Today is Primary Election Day in New Mexico.
As President of the Human Rights Alliance, I cannot stress enough how important it is for every eligible voter to participate. If you have not yet voted, there is still time. The decisions made today will help determine the future of our state and the direction of policies that will affect our lives, our families, and our communities for years to come.
Too often, people think the general election is the election that matters most. The truth is that many elections are effectively decided in the primary. Today’s vote will determine which candidates advance to November and which visions for New Mexico’s future move forward. In many races, the people chosen today will become the leaders who make decisions about healthcare, education, public safety, voting rights, economic opportunity, and civil rights.
For the LGBTQIA2S community, and for all communities that have historically been pushed to the margins, this election carries particular weight. We are living through a time when our rights and our dignity are being challenged across the country. While New Mexico has remained a place of relative safety and inclusion, that did not happen by accident. It happened because people showed up. They organized. They advocated. They voted.
The protections we enjoy today were secured by elected officials who were willing to stand up for equality and human dignity. The leaders we choose today will determine whether those protections remain strong, whether they expand, or whether they are allowed to erode. Elections have consequences, and primary elections are often where those consequences begin.
This is not simply about politics. It is about people. It is about whether every child can grow up knowing they are valued. It is about whether families can access healthcare. It is about whether marginalized communities are protected from discrimination. It is about whether our government reflects the values of compassion, fairness, and justice that so many New Mexicans hold dear.
If you are feeling frustrated, discouraged, or tempted to sit this one out, I ask you to remember that disengagement does not create change. Participation does. Every major advance in civil rights has been won because ordinary people decided that their voices mattered and used them.
Today, your voice matters.
Today, your community needs you.
If you have not yet voted, make a plan and cast your ballot. Encourage your friends, family members, neighbors, and colleagues to do the same. Democracy is not a spectator sport. It is something we build together, one vote at a time.
New Mexico’s future is being shaped today.
Let’s make sure we are part of that future.
M. A. D’Arrigo
HRA Board President