Republican Roger Baker aims for state Senator Jeff Steinborn's seat

LAS CRUCES - A Republican challenger for the New Mexico Senate seat currently held by Democrat Jeff Steinborn announced his candidacy this week. 

Roger Baker of Las Cruces announced his run Thursday for the state senate's 36th district, which extends north from Interstate 10 to include Las Cruces and part of Doña Ana County.

Describing himself as a disabled U.S. Navy veteran, Baker vowed to "change the status quo in Santa Fe and ... be a stalwart and honest voice" in the state Senate. 

On his campaign website, Baker addressed education and a need to safeguard jobs while protecting natural resources. 

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"We New Mexicans are tired of being last in child welfare, last in education, first in poverty, and first in crime — all while dealing with tremendous poverty and limited economic opportunities," Baker stated in a press release, "and our far-left politicians are making it worse, not better."

Primary elections for New Mexico's three major political parties fall on June 2, and filing day for primary candidates is March 10. 

Steinborn is completing his first four-year term as state Senator after unseating Republican incumbent Lee Cotter with 60 percent of the vote in 2016. Previously, Steinborn had served two terms in the state House of Representatives.

The District 36 seat has been passed back and forth between the parties in recent election cycles: The seat had been represented by Democrat Mary Jane Garcia before Cotter won the seat in 2012. 

Algernon D'Ammassa can be reached at 575-541-5451, adammassa@lcsun-news.com or @AlgernonWrites on Twitter.

View a legislative map of New Mexico Senate District 36 here: