Progressive Infighting: ABQ House District 18 Battle Erupts Again As Prominent LGBTQ Group Gets Called Out By State Senator For Attacks, Plus: Defense Of FEMA Fire Response Draws Fiery Response

Sen. Sedillo Lopez and Taneja

The internecine warfare between progressive Democrats in the battle to succeed outgoing state Rep. Gail Chasey in District 18 in ABQ's liberal SE Heights is flaring again.

Dem state Senator Antoninette Sedillo Lopez, a longtime progressive champion, is going after gay rights group Equality NM, which is supporting queer candidate Marianna Anaya, for distorting the record of Anaya's chief foe, Dr. Anjali Taneja. And EQNM is backing off some. 

The Senator, who has endorsed Taneja, writes on the socials:

Equality New Mexico sent out a text message that contained false and misleading information. Instead of advocating the positives of their candidate. EQNM accused Dr. Taneja (who is the director of Casa de Salud, a low income serving non-profit health clinic in SW Albuquerque) of being tied to corporate interests. This could not be farther from the truth and it falsely characterizes Dr. Taneja’s name and reputation. . .. I spoke with Marshall Martinez, executive director of EQNM. He said. . . if he had it to do over, he would have done things differently. I call on EQNM to send a retraction text and stick to supporting their candidate positively, instead of trying to tear down someone whose work and life is all about community and community empowerment.

After that protest from Sedillo Lopez and others who received the text, EQNM backed away from their attack on Dr. Taneja: 

Our organization. . .as an independent expenditure, recently sent text messages that drew a contrast between the candidates running to represent HD18. The messages referred to Dr. Anjali Taneja, as being “deeply involved with the corporate medical establishment.” We hear those of you who have told us that this statement feels like an attack, and not an honest conversation about what is at stake in this election. We apologize for over-simplifying this crucial message. We understand that a single phrase in a text cannot sufficiently substantiate such a claim, so it is our intention that this statement will serve as better background.  

Anaya

EQNM did not shrink from their endorsement of Anaya, who has been endorsed by Rep. Chasey, but came with a qualifier:

Marianna Anaya is a queer woman of color with a track record of working to uplift our communities. . This race for House District 18 is critical to the movement for LGBTQ Liberation in New Mexico. . .We will continue to take this work seriously and aspire to do it in the best interests of Queer and Trans New Mexicans everywhere, even if we fall short at times. Moving forward, we will only uplift the reasons we have endorsed and are supporting Marianna Anaya, and are making a commitment not to attack or draw distinctions about other candidates. . .

There are two other candidates in the District 18 Dem race but the top two are Anaya and Taneja. The seat has not been open since Chasey was elected in 1996, adding to the intensity. 

The district, close to UNM, is home to many LGBTQ residents who form a powerful block, helping to previously elect City Councilor Pat Davis as the first openly gay man to the Council.  

Dem political consultant Sisto Abeyta says the EQNM attack comes as Anaya is seen struggling to overcome Taneja who has surprised the district with strong financial and medical community backing.

 FIGHTING WITH FEMA  

Not surprisingly attorneys working with victims of the Hermits Peak fire in northern NM did not agree with our defense of FEMA's response to the largest blaze in state history. Antonia Roybal-Mack is one of those attorneys: 

Joe, I fundamentally disagree that the Fed's roll out of Hermits Peak settlements is not life threatening.  Our elected officials are not pandering for votes but instead are publicly advocating for victims. . . I represent over 800 people and this remains a catastrophe. My elderly clients do not have running water. One client that lost her home is living in a van with no water using a bucket as a commode. One family is living in two separate travel trailers with the husband and his disabled mother in one with the wife and children in the other. One trailer was delivered by FEMA with bed bugs. Many clients are getting foreclosure notices because they got behind on payments and are in default on notes because insurance is not available. 

Many of my clients are on hospice and will die before they see a dime. People are literally sick, and this is life or death. It's an embarrassment that in the United States people are living in these conditions. FEMA engaged in a publicity stunt that put people that lost everything on the back burner. The suffering of these people is real and I spend 15 hours a day fighting FEMA over it.

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