Secretary of state candidate denies allegations of impropriety.
An allegation of illegal campaigning against a Democratic candidate for secretary of state is the first sign that an already fiercely contested race is bound to get even hotter.
City of Santa
Fe employee Gerald Valdez alleges that candidate Stephanie
Gonzales requested his support for her campaign during a conversation
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at the state Human Services Department's Child Support Enforcement offices in August, 2004.
Gonzales, at that
time, was director of the Child Support Enforcement. Valdez says he was there because he wanted to find out if he could obtain a record of his now ex-wife's salary to ensure he was receiving adequate child support payments.
Valdez says after a brief discussion of his situation, Gonzales informed him that she planned to run for office and asked for help with her campaign.
"I knew that it was not kosher," Valdez, a project manager for the city's Public Works Department, says. "But I sort of blew it off. I thought 'this is just politics.'"
It is a violation of New Mexico law for a state employee to use one's position to campaign on state property.
Gonzales, who served two prior terms as secretary of state, denies the allegation and says she hadn't even decided to run again at the time Valdez says they spoke. Moreover, Gonzales says she doesn't even recall talking with Valdez.
Following the encounter, Valdez says he was contacted by police because his former wife claimed he had violated an existing restraining domestic abuse protection order by visiting her workplace (she is employed by Human Services, but in a different division, according to spokesman Marty Eckert).
Subsequently, Valdez says he called Gonzales and asked her to testify that he was merely trying to get important information, not stalking his wife; Valdez says he never heard back.
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Court records show Valdez' former wife's complaint was dismissed May 6, 2005.
Valdez says he decided to go public about his encounter with Gonzales after he discussed the alleged incident with friends while attending the state Democratic convention last month. In a March 30 letter received by SFR, Valdez writes that the alleged conversation with Gonzales occurred in September, 2005. Court records, however, show police contacted Valdez over his trip to Child Support Enforcement in August, 2004. Valdez attributes the discrepancy in dates to his distress and confusion over the numerous court filings and proceedings regarding his divorce. More important, to Valdez, are Gonzales' alleged actions that day.
"I thought to myself, 'Wow, this is not cool. This is not right,'" Valdez, the father of Jonathan Valdez, recently placed on probation in connection with the beating of two gay men, says. "At the time, I knew this was kind of unusual, but I didn't know the full impact."
Gonzales attributes Valdez' claim to a ploy of one of the other candidates. She is in a four-way race with Shirley Hooper, Letitia Montoya and Mary Herrera for the Democratic party nomination. Gonzales says she's not sure which candidate specifically is responsible.
"This is an absurd assertion coming from my opponents," Gonzales says. "I would never jeopardize my campaign for one vote, especially to a deadbeat dad. Why didn't he immediately complain to one of my supervisors? Why did he wait until seven or eight months before the election?"
Gonzales was appointed to her most recent government post by Gov. Bill Richardson in January, 2003 and resigned in December of last year to run for office. At last month's state primary convention, she placed second to Mary Herrera with 33 percent of votes from Democratic state party delegates.
According to Human Services spokesman Eckert, no complaints were filed against Gonzales regarding illegal campaigning or any other matter.
"A lot of good things were done during her time here," Eckert says. "Under her leadership, we were able to get a handle on the number of cases coming into that division."
Valdez refutes any notion that he's politically motivated and says he's never worked for or been influenced by any of Gonzales' opponents. He says he attended the convention for the first time this year with a friend who helped count delegates' votes.
Shirley Hooper denies she's behind Valdez' allegation and points to an agreement made by all four not to attack each other.
"I had absolutely nothing to do with it," Hooper says.
Montoya seconds Hooper's sentiment.
"I would never do that to anybody," she says. "I'm running this campaign with a clean slate."
Herrera also rejects Gonzales' assertion.
"It's definitely not me. This is the first I've heard about it."
Meanwhile, Valdez says he is considering filing a complaint with the Secretary of State's Office but is concerned it will affect his relationship with Child Support Enforcement if he does.
"Because of the situation with my wife, I'm going to have to keep dealing with that division," he says. "I don't want to burn any bridges."
