Fuerzas Unidas Caucus of the

Democratic Party of New Mexico

NEWSLETTER

Vol. I (4)

Nominations for Executive Committee Positions

The Fuerzas Unidas Caucus will be holding its first electronic elections for all fourteen positions on the Executive Committee. Every position is open for nomination; however, current interim officers may be running for the permanent position. Here are the positions, with the officers who are currently serving:

OFFICERS

Chair – E. Diane Torres-Velásquez

Vice Chair, Metro – Ennio García-Miera

Vice Chair, Rural – Tirzio (TJ) López

Secretary, Michelle Mares

Treasurer, Vicky Estrada-Bustillo

REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

Northwest Rural – Loyda Martínez

Northern Metro – Miguel Ángel Acosta

Northeast Rural – vacant

Central West Rural – Margarita Mercure

Central Metro – Samuel Nevarez

Central East Rural – Ben Salazar

Southwest Rural – vacant

South Metro - Melissa Ontiveros

Southeast Rural – Alfredo Domínguez

The exact boundaries of each of the Representative positions are on page 4 of the nomination form: https://forms.gle/z65VjQfzJpwuh6sY8

Here are the duties of each of the positions, as stated in our Bylaws:

Section E: Duties

The Chair shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Caucus. They shall serve as the principal spokesperson of the Caucus. The Chair may execute, on behalf of the Caucus, all instruments in writing, which may be required or authorized by the Executive Committee for the proper and necessary transaction of the business of the Caucus. The Chair shall call and preside over meetings.

The Vice-Chairs shall assist the Chair in the Chair’s duties and take over the duties of the Chair in the Chair’s absence.

The Secretary shall prepare and submit all Reports as necessary under the Rules of the DPNM, including Rule 10.6. The Secretary shall maintain and verify the membership roster, including verifying DPNM registration as members are admitted into the Caucus. The Secretary shall be responsible for taking and maintaining the minutes and the attendance of the Executive Committee meetings and all general membership meetings. The Secretary will send notifications to the entire membership for meetings of the Executive Committee and of the caucus as a whole, The Secretary shall be responsible for notifying the membership of elections and of conducting all elections. The Secretary can delegate any of these duties to a willing Caucus member as necessary.

The Treasurer shall manage the Caucus finances including managing Caucus assets and debts, preparing the annual budget and getting it approved by the Executive Committee, making necessary filings to the New Mexico Secretary of State, and preparing quarterly financial statements.

The Regional Officers shall serve as liaisons between Caucus members in their Region and State Leadership and between other similar organizations of their Region and the Fuerzas Unidas Caucus. They shall have responsibility for overseeing and organizing their Region’s Caucus members, including direct action, communication, outreach, education, and advocacy for issues, projects, and campaigns promoted by the Caucus. In addition, they shall hold at least quarterly Fuerzas Unidas Caucus meetings in their Region and prepare a narrative of their activities and appropriate membership list for inclusion in the semi-annual reports required by the DPNM Rule on State-Level Democratic Caucuses and Affiliated Organizations.

The Regional Officers shall be responsible for assisting the Executive Committee as needed.

If you are interested in nominating or self-nominating a candidate, please do two things:

1. Let us know by emailing us, fuerzasunidasnm@gmail.com, your name, position sought, and a two-paragraph statement of interest telling members why you are running and the values you represent.

2. Please fill out the nomination form: https://forms.gle/z65VjQfzJpwuh6sY8

Self-nominations are open until May 10, 2022.

Mark Your Calendars!

FUERZAS UNIDAS

FULL CAUCUS MEMBERSHIP MEETING

MONDAY, May 23, 6 PM

Attention all members! Join us on Monday, May 23rd, at 6 pm for our fifth monthly membership meeting. To register for this meeting, please use this link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZErdOmrqTItE91ai2rSVg7zY5NtD5v7FjjJ

Bring a friend! They can become a member here:

https://forms.gle/anYTgArt7rdrxTCb9

Use our newly activated ActBlue link for dues or donations.

