Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Longtime Clovis Mayor David Lansford and longtime Clovis-Portales District Attorney Andrea Reeb are seeking the New Mexico House District 64 seat open with Randal Crowder’s retirement.
Lansford is running as an Independent, Reeb as a Republican.
This is the first in a series of Q&As with both. Candidates were asked to limit answers to 150 words.
Absentee and early in-person voting for the general election is set to begin Oct. 11. Election Day is Nov. 8.
David Lansford
Q: The Curry County Republican Party on July 17 published a full-page advertisement in The Eastern New Mexico News headlined “An ‘Independent’ Concern.”
While he did not name David Lansford specifically, Party Chairman Marcus Smith stated an Independent political candidate is like a football player without a team.
“I have played and watched football long enough to know that you need a team to be successful,” he wrote. “As much as we don’t like to admit it, the world of politics is no different.”
How do you feel about the idea that state lawmakers must be Republicans or Democrats in order to “be successful” in the state House?
Lansford: The two-party system, the Republicans and the Democrats, is a political duopoly, which has dominated the political landscape in the United States of America since the end of the Civil War. Before the Civil War, the most popular political party was the “Democratic-Republicans.” American history clearly shows that political parties naturally evolve or cease to exist over time.
I don’t think a successful term in the NM House of Representatives is dependent on party affiliation. The suggestion that legislative success requires a major party affiliation is expected from advocates of the two-party system. 22% of the voters (1 in 5) in New Mexico are registered as Independent.
Republicans should understand that our great country was established as a Republic with democratic principles. In other words, a Representative Democracy.
Surely the Republicans don’t want the voices of 22% of the voters in New Mexico to be ignored during their legislative deliberations.
Q: Can you give examples of how your political views differ from most Republicans or Democrats? What makes you independent of the majority political parties?
Lansford: My political views are conservative, self-determined, and based on logic and reason. My responsibilities and obligations are to the citizens in District 64, not to a political party. I resist the notion that the Republican Party has exclusive rights to patriotism, conservativism, and the will to stand against government overreach.
At the same time, I resist the notion embraced by some Democrats that more government controls are the answer to society’s problems. This ideology leads to large and intrusive government with less individual liberty and will ultimately cause too many citizens to rely on financial assistance to survive.
My integrity to the oath of office is the most important priority. All new legislation must filter through the Constitutions of both the United States and the State of New Mexico before I will be able to offer support for the legislation. In principle, I support the agenda of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI: https://americafirstpolicy.com/).
Q: What do you have in common with most Republicans?
Lansford: What I consider to be the similarities between my political principles and the mainstream Republican Party are as follows:
• Support for individual liberty without adversely affecting the liberties of others
• Support for private property rights, which includes a human life being their own private property
• Fiscal conservativism / less waste / less taxes / less inflation
• Less government intrusion into personal lives
• Rule of Law applied equally and fairly to all
• Support for a free-market economy
• Strong advocate of secure borders and legal immigration
• Support for a superior military with readiness capabilities
• Support for local law enforcement
Q: What do you have in common with most Democrats?
Lansford: What I consider to be the similarities between my political principles and the mainstream Democratic Party are as follows:
• Individual liberty
• Accepting people with different views, while not condoning bad acts
• Embracing changes that further advance our constitutional form of government and free enterprise
Andrea Reeb
Q: The Curry County Republican Party on July 17 published a full-page advertisement in The Eastern New Mexico News headlined “An ‘Independent’ Concern.”
While he did not name David Lansford specifically, Party Chairman Marcus Smith stated an Independent political candidate is like a football player without a team.
“I have played and watched football long enough to know that you need a team to be successful,” he wrote. “As much as we don’t like to admit it, the world of politics is no different.”
How do you feel about the idea that state lawmakers must be Republicans or Democrats in order to “be successful” in the state House?
Reeb: I would of course welcome anybody into the political process regardless of party. The only way to stop the progressive Democrats in the Legislature is to regain the Republican majority. If we elect Independents, we are hurting our chances to take back the House.
Q: As a courtroom attorney in the public eye you must run into colleagues with a variety of political views, including some who lean “liberal.” How has that influence helped shaped your political views?
Reeb: I am respectful and open to all political points of view. My own views have been shaped by my experiences as a mother, a prosecutor, and a friend. My experience in keeping our communities safe as a prosecutor have helped shape my opinion that conservative government is better for society, as opposed to one based on progressive ideology.
Q: Can you give an example of a topic on which you might be more likely to support the Democratic majority?
Reeb: I can agree with anyone who supports the importance of protecting and providing water for future generations, and the importance of adequately caring for and building up our state’s infrastructure.
Q: What makes you identify “Republican?”
Reeb: The Republican Party stands for the idea that government should help create opportunity, and that government should not get in the way of private enterprise, including small business and agriculture.
— Compiled by David Stevens, the Staff of The News
