NM-01: Melanie Stansbury (D)

REPLACING:

Deb Haaland (D)[i]

WORK HISTORY:

US House of Representatives (Representative, NM-01); New Mexico State House of Representatives (State Representative, District 28); New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science (Field Instructor); Cornell University (Research & Instruction); White House Council on Environmental Quality (Policy Fellowship); US Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources (Policy Fellowship); Sandia National Laboratories & Utton Transboundary Resources Center (Consultant); White House Office of Management & Budget (Program Examiner); US Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources (Professional Staff)[ii]

EDUCATION:

Diploma, Cibola High School; BS, Saint Mary’s College of California; MS, Cornell University; PhD Candidate, Cornell University[iii]

CAMPAIGNED ON:

Economy, Jobs & Resilience; Community Well-Being; Environment & Sustainability; Education & Child Well-Being[iv]

ON THE ISSUES

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:

A pro-choice Democrat, Stansbury has pledged to defend reproductive health care and access to abortions.[v] [vi] [vii]

ECONOMY, JOBS & TAXES:

According to her campaign website, Stansbury supports expanding paid family and medical leave, investing in infrastructure, and raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour to help spur economic growth. She advocates for equal pay for equal work and addressing systemic hunger at the federal level, including via food and income support programs.[viii] She also favors a child tax credit for families.[ix]

HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SAFETY NET:

A Medicare for All supporter, Stansbury has said she believes that health care is a “human right,” and she supports protecting coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. She has touted that, as a state legislator, she voted “to expand and protect access to healthcare, including protecting pre-existing conditions, and to keep out-of-pocket healthcare costs down — because I know personally the impact medical bills can have on working families.”[x]

IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY:

Stansbury has called for a “compassionate approach” to fixing the United States’ immigration system, including reuniting families separated at the southern border and providing a pathway to citizenship. She has said she supports “humane immigration policies that address root causes of migration and provide opportunities for immigration, which boost our economy and add to the rich cultural and economic fabric of our country.”[xi]

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY:

A supporter of decriminalizing cannabis and removing the records of non-violent drug offenders, Stansbury has also advocated for legalizing cannabis recreationally and regulating the substance similarly to alcohol. To reduce crime, Stansbury has called for investment in “health care and behavioral health systems.”[xii]

GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS & ELECTION SECURITY:

Stansbury criticized House Republicans for voting against legislation protecting same-sex marriage, and she has advocated for protecting voting rights.[xiii] [xiv]

EDUCATION:

Stansbury has called for increasing pay for teachers and providing “wrap around services from pre-k to college.”[xv] [xvi] She has also expressed support for “Free College for All” and an executive order issued by President Biden that canceled student debt for certain borrowers. [xvii] [xviii]

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:

During the campaign, Stansbury pledged to “fight to pass meaningful legislation to address climate change, develop more renewable energy, ensure our water security, clean air, and the preservation of our public lands.”[xix] She has previously expressed support for investing in electric vehicles, indefinitely suspending new oil and gas leases on public lands, and a Green New Deal.[xx] [xxi]

GUN SAFETY:

Stansbury has argued that the US is facing a “gun violence epidemic,” and she has advocated for universal background checks, an assault weapons ban, gun buyback programs, and “critical investments” in mental health programs.[xxii] She has also expressed support for banning ghost guns and raising the legal age to purchase a firearm.[xxiii]

FOREIGN POLICY:

Stansbury has condemned Russia’s invasion and called for a “swift and unified global response that advances peace through diplomatic and economic solutions.”[xxiv] She urged President Biden to Grant Temporary Protective Status to Ukrainians living in the United States.[xxv]