FACTS —The PAC Targeting Barbara

In mid-March, it was reported in the Journal that a new Super PAC, "Working Together New Mexico," was formed to attack Barbara Baca and other true-blue Democrats. This Super PAC is being organized by a disgraced campaign staffer who tried to smear Governor Lujan Grisham and raised hundreds of thousands to attack Albuquerque Mayor Keller. The PAC’s chairs are former PRC member Karen Montoya and controversial Westside City Councilor Louie Sanchez who recently called union members “slugs." They boasted they will have "considerable funding from corporate interests, such as oil and gas."

In April, Barbara signed on to a letter to the Secretary of State because the PAC failed to file their campaign finance reports. See this article reported by NM In Depth, “ABQ city councilor's political group steps up to PAC.”

In May, the PAC finally made their finance reports public. To no one’s surprise, they’ve raised thousands of dollars from Chevron, big developers and their lobbyists.

Among the PAC’s donors is a well known lobbyist for Western Albuquerque Land Holdings (WALH), Vanessa Alarid, who is an extremely close ally to Barbara’s opponent, Erin Muffoletto, who until recently was also a corporate lobbyist. WALH owns the proposed Santolina development. (Ms. Alarid is also married to Westside State Representative Moe Maestas.)

Barbara has long been concerned about the controversial Santolina sprawl development, a project that would consume millions of gallons of water daily and cost taxpayers more than $1.3 billion in critical funds that could be used to improve existing infrastructure. Barbara believes in planned growth and quality development, in making the most of the natural resources we’re lucky to have, and refusing corporate handouts — and that’s why this PAC is gearing up to try and take her down.

This Super PAC will do what Super PACs do. Right before the election, they funnel tens of thousands of dollars to dump negative ads in mailboxes and on the airwaves to mislead voters and spread misinformation with no time for campaigns to respond.