| John Sanchez | |
|---|---|
| 31st Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2011 |
|
| Governor | Susana Martinez |
| Preceded by | Diane Denish |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Debra |
| Residence | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Alma mater | Hope Christian School, Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Profession | Small business owner, politician |
| Religion | Evangelical Christian |
| [1] | |
John A. Sanchez (born 1963) is an American politician and, as of January 1, 2011, the 31st Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico by winning the primary election on June 1, 2010, and the general election on November 2, 2010.[2]
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Sanchez, the youngest of eight children, was raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico's North Valley. Sanchez's great, great grandfather was a territorial legislator in 1860, and his grandfather served as a state representative in 1930. He served as a village trustee and one term in the state legislature.
Sanchez, a one-time flight attendant and real estate agent,[3] has stated that, after graduating high school, he started a small business in Albuquerque called Right Way Roofing, though this has been disputed.
In 1993, Right Way Roofing was named Small Business of the Year by the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce. It has also been investigated by the Immigration and Naturalization Service for hiring illegal immigrants.
In 1997, Sanchez was elected Trustee for the Village of Los Ranchos.
In 2000, Sanchez was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives, defeating 30-year incumbent and Speaker of the House Raymond G. Sanchez, by 206 votes (5,083 (51%) to 4,877 (49%)).
On June 5, 2002, Sanchez received 59% of the vote in a four-way Republican primary election for Governor of New Mexico.[4] Sanchez was defeated in the general election by Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill Richardson (55% to 39%).[5]
During the 2002 Republican primary election for Governor of New Mexico, Sanchez was accused of employing illegal immigrants at his roofing business, Right Way Roofing. In a radio interview, Sanchez demanded that his accusers "put up or shut up." His campaign "handed out copies of a letter from an INS special agent praising Right Way Roofing as never having had a problem with the agency.” However, later “Sanchez’s campaign…disclosed that the INS found a total of 10 illegal workers on Right Way’s payroll in the late-1990s seven during one visit and three during another.” [6]
During the 2002 election, Sanchez came under scrutiny for "faking his resume." Sanchez stated that he had "started" Right Way Roofing "right out of high school in 1980," but state documents "show he wasn't listed as president of Right Way Roofing until three years ago [1999]. His stepfather, a state-licensed roofer, held that title until then." [7]
Prior to the 2002 gubernatorial election, Sanchez was accused of unethical business practices in an Albuquerque Journal article written by Colleen Heild (October 24, 2002). His roofing business, Right Way Roofing, "offered discounts on some roofing jobs in the mid-1990s if customers paid in cash, according to interviews and a review of documents. The discounts typically represented the gross receipts tax total. One customer said his discount was for cash only as opposed to payment by check or credit card. That was disputed, however, by Sanchez campaign spokeswoman Whitney Cheshire. She said Wednesday that Right-Way Roofing on occasion had offered promotional discounts for payment by check or cash." A professor emeritus at the University of New Mexico was offered a deal and stated "it was clear to him no discount would be given if a personal check was used." [8]
A June 2011 story[9] in Politico identified several examples of then-state lawmaker John Sanchez's support for AFL-CIO supported issues, including:
Project Vote Smart data shows that Sanchez voted with the AFL-CIO 58% of the time in 2001.[10] Sanchez voted with the AFL-CIO 71% of the time in 2002.[11]
According to the Albuquerque Journal, Sanchez developed a reputation in the state legislature for "missing or intentionally ducking votes" and earned the nickname Johnny Walker.[8]
Sanchez missed more votes than any other freshman representative during the 2001 legislative session—159 substantive votes. The average for freshmen was 65 missed votes.[12]
On May 24, 2011, Sanchez announced his candidacy for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Democratic Senator Jeff Bingaman in 2012.[13]
Also on May 24, 2011, Governor of New Mexico Susana Martinez stated that she would restrict Sanchez's activities to only those required by the Constitution of the State of New Mexico. In a press release, the Governor stated, "To prevent this race from becoming a distraction, Lt. Governor Sanchez will not be given responsibilities in my administration beyond the select few provided for in the state Constitution." [14]
Following the June 30, 2011 Federal Election Commission deadline, the Sanchez campaign reported having raised $312,000 during the period.[15] Of that amount, Sanchez loaned himself $200,000. He raised a total of $126,000 from 78 individuals and six Limited liability company (LLCs).[16]
The FEC sent the Sanchez campaign a letter indicating that his July Quarterly Report included "one or more contributions that appear to exceed the limits" of federal law.[17] Sanchez accepted two donations from a Limited Liability Company in addition to donations from the LLC's owner.
Sanchez's campaign raised $164,059.79 in contributions[18] other than loans during the third quarter[19], compared to $231,144.00 raised by Greg Sowards[20] and $532,228.18 raised by Heather Wilson[21]. New Mexico political blogger Heath Haussamen concluded that Sanchez "hasn’t proven that he can raise or spend the money to compete."[22] National Journal included Sanchez in its "Losers" section for Senate fundraising during the quarter.[18] Sanchez latest disclosure [19] shows that his campaign has raised a net of $31,293 ($248,898 latest cash on hand; $217,605 debts owed), compared to Sowards'[20] -$366,869 ($496,732 cash on hand; $863,601 debts owed) and Wilson's[21] $952,898 ($952,898 cash on hand; $0 debts owed).
The Sanchez campaign received an endorsement from U.S. Senator Rand Paul in late September 2011.[23] Paul's endorsement was announced quickly after Sanchez's primary election opponent, Greg Sowards, announced his own endorsement from Tea Party icon and former Nevada U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle. [24]
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