Candidates make cases at forum

Editor's note: This story has been edited to more accurately reflect information attributed to candidate Shaun Burns.

Republican candidates for Roosevelt County sheriff and county commission seats, and a Ninth Judicial District judgeship made their cases for votes Tuesday at Portales' Yam Theater.

There were few empty seats in the theater as candidates sat at a table on the Yam's stage and responded one-by-one to questions read to them by Don Elder of KSEL radio. The event, sponsored by the Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce, was broadcast live on KSEL, but video is available on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/karl.terry/videos/483654950176708 .

Before and after responses to questions, each candidate was allowed to speak for two minutes. The Eastern New Mexico News provided some of the questions at the Chamber's request.

The candidates were called to the stage by contest, and exchanges were mostly friendly. There was more agreement among candidates than disagreement about matters under discussion.

Ninth Judicial District judge

The most contentious debate involved judge candidates. Curry County Magistrate Judge Shaun Burns is running to unseat incumbent candidate Judge Benjamin Cross.

Burns pointed out that Cross had been appointed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat. Cross said he was appointed as a Republican.

"It's not about her," Cross said. "It's about who she chose."

Burns also said Cross' campaign signs have been posted on Democrats' property, even though the primary is for Republicans.

"I'm the true Republican here," Burns said.

Cross pointed out he had served as prosecutor for more than five years in the Ninth Judicial District Attorney's office, and then for 10 years as court attorney for the Ninth Judicial District Court, a position he called training for judges, before being appointed as judge in 2019.

Burns said his 20 years of practicing law in Curry and Roosevelt counties, and his experience as a magistrate judge since 2018, were better qualifications.

On the issue of release of suspects before trial dates, Burns said a New Mexico constitutional amendment that has resulted in criminals being freed before trial should be repealed. Judges should have more discretion, he said, and not "hamstrung by the Legislature."

Cross said as judge, existing conditions allow him enough discretion to keep suspects who may be violent in custody before and during trials,

"If I think they'll harm someone," he said. "There are no conditions of release."

Cross added that on all such decisions, "I have been upheld" by higher courts.

The biggest issues in the court, Cross said, are making judges available after hours, getting judicial decisions out more quickly, and dealing with drug problems that lead to property crimes and violence.

Burns said the greatest issues are speedier trials, quicker decisions on competency to stand trial. Burns said if a crime is committed to obtain drug money, that crime must be punished before drug rehabilitation is applied.

Both candidates agreed that crime is increasing in Curry and Roosevelt counties, as well as in the state.

Cross said increasing crime is a reason he has made a career of working with the court. He said he hopes to get out and talk to kids "to encourage them and their bright futures."

Burns said fentanyl is fueling much of the increased crime.

"We have to stop it at the border," he said.

County Commission District 3

The candidates – Billy Cathey, Roy Criswell and Sawyer May – agreed that roads and water are the biggest issues facing the county, but all said the problems do not have immediate solutions.

Criswell added that county employee morale and better support for the sheriff's office were big issues. The county's water table keeps dropping, he said, and solutions will require "talking to the right people."

Cathey said he is not sure the Ute Lake Pipeline is the answer to water problems and said the solution may include desalination, which removes minerals from brackish underground water. He also mentioned the "tumbleweed problem" as a major issue.

May agreed that roads and water are big issues, "but some things can't be fixed until the circumstances are right. He said the county should focus on bringing more attention to the county's problems and bringing more money into the community, as he said Alamogordo and Hobbs have done.

The candidates were asked about how they would deal with other agencies.

Cathey said that with Republicans and Democrats "mad at each other," commissioners still have to do the best for the whole county. Roosevelt County commissioners, he said, need to meet with commissioners from other counties, "get on the same wavelength," and talk about good projects. Lines of communications should be kept open, he said.

May said commissioners should have more frequent meetings with other agencies. With the sheriff's department, he said, "we can help them and they can help us."

Criswell said the county's current ethics code "has got to go," in order to communicate with other agencies fully. Protocols in the ethics ordinance, he said prevent direct communications between officials who should talk directly with each other.

All three candidates urged people to vote.

Criswell added that churches should help monitor voting machines.

County Commission District 5

The candidates, incumbent Paul Grider and challenger Glynn Wilhoit, agreed on the county's biggest issue, rising costs due to inflation.

Grider said inflation due mostly to rising gas and diesel costs is raising costs for the sheriff's department, but said roads are likely to benefit from a new paving technology called microsurfacing, which can prolong the life of chip seal pavement.

Wilhoit saw far-reaching consequences of inflation. As costs "get out of hand," he said, it will affect roads, infrastructure and law enforcement. Property values will go down, too, he said. If inflation and water issues are not corrected, "farms are not going to be there any more," he said.

He also said voter integrity is a major issue, and that non-voters need to be purged from voter rolls.

He also said county law enforcement and detention employees should receive incentives to stay on the job.

The county should also be seeking new industries that are not "water intensive," he said.

On a question about working with other agencies and officials, Wilhoit said he is willing to coordinate with others, "to make things happen."

Grider said he and other commissioners are already working well with other agencies. Commissioners have been working with legislators for years on issues related to needs and cash flow. Grider said he works with fellow commissioners and other county departments regularly.

In concluding remarks, both urged people to get out the vote.

Roosevelt County sheriff

All three candidates for Roosevelt County sheriff agreed that legalizing marijuana is a bad idea.

Darrell Chenault, a former New Mexico State Police officer, said legalized marijuana will have "a snowball effect, landing on kids." Chenault said legalization will result in cannabis products being brought into schools. He said he has seen that already. Illegal drug cartels, he said, will continue to peddle "stronger, harder drugs. They'll hit you somewhere else." He also sees more driving while intoxicated problems. It will be a "battle" to train officers to deal with cannabis issues, he said, but "we'll do the best we can.

Ryan Ainsworth, who as a tow truck operator said he has had many contacts with law enforcement, said when legislators wrote the law legalizing recreational cannabis use, "they didn't do homework." Nobody knows "how high they really are" when they consume cannabis. Kids, he said, have been bringing wax pens infused with marijuana to school, he said. Marijuana, he said, "opens the door" to harder drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Roosevelt County Sheriff's Lt. Javier Sanchez, who said he has 18 years of law enforcement experience, also noted the marijuana legalization law was "poorly written ,: especially related to how to combat violations. The law prohibits smoking marijuana in public, and only allows possession of limited amounts of cannabis, he said, but DWI issues are ill defined.

"We have to prove it's not safe" for a person high on marijuana to operate a vehicle, he said. Compared to enforcement based on alcohol consumption, for marijuana "the threshold is higher." It will also be harder to prosecute marijuana cases in court, he said.

The sheriff's department's largest current issue is narcotics, Sanchez said. Drug addiction, he said leads to property crime. He said he would like to devote full time to combat narcotics in Roosevelt County as a means of reducing other crimes like residential burglaries.

To Chenault, the biggest issue will be "inflation and fuel costs," adding that deputies need raises. "They put on bulletproof vests every day," he said. "I have a great appreciation for these guys. The sheriff, he said, will have to "think out of the box."

In addition, he said, "the open border is an issue," not only because of drugs, but because of "increased sex trafficking."

Ainsworth said a major problem is "too many lawsuits against the sheriff's department."

He also said he would like to see more sheriff's deputies at sports events and at the Roosevelt County Fair, and other events.

The sheriff's department he said, battles drugs every day.

Internet crime is another big issue, especially involving minors.

He, too, named open borders as a major issue.

Morale among deputies should also be addressed. "We need to get more money for these guys," Ainsworth said.