49.1%!

Wow, what a story.  Against impossible odds, with no one in the press or anywhere else giving us a chance of getting any votes, our Campaign for Change is the story of Election Night -- winning 49.1% of the vote and coming within 0.9% of winning against Ben Lujan Sr.

The votes are still officially being counted, and we will make sure that the voice of the people who stood up for change is fully heard and that the election is fair and honest by monitoring the process all the way to the last provisional ballot, making sure that every one of your votes is counted.  We may not win officially, but we have already won in doing what they told us couldn't be done (but that we all knew was possible all along).

What fantastic thing we've all done together.

"Thank you for giving us hope."

As our campaign enters the final countdown to Election Day, we want to take a moment to express our appreciation and pride in all of our supporters on our Campaign for Change.

We don't need to tell any of you what a courageous act your work on this campaign has been.  Carl Trujillo's extraordinary courage in stepping up and running against Ben Lujan Sr. was just the start -- everyone who supported us has risked the wrath of the machine by giving their time, energy and faith to our Campaign for Change.  For the first time in generations, our community has a choice to vote for a real citizen legislator who will truly represent our priorities and needs.

Tonight, we'll share with all of you what the press hasn't seen because it doesn't show in polls and endorsements -- that after three months of knocking on doors and talking with voters, our internal polling numbers show that we are in the lead and have a very real chance at victory tomorrow.

The next step is up to all of you -- now is the time to step up and ask your friends, family and neighbors to join you in the courageous act of voting for real change.

This will be a test of our community's courage.  When the fear and intimidation of a political machine rules for decades, even honest people can sometimes forget that there's another way and may vote for what they've always known over an unknown future.  But while we anticipate victory tomorrow, the truth is that in a very real way, we have already won.  As the Rio Grande Sun pointed out in its article (and endorsement of our campaign) last week, our campaign "opens the gates.  People won't be afraid to run against Lujan anymore."  We did that -- together.

With a tiny group of passionate staff and volunteers, an equally tiny budget and very little time, against an opponent wielding the power of a huge political machine, over $100,000 to spend, the support of wealthy businesses and powerful special interests, and against the predictions of certain defeat by virtually every political pundit in the state, our Campaign for Change has a  real chance of winning.

We've defied expectations and political "wisdom," broken a lot of the rules about how campaigns are "supposed" to be run, learned from mistakes, addressed and stuffed thousands of envelopes, spent many late night hours in radio station studios, walked and drove hundreds of miles, shook untold numbers of hands, sat in dozens of meetings, wore out cell phones making phone calls, shared moments of triumph and frustration, lost a lot of sleep, and shaken up the system for the first time in decades.

We've had the privilege of listening to the stories of young and old in our community about their desire for change, and we've read scores of emails and received dozens of voicemail messages and phone calls from community members thanking us for giving them a choice.  And over and over, we hear the same thing -- thank you for giving us hope.

All of that means more than you all might realize tonight, when every one's understandably focused on winning or losing.  But the reality is that we are in a position to win  and that alone is extraordinary.  In short, we have already made political history.


Now it's time to make history again -- by winning tomorrow.  Your vote will make the difference.

For years, the people of our community have said that we want a more honest, open and ethical state government.

Now is our chance to make that change.

We've got momentum!

A group of our sign holders practices for Election Day, as we head into the final stretch of our Campaign for Change.

Our phone lines and emails are filled with people looking for ways to get involved-- and there's plenty to do.  There's an excitement in the air about the possibility of real change in our community for the first time in many years.

We'll be poll monitoring at every precinct in the district, with experts and attorneys on call to help with any problems that come up and specially trained poll monitors who are dedicated to doing everything we can to make sure that this election is fair, open and an honest representation of the will of the people -- not just for our campaign, but for every candidate on the ballot. 

Outside of the polls, our volunteers are helping with free rides to the polls, reminder calls and, of course, door-to-door-outreach.  And as you can see from the photo above, they're practicing their moves for Election Day sign holding.

With your help, we can win this and bring a much-needed change of leadership to District 46!

Listening to Our Community Organizations

For the past few months, Carl Trujillo and our Campaign for Change have been reaching out to cause organizations and citizens activist groups in our community -- not to ask them for endorsements, but to listen to their concerns and best ideas for how to make northern New Mexico a better place for all of us.

Carl has met for substantive sit-down conversations with groups and community leaders concerned with the environment, domestic violence, animal rights, youth programs, the arts, local business, sustainability, water issues, homelessness and many, many more issues vital to northern New Mexico.   And without exception, all of these groups have responded enthusiastically to our Campaign for Change.

