FROM THE CAMPAIGN MANAGER'S DESK

Hi there,

How are you — really?

The last two months have been deeply difficult and stressful for everyone. Many of us are struggling with unemployment or illness, and everyone is adapting to a new way of life under social distancing.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, our campaign has heard from many of you about how your communities are coming together to support those in need. Ben Ray is deeply appreciative of the strength and empathy New Mexicans have shown during this crisis — and he knows we can get through this, together.

If you are able to give to support relief efforts, there are many charities across New Mexico that are making a difference during this crisis, including:

• Roadrunner Food Bank, the largest hunger-relief organization in New Mexico.
• Native American Relief Fund, which supports communities impacted by COVID-19 across the Navajo, Apache, and Pueblo nations of New Mexico and beyond. (select "Native American Relief Fund") under the designation option)
• Pueblo Relief Fund, which supports efforts to treat and reduce the spread of COVID-19 among members of Pueblo nations.
• Governor Bill Richardson's COVID-19 Navajo Families Relief Fund, which brings essential medical supplies to the Navajo Nation. (scroll down on the page for the link)

COVID-19 will make the 2020 election different from any election we have seen before — but our team is working harder than ever to reach voters across the state. Keep reading to learn the latest news about our efforts and discover new ways to get (virtually) involved.

Thank you,

Travis Brimm
Campaign Manager
People for Ben

STATE OF THE RACE

THE PRIMARY IS 19 DAYS AWAY! On June 2, New Mexico will hold our 2020 primary election. During this unprecedented election season, our campaign is doing everything we can to encourage voters to cast their ballots absentee by mail. To request your New Mexico absentee ballot, click here.

...AND THE DEADLINES ARE MOUNTING. May 13 was our pre-primary FEC fundraising deadline — the most important fundraising deadline for our campaign so far. Thanks to the support of thousands of generous donors, we met our fundraising goal and will have strong numbers to show on our next public report.

Now, our campaign is racing to raise the funds that will make it possible to reach voters across New Mexico before the general election begins. If you can afford to, please consider making a grassroots contribution to support our campaign before June 2. Our campaign doesn't take a dollar from corporate PACs, and we're relying on small-dollar contributions to keep New Mexico blue.

CONTRIBUTE

POLICY UPDATE

As the COVID-19 epidemic continues, Ben Ray is focused on solutions to help American families recover and emerge stronger from the pandemic. Since the crisis began, he's worked with New Mexico’s Congressional delegation to secure $170 million for New Mexico’s health care providers and allocate millions more for rental assistance and maintenance projects at regional airports.

In addition, Ben Ray has introduced or co-sponsored legislation that would:

• Invest $80 billion into rural broadband expansion to improve educational opportunities, telemedicine, law enforcement responsiveness, and other urgent needs.
• Secure $250 billion in emergency funding to help local governments respond to COVID-19.
• Prevent price gouging during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

ENDORSEMENT UPDATE

INDIVISIBLE. On April 23, our campaign was proud to announce the endorsement of Indivisible, one of the country’s largest grassroots progressive organizations. During the 2018 election, Indivisible members knocked on thousands of doors to elect Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. Ben Ray looks forward to working with Indivisible again to win back the Senate and White House in 2020.

AFT-NM. On April 30, the American Federation of Teachers-New Mexico announced their endorsement of our campaign. As the son of a public school employee, Ben Ray was raised to value education and understand the impact teachers can have on the lives of New Mexico’s children. He is honored to earn AFT-NM’s endorsement.

NEW MEXICO STATE ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS. In March, Ben Ray was endorsed by the New Mexico State Association of Letter Carriers, a union representing postal workers. Ben Ray understands that the Post Office is a lifeline for rural communities, seniors, and people with disabilities, and he is committed to defending the Post Office from partisan attacks.

MOMS DEMAND ACTION. On April 27, Ben Ray earned the Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinction based on his common-sense approach to reducing gun violence in New Mexico. Each year, nearly 400 New Mexican lives are lost to gun violence — a statistic that demands action from Congress. Ben Ray is looking forward to working with Moms Demand Action on policies that will reduce gun deaths and keep New Mexicans safe.

SOUTHWEST CARPENTERS. On April 24, Ben Ray was endorsed by the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters and Carpenters Local 1319, which together represent more than 50,000 members. The Carpenters endorsement is based on a candidate’s commitment to standing up for working families, investing in infrastructure, and supporting American unions. Ben Ray is proud to be a friend to labor and honored to earn this endorsement.

GRASSROOTS UPDATE

JOIN OUR TEXTING TEAM! Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our grassroots texting team has raised nearly $4,000 for Roadrunner Food Bank, which provides hunger relief to needy families across New Mexico. Joining the texting team is easy and fun, and will give you the opportunity to make a difference from the comfort of your home. 

JOIN THE TEXTING TEAM

WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER. With the COVID-19 pandemic touching diverse communities across New Mexico, our campaign has placed a significant focus on multilingual public health communications. In April, we released a video about COVID-19 featuring English, Spanish, and Diné speakers. WATCH:

 

Stay in touch! Join the People for Ben Facebook Group and connect with campaign supporters across New Mexico.