Ledes from the Land of Enchantment

Española mayor to seek reelection | Local News

When asked what he would do if he weren’t the mayor of Española, it didn’t take Javier Sánchez a second to answer.

“I would run for Mayor of Española,” he said.

And so he is. Sánchez announced on Sunday that he would be re-elected in March 2022. By Monday he had already raised “$ 2,000” for his election campaign, he said.

It’s unclear whether it will be a competitive race. As of Tuesday, he said he had never heard of other candidates announcing plans for the mayor of the city of around 10,000 residents.

About three-quarters of the city’s registered voters are Democrats. Sanchez is a Republican. However, that didn’t stop him from winning the March 2018 election with 54 percent of the vote in a three-way battle against two city councilors.

Sánchez, 48, a restaurateur who made his first candidacy for public office in 2018, is a graduate of Yale University and also holds a masters degree from the University of Notre Dame.

During the 2018 race, he promised to bring fresh ideas and energy to the city. He was open about his criticism of Patrón-style politics and said it was time to remove the movidas and bullying from the scene.

Later that year, in an unprecedented move, he urged members of the state ethics committee to expand their oversight to examine the politics of small-town New Mexico. Although the city’s own laws provide for just that, he told commissioners, “I assure you that when it comes to any question or investigation, people will put people in their pockets on one side or the other”.

Some commissioners suggested that he meet first with other mayors across the state to discuss the matter.

Sánchez said during a phone interview on Monday that it was important to speak up on such issues. “If you don’t get into trouble, don’t do your job,” he said. “Sometimes it takes this voice to be recognized, to fight for the most important things here in the valley for values ​​and to do everything to build Española economically.”

The biggest challenge for the job, he said, “is an often ingrained mentality in power systems that feels like creating alliances and power networks to make change. I am absolutely against it. I think every decision and every process that comes up should be independent. We often like to link them to other things, whether it’s pats on the back or favors down the line. “

He said his main goals for his second term will be to find ways to build the city’s economy and keep the younger generation in the city.

Earlier this year, Sánchez defended his city’s reputation when he criticized Taylor Locker, who opened as vice chairman of the 1st local radio show.

Sánchez said, despite the city’s many challenges – addiction problems and a poverty rate hitting 25 percent – he “loves it here. You cannot find a better home and you cannot wish for better people loyalty that cannot be found anywhere else on earth. “

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