When I first became an advocate for victims of violent crime, it wasn’t out of a sense of civic duty—it was because a violent criminal took my son from me. That tragedy forever altered my life. Over the past decade, I’ve fought tirelessly for real reform in New Mexico, hoping to spare other parents from the unbearable pain I endured. Yet, year after year, the Legislature and those in power have failed to act on our state’s violent crime epidemic.
Each year, New Mexico breaks murder records, violent crime rates rise, and victims are left asking: Why does our state continue to rank at the bottom for public safety? Why does Albuquerque’s violent crime rate nearly double that of other cities of similar size? Instead of solutions, all we get from those in power is deflection. We get lectures about the root causes of crime and the failures of our crumbling behavioral health system. What we don’t get from our progressive Democrats in the Legislature is any real commitment to keep violent, repeat offenders off our streets.
The progressive majority’s failure to act is what drove me to run for office. As a newly elected member of the New Mexico House of Representatives, I now have the opportunity to fight for change from within. It is a fight I take very seriously. I know families impacted by violent crime are counting on me to carry their voices to Santa Fe. But progressive lawmakers aren’t listening.
House Democrats are preparing to unveil a so-called “crime package”, which they will promote as a solution to our public safety crisis. While I support certain provisions in the proposal, the reality is that it will do little – if anything – to curb violent crimes and drug trafficking.
This package ignores two of the biggest drivers of crime in New Mexico: juvenile offenders and the explosion of cartel-driven drug trafficking. It also fails to address the very real concerns of everyday New Mexicans. The so-called “crime package” is nothing more than window dressing for a problem that continues to spiral out of control.
As both an advocate and now a legislator, I’ve seen firsthand what many New Mexicans already know: progressive lawmakers prioritize addressing the underlying root causes of crime while ignoring the criminals who terrorize our communities. I fully support efforts to improve education, mental health, and economic opportunity. But an approach that prioritizes long-term solutions while refusing to hold violent offenders accountable is deeply flawed. Public safety must come first.
New Mexicans deserve a Legislature that can walk and chew gum at the same time. We must invest in solutions to prevent crime and enforce strong laws to remove dangerous criminals from our streets. But the progressive majority continues to resist even the most basic measures of accountability.
The time for excuses is over. If this Legislature refuses to pass laws that will keep our most dangerous criminals off the streets, then it’s time we elect leaders who will.
Nicole Chavez represents District 31 in the New Mexico House of Representatives.
