Congressional District 3 candidate Teresa Leger Fernandez answers questions

Teresa Leger Fernández, 65, is the Democratic candidate for New Mexico’s Congressional District 3.

She answered questions from The Santa Fe New Mexican:

Educational background: West Las Vegas, Head Start to High School; Yale College, B.A.; Stanford Law School, J.D. with distinction.

Occupation: Congresswoman for New Mexico’s 3rd District

Political experience: Completing second term in Congress

Relevant life experience: My life’s work prepared me to serve the communities I love. A daughter of rural New Mexico, I owned my own law firm where I helped build health clinics and businesses, advanced voting rights and supported tribal sovereignty.

I was a White House Fellow under President Clinton, vice chair of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation under President Obama, served as chair of Homewise, and vice chair of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Before serving as Congresswoman, I was an acequia commissioner.

Have you ever been charged or convicted of a crime, including drunken driving? No

Have you ever filed for bankruptcy or been involved in a bankruptcy proceeding, either personally or in business? No

Have you ever been the subject of liens for unpaid taxes? No

Why are you the best candidate for the job?

I’ve delivered for New Mexicans and delivered bipartisan results: holding the government accountable with $3.95 billion in compensation for fire victims; delivering over $776 million in water project funding; passing legislation to protect sacred tribal objects; providing funding for projects from infrastructure to law enforcement to the creative economy; and lowering prescription drug prices.

I’ve introduced legislation to address the housing crisis, protect public lands, and provide relief to farmers and ranchers. I travel throughout my big district listening to my diverse constituents and taking their voices to D.C. to get results.

The U.S Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, ending federal protections for abortion. Would you support federal protections for abortion access?

Yes. In New Mexico we believe decisions about pregnancy belong between a woman, her doctor, her familia, and her faith — without political interference.

The Dobbs decision overturned the recognized constitutional right to abortion — putting women and the doctors that care for them at risk, and imposing a patchwork of care across the country. This threatens women’s lives.

Today, a woman’s right and access to health care depend on where she lives — and extreme Republicans want a national abortion ban.

I am a co-sponsor and national voice for the Women’s Health Protection Act to protect reproductive healthcare for everyone, everywhere.

Ahead of the Nov. 5 election, immigration remains a key issue. What policies regarding immigration do you support?

We must fix our broken immigration system. I support a balanced approach that will make our country safer, make our border more orderly and secure, and keep families together.

We must create a pathway to citizenship for those who have been here a long time, work hard, and play by the rules — including our Dreamers who came to this country as children.

What is your position on climate change? How should Congress address this?

Climate change is threatening everything we love. The disasters are proof — including the recent heartbreaking flooding from Hurricane Helene and the forest fires across New Mexico and the West.

I voted for the largest investments in renewable energy and climate action in our nation’s history that are not only addressing climate change but also creating good-paying jobs in our state. We can protect the land, air and water we rely on while diversifying and growing our economy for hardworking New Mexicans.

What should be done at the federal level to address the economic anxieties many New Mexicans — and Americans generally — face?

Across New Mexico, the cost of living is too high. In Congress, I voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, which lowered energy costs, empowered the federal government to negotiate prescription drug prices for the first time, and helped hold wealthy corporations accountable for price gouging, but there is still more work to do.

I will continue to work to lower costs for New Mexicans, including housing, child care, education and health care costs.

I introduced the Home of Your Own Act to help first-time homebuyers purchase their first home — so their rents will never go up again.