Denis Litvinenko: Championing Change for District 25

It is simply unacceptable that New Mexico remains one of the most violent states in the country. Our families should feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods, yet too many live with uncertainty and fear.

This crisis is the result of years of failed policies — a lack of accountability in the criminal justice system, repeat offenders being released back onto the streets, and inconsistent support for the law enforcement officers who work every day to protect us.

I will continue to fight to ensure law enforcement has the tools, authority, and support they need to keep our communities safe.

We must also strengthen bail policies and sentencing standards so violent criminals face real consequences. Dangerous offenders should not be given endless second chances at the expense of innocent victims. Public safety must be the top priority.

In addition, we need to remove policies that limit cooperation between local and federal law enforcement, including sanctuary-style measures that restrict coordination. We cannot allow politics to interfere with public safety.

The mission is clear: protect our communities, back our law enforcement officers, and hold violent criminals fully accountable.

le that New Mexico has one of the highest violent crime rates in the nation. Families deserve to feel safe in their own communities, and right now too many do not.

This crisis didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of weak accountability in our criminal justice system, repeat offenders cycling through the courts, and policies that fail to back up the men and women who put on a badge every day to protect us.

I have fought — and will continue to fight — to ensure that law enforcement officers have the resources, authority, and support they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.

We must also address bail reform and sentencing standards so that violent repeat offenders are not released back into our communities only to commit new crimes. Public safety has to come first.

Finally, we need to end policies that create barriers to cooperation between local and federal authorities. That includes re-examining so-called sanctuary policies that limit law enforcement coordination. New Mexico cannot afford policies that put politics ahead of public safety.

Our priority should be simple: protect innocent people, support law enforcement, and hold violent criminals accountable.

High-performing schools rely on measurable outcomes, clear objectives, and accountability. They are transparent about student progress so families and the community can see how well they are delivering results.

Parents have a right to understand how their child’s school is performing. If it is not serving their child well, they should be free to select another public school, a charter school, a private school, or to homeschool — and education funding should follow that choice.

Families also deserve full visibility into what is being taught. History should be taught truthfully, but in a way that is appropriate for a child’s age and presented in a manner that builds understanding rather than division.

Local DEA officials have made it clear: fentanyl is the number one drug threat facing Albuquerque and communities across New Mexico.

I say this not just as a policymaker, but as someone who came to this country legally. I am a legal immigrant. I believe in the rule of law, and I believe our borders must be secure. There is nothing anti-immigrant about expecting laws to be enforced. In fact, it honors those of us who followed the legal process.

In a leaked audio recording, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham admitted the border is wide open. Yet when we sponsored legislation to address border security and the fentanyl crisis, those bills were blocked.

Even California, under Governor Gavin Newsom, passed legislation increasing penalties for fentanyl distribution. Through Operation CalGuard, authorities seized over a million fentanyl pills in a recent crackdown. If California can take action, New Mexico can too.

We can support legal immigration while also demanding a secure border. We can protect opportunity and protect public safety at the same time.

This should not be a partisan issue. It is about saving lives, stopping fentanyl, and enforcing the law.