I need to address a statement made by former New Mexico State Representative Harry Garcia in the December 18 edition of the Cibola Citizen.
Mr. Garcia, who handedly lost in June’s primary election to Michelle Pauline Abeyta despite outspending her three to one, has pulled political maneuvers in an attempt to be appointed to the House District Six seat my father, State Representative Eliseo “Lee” Alcon had to retire from due to medical issues. The statement he made was an attempt to generate support for his cause.
The letter implies a long-standing friendship and a subtle hint at an endorsement from my father. If Mr. Garcia was such a good friend to my dad, why did he campaign with my dad’s primary opponent in June and work against my father in the general election? That does not sound like behavior of a good friend. With friends like that, who needs enemies?
While the decision of who is appointed to my father’s seat in the House ultimately rests with the Governor based on recommendations from Cibola and McKinley County Commissions, my father made it clear that his hope is that either myself or my wife Amanda KinKaid be appointed to fill his seat.
Mr. Garcia’s work has repeatedly gone against organized labor, tribal sovereignty and tribal infrastructure- values my father has battled for during his sixteen years in the legislature, and reasons I feel contributed to Mr. Garcia’s election loss this year. Mr. Garcia supported an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the Cibola County Commission; he also supported a right wing Democratic candidate whose platforms were decidedly anti-Democrat. My dad’s “good friend” Mr. Garcia failed to include Representative Alcon or any Democratic leadership in at least three rallies that he used to support this commission candidate in a losing campaign.
His behavior and refusal to vacate his current seat since he moved so he could apply for the seat my dad vacated has forced me to file complaints with the Secretary of State, state ethics commission and FBI. State statute says once a member of the legislature moves to a different district, they must vacate their current seat. Harry Garcia never did so. Now we will wait to see if any of the enforcement bodies I filed concerns about this shady and illegal movida will do anything or deem him above the law by their inaction.
On behalf of our Bronze Star Family, David Lee Alcon