A former New Mexico sheriff has left the Democratic Party and is now running for a Senate seat as a Republican.
Manuel Gonzales is his name and he was the sheriff of Bernalillo County for about 13 years.
Gonzales, who describes himself as a “man of strong convictions and values” and has been a lifelong Democrat, is now running against the Democratic Party because the party has moved too “to the left.”
“I'm a law and order father and fiscally responsible person who cares about his community,” he told Fox News in an interview. “My whole career in life has been surrounded by service.”
“My concerns are those of the [Democratic] party The party I was in has gone far to the left in terms of their ideologies towards families and law and order. I can no longer be an accomplice to their values because I don't think they are aligned with mine,” he added.
Former New Mexico Sheriff Manuel Gonzales is not the first and will not be the last to leave the Democratic Party for the GOP. When he filed for the NM Senate, he declared that “I want to get things done.”
It is encouraging to see people waking up. https://t.co/01bRabTPqy— Daniel Brewer (@DB_USMC2009) January 10, 2024
Gonzales previously gained notoriety during the COVID pandemic for refusing to enforce draconian stay-at-home orders.
“Gonzales is gaining national attention for a video he posted on YouTube saying some politicians are turning 'everyday citizens into villains for simply trying to live their lives,' and his department will not enforce any orders that 'subvert the your constitutional rights'”. Albuquerque magazine reported December 2020.
“In the YouTube video, Gonzales said he has heard concerns about “what have been characterized as oppressive lockdown mandates” and that he sympathizes with families, business owners and places of worship who believe the their civil liberties are being compromised,” he said. the newspaper.
Watch the video below:
Back to the present, Gonzales told Fox News that his decision to run as a Republican will provide him with additional opportunities to gain support in the race and bring “positive change” to the state.
If he wins, he plans to prioritize the “fight for jobs” and zoning “energy initiatives.”
“The safety and security of people across the country has been compromised,” he said.
He also wants to “criticize efforts to support” law enforcement officers who “don't feel supported” under the current Democratic administration.
And he plans to prioritize bipartisanship.
“I would definitely be a big advocate and work collaboratively with both sides of the aisle to get things done instead of continually pointing fingers and blaming. [others] like this current administration and this current senator who is in office right now,” he said.
He demonstrated this in 2020 when, while still a Democrat, he traveled to Washington, DC to meet with then-President Donald Trump and then-Attorney General William Barr.
He faced heavy criticism for attending the meeting, but defended it anyway, arguing that he had to do what was necessary to complete his job, regardless of his party affiliation.
“I understand that I represent the people and not a party when I am elected,” he said. “I can stand on my own two feet. I am my own person, and I am a very reasonable person. I am also a fair person. I have everyone's best interest at heart. Politics does not influence my decisions when it comes to serving the people”.
“I want to do things. I want to help people, and I want to serve them because that's what I've been called to do,” he added.
The “current senator” is Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat who Gonzales says is a “career politician” and a “carpeter.”
'. https://t.co/MlZv7Odysl pic.twitter.com/bHBrfEFdTC
— Sheriff Manuel Gonzales III (@MannyForABQ) January 10, 2024
“I want to be the person that has the opportunity in November to challenge him and unseat him so things can start moving,” Gonzales said of Heinrich. “I really think things are idle here, and I think when people get complacent and comfortable, I think it's time for them to go home.”
He is particularly outraged by Heinrich's silence regarding a number of law enforcement issues that have arisen over the years.
“I didn't see any effort or anybody [Heinrich’s] The office reached out to support whatever initiative we were doing,” Gonzales explained.
Before running for Senate, Gonzales tried to run for mayor of Albuquerque in 2021.
“However, he lost that election to Tim Keller, a Democrat who previously served as New Mexico's state auditor,” notes Fox News.
Additionally, according to Fox News, “Last fall, Gonzales and former Laguna Police Chief Rudy Mora were named in a federal indictment filed in Maryland that accused the pair of participating in an illegal gun scheme in the 'status'.
Prosecutors alleged the two had signed false documents to help illegally operating arms dealers obtain machine guns.
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