Did you know that, before I became an organizer and got into public service, I worked at a local bakery in Southeast Albuquerque, friend?

As the daughter of a Pueblo woman who grew up in a military family, I was taught the value of hard work from a young age. Moving often meant learning to adapt quickly and do whatever work was in front of me.

Over the years, I’ve worked a lot of different jobs. I started at my local bakery right after high school, held jobs in catering, worked at my child’s preschool, and even started my own small business producing and canning homemade salsa.

I know what it’s like to work hard just to get by. Those experiences shaped me, and it’s why I fight for working families.

New Mexicans know what it’s like to work multiple jobs just to put food on the table, to make ends meet. I know that struggle too. Every day, as hard as it was, I got up and kept going.

I was determined to build a brighter future for myself and my family, but I was up against a system — and leaders — who weren’t fighting for me. Leaders should understand what people are going through and work to make life easier, not harder. That’s the kind of leader I am.

Working so many different jobs is how I learned what it really takes to get by. Those experiences made me the fierce, hardworking person, mother, and leader I am today.

It’s why I know families here in New Mexico need a raise — so let’s increase the minimum wage and expand the child tax credit. It’s why we should stop medical debt from showing up on credit reports. It’s why we should give kids real career pathways starting in middle school and through high school, with hands-on experience. It’s why we should expand the opportunity scholarship for kids who know they want to go to college. And it’s why we need to lower bills, ensure cheaper rent, and build a stronger economy that actually works for working families.

But I can’t make that happen without you.

Please, can I count on you to chip in $5, or whatever you can comfortably spare, now to help me become governor of New Mexico and build a future where everyone can thrive?

Be fierce, 

Deb