“I’m a neat, financially culpable family man who cares about his community,” Gonzales said. “My whole career has been surrounded by service. My views are those of the [Democratic] Party. The party I went to I went very far to the left in terms of ideologies towards the family circle and law and order. I can no longer become complicit with their values because they don’t align with mine.
Gonzales, a longtime Democrat who gained national popularity for his refusal to enforce stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, said he believes his decision to run as a Republican will provide him with more opportunities to get help in the race. to achieve “positive change” for the state as a whole.
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Manuel Gonzales, who served as Bernalillo County sheriff for about thirteen years, told Fox News Digital that his decision to enter the Senate race was the result of the Democratic Party taking an excessively “far-left” turn on issues it cares deeply about. Manuel Gonzalez)
From inflation to crime, Gonzales said he’s looking to tackle head-on the problems that have hindered the state’s progress.
Gonzales, who’s looking to take a hands-on approach to problems if he’s elected, said he will prioritize “fighting for jobs” in New Mexico and hone in on certain “energy initiatives” and resources the state has to offer.
“The safety and security of other people across the country have been compromised,” said Gonzalez, whose career in public service has been marked by repeated efforts to rid New Mexico of crime.
Gonzales, whose law enforcement career spans nearly 30 years, said a troubling truth he faces is that New Mexico officials “don’t feel supported. “
Gonzales, an advocate for qualified immunity for officials, said he hopes to welcome more officials to the state and “support efforts to support” law enforcement officials so he can be “a voice and an advocate for their interests. “
Gonzales, a newcomer to the Republican Party, also highlighted his ability to work across the aisle to get things done for those he hopes to incorporate at the federal level.
“In fact, I would be a strong advocate and work collaboratively with both sides of the aisle to get things done, continually pointing and blaming [others] like this existing administration and this current senator who is in the workplace right now,” he said, referring to the direction of Biden and outgoing Sen. Martin Heinrich, DN. M.
Gonzales, who will address the issues in practical ways if elected, said he would prioritize “fighting for jobs” in New Mexico and focus on some of the “energy initiatives” and resources the state has to offer. (Manuel Gonzalez )
Taking special aim at Heinrich, who has represented New Mexico in the Senate since 2013 and is running for re-election to his House seat, Gonzales accused the “career politician” of being an “upholsterer” who came to the state and until now has been “comfortable and indisputable. “
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“I need to be the guy that has the opportunity in November to challenge him and take him down so things can start moving,” Gonzales said of Heinrich. “Things are actually slowing down here, and I think when other people get slower and more complacent and more comfortable, I think it’s time for them to go home. “
Amid several law enforcement issues that arose during his time as sheriff of Bernalillo County, Gonzales said Heinrich’s office was silent.
“I didn’t see any effort or anyone from [Heinrich’s] workplace towards the projects we were doing,” he said.
Gonzales has been at odds with several elected Democrats from across the state for some time, and took heat from them following his 2020 visit to the nation’s capital to meet with then-President Donald Trump and then-Attorney General William Barr.
Gonzales stands alongside then-Attorney General William Barr at an event in Bernalillo County. (Manuel Gonzalez)
The partisan partnership probably won’t stop Gonzales from doing the work he wants done in Washington on behalf of his constituents, he said.
“I understand that I represent the people and not a party when I get elected,” he said. “I can stand on my own two feet. I am my own person, and I’m a person that is very reasonable. I’m also a person that is fair. I have the best interest of everybody at heart. Politics don’t play into my decisions when it comes to serving people.”
“I need to get things done. I need other people and I need to serve them because that’s what I’ve been called to,” Gonzales added.
During his tenure as head of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department, Gonzales sought to be mayor of Albuquerque in 2021. However, he lost that election to Tim Keller, a Democrat who in the past served as New Mexico’s state auditor.
Last fall, Gonzales and former Laguna Police Chief Rudy Mora were known in a federal indictment filed in Maryland, accusing the two men of engaging in an illegal gun assignment in the state. Prosecutors said Gonzales and Mora signed forged documents for gun dealers to illegally download a device. weapons, according to Source New Mexico, but neither has been charged with any crime.
Gonzales, who describes himself as a “financially culpable family man who cares about his community,” is pictured with his family. (Manuel Gonzalez)
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Discussing the factor raised in federal documents filed last October, Gonzales said the effort “was politically motivated” and that he believed he would be “exonerated. “
“I have a good standing in the law and I will continue to respect it,” he said. “I will never violate the people’s acceptance as true. Once this case is tried, said and done, my reputation will be vindicated. “
The primary election is slated to take place on June 4, 2024. The general election will take place on Nov. 4, 2024.
Kyle Morris covers politics for Fox News. Se can send tips to kyle. morris@fox. com and on Twitter: @RealKyleMorris.