As a citizen legislator, Carl Trujillo knows that making our community better isn't just the work of one person wielding power, but the combined effort of everyone who cares about our community.  That's the kind of candidate he's been and that's the kind of representative he'll be.

Campaign for Change Listening Parties

Everywhere we go, our Campaign for Change hears the same thing:  that people in our community don't feel listened to by the current political leadership.

So to help fix that problem, we've launched a series of Listening Parties that give members of our community an opportunity to voice their concerns about what's wrong with our state government and what the priorities should be.  Carl's plan is to continue these Listening Parties into the general election and make them part of his work as our representative.

Listening parties are very different from traditional "house parties" or "Meet the Candidate" events. They're all about listening, not talking -- they're not about giving speeches or even asking for support, but rather about hearing YOUR concerns and priorities first and foremost.

At tonight's listening party in Nambe, we heard people voice concerns about the poor quality of education in the district, the lack of basic services and the cronyism and corruption that makes real change difficult. And always the same priority -- change, change and more change!

Carl expressed his support for a more open, honest and responsive government that really listens to and serves the people -- and once again, we've added more support for our Campaign for Change.

Want to host a Listening Party in your community?  Email us at Trujillo4Rep@gmail.com.  We'll do all the work -- all you have to do is invite your friends and share your concerns about the future of New Mexico.

One Week to Go!

We have just one more week to go before Election Day, and we're happy to report that support for our Campaign for Change increases with every passing day .  Carl Trujillo and his volunteers have been spending all day, every day, listening to community members talk about their concerns for the future of New Mexico.

Through phone calls, emails, personal visits and listening parties, we're hearing the same thing over and over again:  people are ready for change.

We are struggling with record deficits, a public school system that's ranked 49th out of 50 in the country, near 10% unemployment, and a state government listed as the third most corrupt in the nation. To solve these problems, we need to get rid of the old-style "politics as usual" political machine that has controlled our government for too long, and elect leaders that can move us into the future.

Early voting has already started and the last day to vote is June 1 -- cast your vote today for change!

Lack of safe drinking water is a serious problem

This week, Carl Trujillo visited with residents of the Chimayo community to hear their concerns about the lack of safe drinking water in their neighborhoods.

Currently, there are 5000 residents in the Chimayo service area, and only about 331 meters installed to serve them. This means that the large majority of people are forced to go to great lengths to get safe drinking water. Many get a rotten egg smell when they turn on their taps, and there is so much silt in their well water that they have to replace the filter to their washing machines monthly or more frequently. And worst of all, in addition to nitrates and sulfur, in some locations, there is also uranium in the water

It is morally inexcusable that a mere 30 miles from Santa Fe, one of the most affluent communities in New Mexico, people of our community live without one of the most basic requirements for life – clean, safe drinking water, while they are represented by the most powerful politician in the state who has had 36 years to solve this problem.

As a representative, one of Carl’s priorities will be to solve this decades-old problem by working with the residents of Chimayo and the northern part of Santa Fe County to provide the clean, safe drinking water they need.

Meet Carl Trujillo, Citizen Legislator

Carl Trujillo talks with voters at Community Day on the Plaza.  As a "citizen legislator," Carl's priority will be to do what representatives in a democracy are supposed to do -- represent the concerns, priorities and needs of the people of the community.

As a citizen legislature rather than a career politician, Carl is genuinely part of the community, with the same hopes, concerns and priorities that we all share.   And his pledge to take no campaign contributions over $100 means that when he's in the legislature, he won't owe anything to special interests -- he is free to vote for the best interests of the people 100% of the time.

"I believe strongly in the concept of a citizen legislator.  I believe that’s the way our democracy was intended to work.  The problem when one person is in office for too long is that they become career politicians, and they put their personal interests and the interests of their friends before the interests of the people.  I’m not a career politician. I’m part of this community, I’m a citizen first, and I’m running to represent the people." -- Carl Trujillo

Supporting Community Projects

 

Carl spent part of a beautiful sunny Saturday meeting with members of the Pablo Sena Community Garden in Pojoaque.  The large community garden will grow chile, lettuce, tomatoes, corn and other vegetables.

Projects like this one are vital to the health and well-being of our district.  Neighbors working together to make the community better create safer neighborhoods, stronger family ties and a culture that encourages participation, teamwork and a sense that "when everyone does better, everyone does better."