You may pay dues or set up for a donation at:

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/fuerzas-unidas-1

If you would like to apply for funds to assist you in paying your dues, please contact Vicky Estrada-Bustillo at vicky.treasurerfzuc@gmail.com

Next Fuerzas Unidas Meeting

May 23rd, 2022

(4^th Monday of each month)

Become a Member of Fuerzas Unidas

We are building a strong membership to organize and mobilize the Latino / Hispano vote; therefore, we enthusiastically encourage your membership, which can be completed at the following link:

https://forms.gle/anYTgArt7rdrxTCb9

Help us mobilize our strong communities by becoming active members of Fuerzas Unidas in your region!

Map of Fuerzas Unidas Regions Jan 2022.jpg

Selinda Guerrero: Organize Our Communities

By Pia Gallegos

Selinda Guerrero has an extensive history of working for justice in New Mexico. She ran for U.S. Congress in New Mexico’s Congressional District 1 in 2021. She works as an advocate for reproductive justice at Forward Together, and she started the New Mexico branch of Millions for Prisoners. She has crafted bills and lobbied for legislation at the Roundhouse, including voting rights for people convicted of felonies. She is a member of the State Central Committee of the Democratic Party of New Mexico. She has been a Precinct Chair, a Voter Registration Agent, and a poll worker. She has organized voting drives in the Counties of McKinley, Rio Arriba, and Doña Ana. She has given presentations for the Bernalillo County Democratic Party, the Westside Dems, and the Progressive Democrats of New Mexico.

I asked Selinda what message she has for Hispanic/Latino/Chicano/a/x Democrats of New Mexico. Selinda’s response was, “Organize our communities.” Organize for more representation as Precinct Chairs, Ward Chairs, candidates for office – at every level. Selinda said that it’s time for us to take an active leadership role on commissions and boards and to work within the various caucuses of the Democratic Party of New Mexico to empower historically underrepresented people.

Selinda says that once we get our people into every tier of legislative and party positions, we can choose our representatives and make our laws. Representation cannot remain the domain of the privileged few. For example, as Chair of the Bernalillo County Democratic Party, Flora Lucero has been instrumental in making the workings of the party more accessible to people in our community.

Selinda says that we need to be bold. “Take up space; take up leadership.” She says that there are places where we need to confront power. Yet, we may feel we are not welcome because we come from a different culture or socio-economic status. Her advice is not to go alone. Instead, “Go with your neighbor, go with your whole block, go with your ward.”

Relationships are critical to the ongoing struggle for substantive change. Form relationships within the community that demands change and with legislators who can enact the change. For example, when Selinda first started lobbying for the 2018 voting rights bill in New Mexico, it became the first bill in the country to propose complete enfranchisement to people convicted of felonies. She organized in the communities that have loved ones behind the walls, and she talked to legislators. Since that first legislative effort, others introduced a version of the voting rights bill in 2021, a bill proposed that any person who is not incarcerated could vote, regardless of any history of conviction. Although she didn’t design the new bill, her organization helped organize the community to support the bill and provided vital testimony during the legislative session. Unfortunately, this bill still has not passed in New Mexico. The bill will be reintroduced again in the upcoming legislative session, and Selinda is asking for your support to “Let the People Vote!”

“People power is greater than money power,” Selinda says. We don’t need to be intimidated by the lack of money. We have whole communities committed to the efforts to redistribute wealth, fight racism, and empower our people.

I am a single mother of six phenomenal young people and a beautiful granddaughter who was born summer of 2019. I am a working-class, BIPOC, feminist community organizer. I am the people of this district, and my family has been impacted by issues that often go undiscussed, such as state violence, housing insecurity, access to education, and Trans, Black, and Indigenous liberation. I am not a career politician - I am the working poor. I am an unapologetic truth-teller and advocate for our community. -Selinda Guerrero