Candidates for the State House of Representatives Districts 38 and 39 and candidates for the Grant County Commission Districts 3, 4, and 5 on Tuesday took part in a candidate forum. The forum was sponsored by The Silver City/Grant County Chamber of Commerce, Grant County Prospectors, Silver City Regional Association of Realtors, Western New Mexico University, and Silver City Radio.
The evening opened with four candidates for the State House of Representatives: Democrat Mary Hotvedt and Republican Rebecca Dow in House District 38, and Democrat Rudy Martinez and incumbent Republican John Zimmerman in House District 39.
The State Representative candidates answered questions about the economy, education, and the notion of an open primary. Despite party lines, most candidates agreed that education of children needs to be addressed, and the state is in need of more jobs to stabilize the economy. Three of the four candidates also supported the idea of an open primary.
After the forum for the State Representatives concluded, Grant County Commission Candidates took the stage: Democrat Alicia Edwards and Republican Henry Torres for District 3, Democrat Marilyn Alcorn and Republican Billy Billings in District 4, and for District 5 were Democrat Harry Brown, Republican Harry Pecotte, and write-in Democratic candidate De Ann Bencomo.
Commission candidates were able to speak about their plans to diversify the economy and how to care for the youngest residents of the county. In addition to talks about how to brand Silver City, potentially as the bicycle capital of New Mexico, candidates also offered suggestions on how to build relationships between other agencies.
