There are many reasons Jeremy Gay entered elective politics for the first time in an effort to become New Mexico’s next attorney general.
The No. 1 reason, however, is reducing crime, Gay told New Mexico Sun.
“We’ve become a destination state for criminal activity," Gay said. "Organized criminal activity, whether it’s cartels from south of the border or criminal outfits from around the United States, are coming to Albuquerque and the rest of the state to ply their trade. And we’re seeing more and more federal involvement in trying to crack down on that cartel movement, organized crime movement. The AG’s office can be a massive help in working with local law enforcement, sheriffs and state law enforcement, and coordinating with other state AGs and the federal government at the DEA and Homeland Security to actually make progress in this area, making Mexico a safer, more prosperous state.”
Gay said, as attorney general, he would work to improve the criminal justice system across the state, defend law enforcement by keeping offices funded and trained, ensure Border Patrol funds and investigate political corruption while increasing government transparency. If elected, he said he also would fight human trafficking with the help of law enforcement, survivors of human trafficking and survivor advocates.
“As attorney general, my top priorities are to make New Mexico a safer place to live, raise a family, study, work or grow a business,” Gay told the Albuquerque Journal. “As attorney general I will focus the resources of the office to building a culture of efficiency and competence throughout the criminal justice system of the state.”
Gay's background includes serving as a Marine Corps officer and judge advocate, where he investigated felony criminal offenses, and advised and defended service members. He also managed a legal assistance office that worked to protect service members, veterans and their families from consumer fraud and predatory lenders.
During his time as a special assistant United States attorney, Gay trained federal law enforcement personnel in investigating and prosecuting crimes.
Gay earned a doctorate's degree from Ave Maria University School of Law in 2014 and a bachelor’s degree in political philosophy from Ave Maria in 2011. He now lives in Gallup with his wife and six children, and runs a private law firm dedicated to serving families, local businesses and community members.
Gay is running against Democrat Raul Torrez, who is the Bernalillo County district attorney.
He said he heard a call to enter the race, in large part to restore integrity in the office and correct its mission.
“I was asked to step up, and there’s a great need for an attorney general that’s going to get the job done,” Gay said.
He said it’s time to end the status quo in New Mexico, and that the attorney general is an independently elected executive position that has the ability to do so much good.
“And it has oftentimes been used just to enrich and assist friends and other political actors rather than just doing its job," he said. "And I’ve had a lot of people in my professional life and family and friends specifically complain about the attorney general’s office. I’ve seen as well that it’s kind of a limp office that can do a lot of good, but very often it’s just more focused on getting the largest settlements in various civil actions, while the state’s dealing with a lot of issues that it could mobilize its resources to assist in.”
Gay said he is receiving a lot of support from law enforcement.
“They want to see real change,” he said. “We’re endorsed by the fraternity of police statewide and the Albuquerque Police Association, which I think is really telling with my opponent being the DA of Bernardino County, and we’re still being endorsed by law enforcement because they’re ready for a change.”
Gay said trends in New Mexico have been to beat up on the police, including removing qualified immunity for police officers. He also questions the outcome of the U.S. Department of Justice settlement with the city of Albuquerque over allegations of police misconduct. That has resulted in a surge in crime in the state’s largest population center, with a failure to enforce misdemeanors besides DWIs, he noted.
“They’re not being enforced by arrests and it’s caused an escalation in the criminal element in activities for our communities,” he said. “And law enforcement is pretty fed up with being unable to do their jobs. And when they do actually get arrests, the majority of cases get dismissed.
“I’ve seen a lot of frustration across the state with the whole justice system, from judges to DAs. But really the most I’ve seen is with the DAs right now. And so as the attorney general with concurrent jurisdiction, I can be a contact counsel for DAs as well as handing all appeal cases,” Gay said. “And so I really will work with local DAs to get our systems more proficient and let law enforcement know that we have an attorney general team that is ready to work with them hand-in-hand. We’re going to have top-down support for their efforts in trying to get the system more efficient so that their efforts can yield convictions where appropriate, where criminals can face consequences, and victims can actually have a day in court.”
Fentanyl dealing and use has been a major concern and Gay said he will focus on curbing it.
“The AG’s office is in a phenomenal position to disrupt the fentanyl trade that’s flowing through to New Mexico right now because of our border policies,” he said. “Arizona and Texas are making efforts to secure their borders, especially to interdict and interrupt drug transportation. New Mexico has really turned a blind eye to any type of border crisis.”
Gay said Albuquerque’s status as a sanctuary city is directly linked to cartel activities.
“The largest fentanyl busts in the nation’s history are happening in New Mexico because New Mexico is becoming a hub of fentanyl distribution," he said. "So as the AG, I will work with local law enforcement, the FBI and DEA to actually coordinate our efforts.
Gay said the attorney general must separate themselves from their personal political views.
“I think that as chief law enforcement officer, if there's any position in the executive suite that should be more neutral when it comes to politics, it should be the law enforcer,” he said. “The optics of the attorney general who is going on to campaign against political enemies and ignoring (the actions of) political friends really causes people to lose faith in the system and the government in general. So as attorney general, I am committed to, whether you're a Democrat, Republican or independent-minded or progressive or conservative, the law’s the law, and rule’s the rules.”
Gay is a lifelong Republican who calls himself a common-sense conservative.
“It’s so hard nowadays with the loyalty tests and phrases like RINO or Trump supporter or these various things being thrown out,” he said. “It’s so hard to define yourself without people throwing you in a category that you don’t really belong. But I would say this: I’m a common-sense conservative and I believe in policies that work and that are practical.
Gay said his legal practice exposes him to a wide variety of people, and that has been very enlightening.
“I work day-to-day with clientele who have nothing, from single moms who are living out on the streets, to the wealthiest business owners and institutions in my community," he said. "So I’ve got a good idea of the spectrum of what people need, but I think it’ll make me different as well."
Gay is supported by the New Mexico Business Coalition, a nonprofit that promotes and fosters a pro-business environment. Its goal is to make New Mexico a better place to live and work by seeking reasonable laws, regulation and leadership.
He said the campaign is “going phenomenally,” especially for a first-time candidate from Gallup.
“It’s been an uphill climb to get the name ID and the recognition and get in front of voters,” Gay said. “But I have been met with an interesting phenomenon of people in New Mexico. There’s a political shift happening in New Mexico right now. I think the progressive left has left a lot of traditionally Democrat voters behind."
Gay said Torres is “a flawed candidate” with skeletons in his closet that voters are aware of and considering before they vote.
“I have people come up to me and say, ‘Listen, I don’t know that much about you. I’m excited to learn more. But I know Raul and I’m glad there’s an alternative,’” Gay said. “We’ve been met with a lot of support, especially as a candidate new to the scene.”
Gay said New Mexico has a lot in common with Arizona, Texas and Colorado.
“The only thing that’s perhaps different than that is our policies,” he said. “We have a very strong culture and diversity. We’re a very strong state. We’re second in the nation for our national resources production, our agriculture, our art, our geography, our tourism. The thing that’s holding us back, the reason we’re ranked so low, is our policies.
Gay is working long hours in the closing days of the campaign, sometimes from 4 a.m. until midnight. He also finds time to attend ballgames and spend time with family.
“So it’s all-out, it’s been a marathon, but we’re in a sprint at the end to meet as many people as we can," he said. "I talked to as many people as we can to spread the message. You’re chasing every vote, you’re making every contact and just hustling and leaving nothing on the field.”