Early voting starts today!

Saturday, May 15, marks the beginning of early voting -- and your chance to vote for Carl Trujillo's Campaign for Change.

Early voting locations:

• Pojoaque County Satellite Office,  Pojoaque Pueblo Plaza, 5 W Gutierrez
• Santa Cruz Government Building, 153 Camino de Quintana
• Santa Fe County Clerk, 102 Grant Avenue, Santa Fe
• Santa Fe County Fairgrounds - 3229 Rodeo Road, Santa Fe
• El Dorado Senior Center, 14 Avenida Torreon, El Dorado

You can vote at any early voting location, regardless of where you live.

Voting hours are Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday, 12 noon till 8 p.m.

Can't get to the polls? We can give you a ride, any day, any time!  Call 231-1460.

Meet Carl Trujillo, Athlete

An avid athlete and sportsman, Carl Trujillo takes a break from the campaign trail to play baseball with his sons.  Carl is also a youth mentor who has coached high school baseball at Pojoaque Valley High School, as well as Little League, basketball, and soccer.

Carl on KSWV and KDCE

Carl Trujillo was interviewed live in KSWV radio this morning, and we're still getting calls and emails from people who heard him speak and are joining our campaign, calling Carl a much-needed "breath of fresh air."

For those of you who missed the interview, you can listen to another interview with Carl on 950 AM KDCE tomorrow, Friday, May 14, at 8:40 a.m.

UPDATE 5/14:  Carl's interview on KDCE generated still more calls and emails in support of for our Campaign for Change.  You can listen to the interview at our website, www.CarlTrujillo.com.

Your chance to be on the radio!

Many of you have probably already heard our radio commercials on KDCE and KSWV.  We've had several calls asking about them and the answer is, yes, the people in the ads are real campaign volunteers voicing their support for our Campaign for Change.

Haven't heard the commercials yet?  Listen to them right now on our Campaign for Change homepage.

And best of all, if you have something you'd like to say in a "Doorbell" ad, give us a call at 505-231-1460 or email the campaign at Trujillo4Rep@gmail.com and you might get the chance to star in one of our Campaign for Change commercials!

Happy Mother's Day!

After spending time with his own mother, Dolores, Carl Trujillo and his son Thomas celebrated with community members at the Women's Health Center Mother's Day Walk at Solana Center.

There's an old saying, "When Mama's not happy, nobody's happy!"  And the needs of moms in northern New Mexico reflect the most critical issues facing us today.  Record budget deficits caused in part by government corruption and mismanagement have led to serious cuts in needed services including health care and education. State employees forced to take unpaid furlough days have less money to provide for their families. And the state government's financial crisis means less grant money available for vital programs for preventing teen pregnancy and domestic violence.

We can fix these problems, but first we must start by cleaning up state government so that our tax dollars and government resources can be focused where they're most needed -- on the people of northern New Mexico.

Supporting Women's Health

Carl Trujillo's wife, Ellen, signs up for the Susan B. Komen Walk for the Cure to benefit breast cancer research at the Women's Health Fair at DeVargas Mall.

It's a well-known fact that when the women in a community thrive, the entire community thrives.  But New Mexico's women face special challenges when it comes to health.  Over 25% of NM residents are uninsured, many of them women and children.  Domestic violence rates are among the highest in the nation and increasing.  Teen pregnancy is a serious problem.


We must work within the diverse array of cultures in New Mexico to find ways to solve these problems, and to ensure that women in our community, and our children, are treated with the dignity and respect that all of our citizens are entitled to.

Support our local economy at the Farmer's Market

 

Democratic candidate for State Representative Carl Trujillo listens to community concerns every Saturday morning at the Farmer's Market in Santa Fe.  Supporting locally-owned, sustainable businesses is an important part of creating an economy that can withstand global financial crises, and create well-playing, personally-rewarding work for all of us.

Meet Carl Trujillo every Saturday morning at the Farmer's Market to share your ideas and concerns about how to make our community work better for all of us.

A Message from Carl Trujillo on May Day

Today, my wife Ellen and I had the privilege of joining hundreds of our fellow community members in the march for fair immigration policies.  The march was in protest of the recently enacted, potentially discriminatory immigration law in Arizona, but more than that, it was a deeply meaningful statement about the rights of every person to be treated with basic respect and dignity.

Unfortunately, the Arizona law does little to keep our borders truly safe, while creating a situation that could result in people who are in the US, including citizens of New Mexico who are visiting Arizona, being legally being harassed for the simple fact that they are Hispanic.  That's not fair or right.

