Alonzo Baldonado, a Los Lunas realtor, says he’s running for state representative in House district 8 because he wants to be a voice for the people of Valencia County.

“In state government, there’s a lack of listening to the people, listening to the constituents. I’m committed to the constitution of New Mexico, where it says the power is in the people,” he said.

District 8′s seat is currently held by Rep. Elias Barela.

Baldonado said district 8 needs leadership, in particular someone who will build coalitions in state and local government.

“We need someone who will sit down with the mayors’ offices in Belen and Los Lunas, who will sit down with the county commissioners, and ask them what direction they’re headed in,” he said.

Baldonado wants to bring sustainable growth and new development to Valencia County.

“We have good plans and great opportunities to grow here in Valencia County,” he said.

He also wants to create jobs, saying young people throughout the county shouldn’t have to leave the county to get a good job.

“They’re going off to work elsewhere because we don’t have a sufficient work environment for them to stay here,” he said.

Signet Solar, a solar technology manufacturer, was recently denied a federal loan guarantee, which has halted the construction of a plant that could create 600 jobs in Belen. Baldonado said he applauds officials with the City of Belen who are in Washington, DC, lobbying for Signet Solar.

As a realtor, Baldonado has seen the challenges of balancing growth in an urbanized area like Los Lunas with agriculture in a community like Los Chavez.

“The sustainability of this county lies in growth — in terms of controlled, planned, well-thought-out growth, not just ‘Let’s just throw it together and make it happen,’” he said.

Baldonado is a Republican and so far has no announced opponent in the district 8 Republican primary.

Barela will face Julian Luna, a Belen Consolidated Schools board member, in the Democratic primary.

To run, state representative candidates must formally file in mid-March. The primary election is scheduled for the first Tuesday in June.

This page was published on February 3, 2010 at 9:41am and is filed under Politics, Reform.