Brantley, Dow and Armstrong reflect on session

Senator Crystal Brantley (R) and representatives Rebecca Dow (R) and Gail Armstrong (R) reflected on their experiences of the last legislative session.

Crystal Brantley

“As with any session, there was the good, the bad, and the downright frustrating. But overall, we saw meaningful progress—especially for rural New Mexico,” Brantley District 35 Senator said of the recent legislative session.

Since 2021, she has represented Catron, Doña Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra, and Socorro counties.

Brantley said she is proud to have sponsored several bills that are now law, including legislation to create the Office of the Child Advocate, implement phone-free schools, and reform criminal competency statutes.

They were also successful in opposing proposals that she believed would have hurt communities, such as increased taxes and an assault weapon ban.

“Yes, tensions were high—especially between the Governor and the Legislature, as shown in some of her veto messages—but at the end of the day, we moved the needle in the right direction,” Brantley said.

She highlighted House Bill 8, which had updates to criminal competency, the Racketeering Act, creating the Office of the Child Advocate and a bill that will direct federal foster care dollars to reach the kids. Lastly, she mentioned the cell phone-free schools that she believes will reduce classroom distractions and allow local districts flexibility.

“These aren’t just wins on paper—they’re real changes that will make a difference in people’s lives,” Brantley said.

She said the most devastating moment during the session didn’t happen on the Senate floor, but the night she received the news that three boys were killed and 15 others injured in a mass shooting at Young Park in Las Cruces.

She felt that it should have motivated lawmakers to take action.

“I’ve been vocal about this failure—not just in committee, but in the op-ed pages and on the floor. We had a chance to take real steps to break the cycle of violence and we didn’t. That’s something I won’t forget,” Brantley said.

In reflection, Brantley said that it confirmed for her that without a strong voice for rural New Mexico, our needs get ignored.

“Santa Fe is still shockingly out of touch with what our communities are dealing with—spiraling costs, a stretched-thin police force, and unchecked crime. But I also saw that when we speak up, we can make a difference. And that’s what I’m here to do—fight, advocate, and hold the line for the people I represent,” Brantley said.

She reported that she was able to allocate $200,000 for upgrades to the Socorro Police Department, $175,000 for a new waste collection vehicle in Magdalena, $100,000 for additional vehicles for the county and $100,000 for new equipment at NM Tech’s EMRTC facility.

“These funds aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet—they’re direct investments in public safety, local infrastructure, and the future of Socorro County. I’ll continue fighting for these kinds of resources every chance I get,” Brantley said.

Rebecca Dow

Dow described the legislative session as having a significant leftward shift, with the House becoming very progressive. She said it was dominated by trial lawyers, unions, and special interest nonprofits, creating a far-left agenda.

Dow is the District 38 Representative, which includes Doña Ana, Sierra, and Socorro County. She previously served from 2016 to 2022.

“It was pretty obvious that the makeup of the body had dramatically shifted to the left, very progressive,” Dow said. “Nobody in the Democrat House chamber is an employer operating a small business doing direct services in New Mexico.”

While there were some areas of agreement like conservation and CYFD reform, many bills addressing tax reform, parental rights, and other conservative priorities did not even receive hearings, said Dow. She found the session frustrating and as an opportunity to continue advocating for balanced representation and common-sense governance.

“I can’t even get hearings for the things I care most about. I mean, we need a complete, total tax reform. We need to be competitive with the states that surround us, Arizona, Colorado and Texas all have better tax climates. We don’t attract retirees. Why are we taxing income? Why are we taxing Social Security? Retirement? Veterans? it all needs to go away,” Dow said.

She said she was excited about the areas of agreement, and she had several bills passed and signed by the Governor, including conservation bills, agriculture bills, and a CYFD bill.

“We got some signed by the governor that she had vetoed in the past, and I think it’s going to be pretty substantial, particularly for babies who are born exposed to substance,” Dow said.

She also supported New Mexico Red and Green Chile Month, which she believes will help promote local chile producers, such as those in Socorro, and create opportunities for agrotourism.

“I introduced bills to protect girls and females in sports. I introduced bills to give parents more rights to make decisions about their children’s education and health care. These all died. They didn’t get hearings,” Dow said.

She said Republicans are reasonable, want common-sense government, and want citizens to keep as much of their money as they can.

“This state is not poor; we have billions and billions and billions of dollars in reserves,” Dow said. “We are poor because of poor policy. And I just want to change that.”

She said that although she left the session frustrated, it has motivated her to continue to engage more deeply with constituents by educating them and encouraging them to run for office.

“People need to get engaged in the process. If they don’t like the direction New Mexico’s going, they can be part of changing it by running for local office and then considering running for a house or senate seat, ” Dow said.

She believes the committees need balance. When she serves on a committee with 10 Democrats and four Republicans, she said there’s not even room for conversation or deliberation.

“Some people want to throw their hands up in the air and say, ‘I give up’. I say no, because I knocked the doors in Socorro, and that legislative body is much farther left than the average citizen in District 38,” Dow said.

She reported that she was able to secure 2.5 million and allocates the funding based on registered voters, which will give $1 million to Socorro, $1 million to Doña Ana, and $500,000 to Sierra County.

She said she met with the City of Socorro and Socorro County about grants for animal shelters, equitable recreation access and fire department equipment.

“We’ve got strong, strong grant writers in Socorro city, for the city and for the county and they’re going to have the opportunity to apply,” Dow said.

Gail Armstrong

Armstrong echoed Dow and Brantley’s reporting that the legislative session was frustrating and disappointing.

Armstrong has been the District 49 representative since 2017 and serves as the Minority Floor Leader. She represents Catron, Sierra, Socorro and Valencia counties.

“Instead of working to support everyday New Mexicans and small businesses, we saw a wave of harmful proposals—new taxes, higher fees, and policies that would raise the cost of living. What’s worse, meaningful efforts to tackle rising crime—especially among our youth—and fix our broken healthcare system were shut down before they even had a chance,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong said there were some bright spots during the session that she was proud of, such as reforming CYFD, which she believes is a step in the right direction to protect children.

“Along with this, the House unanimously voted to override the Governor’s veto of HB65. This bill reaffirms our local school boards’ control over the instructional days they have per year,” Armstrong said.

She has been advocating for rural schools and allowing school boards to have control and protect their four-day school week.

For Armstrong, she said it was deeply disappointing to see what she believes are common-sense proposals ignored during the session.

“This isn’t about partisanship—it’s about priorities. Republicans showed up with solutions to address crime and improve healthcare, but the majority chose not to act,” Armstrong said.

Reflecting on the session, she said she had gained more clarity about the political environment in New Mexico.

“One thing is clearer than ever: we can’t keep letting special interest groups steer the direction of our state. New Mexicans are asking for help, and we need to listen. It’s time we put people—not politics—first,” Armstrong said.

Her message to Socorro County, “I want you to know that I’m not backing down. No matter how tough it gets, I’ll keep fighting for you, your family, and the values we share. You deserve to be heard, and I’m here to make sure that happens.”