We must find ways of protecting our citizens from the drugs, weapons and violence that spill over the border, but we must never do so at the expense of the values that America stands for -- respect, dignity and freedom for all. We must never lose sight of our history -- America is a nation of immigrants and it is this rich diversity of cultures that has made us strong.

As your state representative, I pledge to do all I can to prevent New Mexico from ever enacting such a potentially dangerous and discriminatory law as the one in Arizona.  More than that, I will work to create and support immigration policies that don't promote racism in the name of false security.

Blessings to you and your family this May Day.

Carl Trujillo

Let's keep Santa Fe artist-friendly!

Carl Trujillo admires the work of a local artist at an outdoor fair in Santa Fe.

Our local artists and craftspeople are a big part of what makes Santa Fe and northern New Mexico such a unique and vibrant place to live.  Carl supports the Santa Fe Living Wage and believes that the artists, craftspeople and working families who make Santa Fe the special place that it is should be able to afford to live here without having to work three jobs and cut corners to make ends meet.

Meet & Greet BBQ with Carl Trujillo

Supporters of Carl Trujillo's campaign for change braved windy weather to turn out for the Meet & Greet BBQ this afternoon.

Campaign volunteers cooked up some fantastic food while a DJ revved up the crowd for Carl's speech.  

"I am running to represent the people of District 46,"  Carl told the crowd. "Over and over again, I hear from people in our community that they feel they have been neglected.  I will bring that representation back to the district."

Carl Trujillo Celebrates Earth Day

 On Earth Day, Carl visited with vendors, artists and community members at the La Montanita Coop Earth Day Festival. 

Here in New Mexico, we're blessed with abundant natural resources and some of world's most spectacular landscapes and wildlife. Carl Trujillo will fight to protect our wilderness and wildlife to ensure that our children and grandchildren can enjoy the beauty of New Mexico just as we do. Carl will also work to encourage investment in green energy and sustainable technologies like wind, solar and alternative fuels to protect New Mexico's environment while providing sustainable, high-paying jobs and business opportunities for all New Mexicans.


We need to protect our environment, reduce our carbon footprint and create a sustainable, local-based economy by making it easy for local, sustainable businesses

to thrive in our community.

Jobs... For a Change!

Carl visits with a community member at the Chamber of Commerce Job Fair at DeVargas Mall.  We had a terrific response to our campaign table -- people were three deep at times signing up for our mailing list and picking up yard signs, T-shirts and information about Carl's campaign for a change.

And of course, there were many people there looking for jobs, on a day when unemployment in our state is almost 10%.

So many people in our community are struggling to make ends meet, and our outdated politics aren't helping.  We need an educational system that prepares our young people to find good jobs when they graduate.  And most of all, we need to build a sustainable, "deep green" economy that encourages local companies to employ local people at fair wages, and doesn't force our best and brightest to move out of state to find jobs that will allow them to build a life and start a family.

Meet Carl Trujillo, Homebuilder

Another in our Meet the Candidate series.

Carl Trujillo is a successful small business owner with a thriving business as a homebuilder.  He's built over 42 homes, most of them for people right here in our community, and lives in a home he designed and built himself.

Carl is committed to creating more local opportunities for people who want to build a future for our community.  We need incentives for local businesses to hire local people at fair wages. And we need to invest our tax money in programs like job training and education to prepare people for the coming "deep green" economy -- sustainable, local, environmentally response and economically prosperous.

Meet Carl Trujillo

Another in our series of blog posts introducing voters in the community to a young, exciting and capable new leader, Carl Trujillo.

Here, Carl takes time off from campaigning to work on his beautiful property in Nambe. His family has lived here for over 20 years, in a home that Carl built himself, nestled in the heart of the district.  Carl's commitment to his community runs deep.  He mentors youth through sports coaching, volunteers at his local food bank and is passionate about making his community a better place for all of us.

Great news at the campaign office!

Carl Trujillo, holding his son Thomas, looks at voter outreach results at the campaign office.

Our volunteers have been out knocking on doors and talking with voters every weekend, and the response has been overwhelmingly supportive of Carl's campaign for change.  Voters everywhere are telling us that they are ready to make a change from the outdated politics of the past and move forward into the future.

If you want to join our campaign for change, email our campaign office at Trujillo4rep@gmail.com or call us at 505-231-1460.  Whatever our unique skills are, there's a place for you on the Carl Trujillo Campaign for Change.