Rep, where can people go to learn more about you, learn more about your campaign?
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Nicole Chavez for nm.com. I'm also on Facebook, state rep Nicole Chavez, Instagram, and TikTok, state rep You Nicole can find me where I've fought. I talk especially a lot on TikTok is where I did a lot of my speaking during legislation or what was happening because I was trying to keep New Mexicans aware of what was happening day by day or at least weekly. But, you know, look up my information. Please give me a call.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:I'm out door knocking. I'm still making phone calls. Answer your phone, whatever that is, so that you can hear what I'm about or I can hear what your priorities are. But most importantly, vote. We need you to vote.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:There's nine days left. And my election was decided by only 800 votes last time. And we need everybody to show up to vote because your vote could make the difference Absolutely. In this
Abe Baldonado:And ask yourselves, those of you who live in representing Nicole Chavez's district, does an individual driving a McLaren, Audi R8, and two mansions. And we didn't even mention this. One of them is actually in Los Ranchos.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Her new house.
Abe Baldonado:Her new So I'm guessing she's probably going to move over there right after and probably not even live in the district. So kind of interesting. Take that into mind, y'all. But pay attention. What people say matters and when you have someone saying that representative Nicole Chavez is out of touch, ask yourself, is Lisa Curtis out of touch with her McLaren Audi r eight and Lamborghinis and two mansions worth, what was it, $4,000,000 between the two?
Abe Baldonado:She has two Like 6, Yeah, $6,000,000. Yeah. Yeah. Doesn't sound like average New Mexican.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Just know that I am in touch with reality in the everyday New Mexican, and I've never pretended to be somebody else. My priorities have remained the same priorities they are today than when I was running two years ago. And, you know, to me, these are personal priorities. I've lived the failures of public safety in New Mexico, unfortunately. I live health care every day, and those two things are so important to New Mexicans.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:And I promise to continue to fight for you every day.
Abe Baldonado:Rep, well, we're looking forward to your continued service. God bless you. God bless your family.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Thank you.
Abe Baldonado:It is not an easy thing to do to run for office and put yourself out there, but we appreciate your advocacy and your continued fight to fight for New Mexicans and what truly matters to make our community safer, fighting for better schools, fighting for better economic opportunities. And so thank you for putting yourself out there to do this because we know it's not an easy job. It is completely volunteer. And so when you do do it, it matters to you and you have a platform to that you want to make a difference. And so just thank you for one.
Abe Baldonado:Make that difference for New Mexicans like myself.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Well, thank you, and thank you for having me today. And for those of you that can't vote, I would appreciate your prayers. I think when you lift people up in prayers, that helps, and and we need that. Every every one of us that are running for office or or trying to fight for New Mexicans. Absolutely.
Abe Baldonado:And those of you under the age of 18 that can vote, guess what? You'll be able to one day. Yes. And we hope that you do go do your civic duty. And with that, representative, thank you so much for stopping by the Chile Wire.
Abe Baldonado:We look forward to another successful election campaign by yourself, and we look forward to seeing you in Santa Fe in January.
Rep. Nicole Chavez:Thank you. Thank you so much. It was great being here.
Abe Baldonado:Absolutely. Well, y'all, that's it for this week's Chile Wire. We'll see you next time.