In the Nov. 5 General Election, voters in New Mexico’s House District 44 will choose between incumbent Democrat Kathleen Cates and challenger, Republican Ali Ennenga, deciding between Cates’ experience and Ennenga’s fresh approach to representing Bernalillo and Sandoval counties.
Cates is seeking reelection, highlighting her understanding of the district’s issues, such as water management, infrastructure and public safety. Her challenger, Ennenga, says she offers a fresh perspective, prioritizing constituent concerns on crime, education and health care. The race has been marked by attack ads targeting each candidate’s personal record.
After a busy first term, Cates, who won her seat by defeating incumbent Republican Jane Powdrell-Culbert, is seeking reelection.
“It is important to have a representative who knows how public education is funded, how Medicaid works, how to operate a business and how real estate is sold and purchased,” Cates said.
Cates said her legislative accomplishments, including having seven bills signed into law during her first term, and her deep understanding of the district’s diverse needs are rooted in her personal and professional experience. She has raised her children in the community, run small businesses and nonprofits serving over 500 people monthly, and volunteered extensively — stacking food at pantries, raising scholarships for nurses and supporting local school sports programs.
“Since taking office in January of 2023, I have worked with the elected officials
and civic leaders in the district on the important issues of water, health care,
roads, stormwater management, and helping to provide needed funding for
public safety, infrastructure, and other capital improvements,” Cates said. “The needs of the district vary among the areas in the district. In Corrales, fixing and ultimately replacing the siphon is a major issue that I have worked on since before taking office. It involves coordination among various levels of government and Sandia Pueblo and requires understanding the relationships among these entities.”
Ennenga, a paralegal, educator and small business owner, promises an open-door policy and to vote based on the majority of her constituents, even if it differs from her personal views. With a bachelor’s in criminal justice administration and a master’s in education, she emphasizes her ability to navigate legal and educational issues while addressing key district concerns.
Having previously run unsuccessfully for House District 15 and a seat on the Albuquerque Public Schools Board, she now aims to address pressing issues like crime, health care access and education reform.
Ennenga outlined her vision for the district, explaining she would be a representative “who can design and promote crime bills that would protect the people; an educational system that would allow students to learn, teachers to teach, and parents to be more involved; an opportunity for you to see your doctor in a timely manner, and bring our health care professionals back to New Mexico; and striving for a better economy so you will not have to choose between paying your bills and feeding your family. I am proactive, not reactive, and as a representative of the people, it is my job to listen and respond with their voice.”
The candidates’ visions for the district’s future are as diverse as the district’s communities themselves.
Cates said it’s important to work across party lines with legislators who represent Rio Rancho to tackle city issues.
She positions herself as an advocate for the district, skilled at securing funding and fostering relationships to support key goals.
“I know the district’s needs and have been an effective legislator, having seven bills signed into law during my first term,” Cates said.
Her priorities include funding for elementary schools, the Central New Mexico Community College/Rio Rancho Public Schools Trade School, the International Balloon Museum, flood control, access to water for agricultural communities and ensuring parents have the authority to choose the books their children read rather than the government.
Ennenga’s campaign website outlines her key priorities, which include reducing regulations, addressing crime, prioritizing education and lowering taxes to stimulate economic growth.
Ennenga advocates for clear legislation that prioritizes real-life impacts, aiming to address issues like health care access and business startup challenges in New Mexico.
She believes tax-paying citizens deserve safety to raise families, which requires closing the border, ending “catch and release” policies, and fully supporting local law enforcement. She emphasized the need for teacher resources and transparency in education, pledging to ensure that every voice is heard.
She criticizes lawmakers for exacerbating financial struggles with an unreasonable gas tax and a burdensome gross receipts tax, deterring businesses amid high crime rates and poor educational outcomes.
Both candidates have received attack mailers targeting their campaigns.
“What I have seen is not attacking her personally but attacking her record. When she can’t attack my message, she takes my words out of context, misrepresents them, and attacks me personally,” Ennenga said. “She has used her own campaign donations to make personal attacks because I have the skill set to carry our district forward, and because my message is focused on listening, learning, and then leading.”
The New Mexico House Republican Campaign Committee funded a mailer attacking Cates for her support of House Bill 7, the Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care Freedom Act.
“The attack ads against me are ridiculous. They are baseless accusations that are
trying to once again divide people by party with generalizations and
misrepresentation of facts,” Cates said.
In response, Cates’ campaign issued mailers criticizing Ennenga for past social media posts that allegedly spread conspiracy theories related to elections and QAnon.