Patricia A. Madrid

Patricia A. Madrid
29th New Mexico Attorney General
In office 1999–present
Preceded by	Thomas Stewart Udall
Personal details
Born	1947 Southern New Mexico
Political party	Democratic

Patricia A. Madrid is an American politician and the current Attorney General for the U.S. state of New Mexico. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Political Career

Patricia Madrid won her first campaign in 1978 when she became the first woman elected to sit as a district court judge in New Mexico. In 1998, she became the first woman elected Attorney General of the State of New Mexico. She was re-elected in 2002.

In 2005, Madrid became the Chairperson of the Western Conference of Attorneys General, which focuses on energy, environment and Indian gaming issues.

2006 Congressional Race

Madrid announced in October 2005 that she would run in 2006 for a seat in the United States House of Representatives in New Mexico's first congressional district. Her opponent is Republican incumbent, Heather Wilson.

The most recent poll showed Madrid and Wilson in a dead heat with Madrid at 43% and Wilson at 44%.

The race is largely a referendum on President Bush and the ethical nature of the Republican Party, while Wilson attempts to portray herself as independent and Madrid highlights Heather Wilson's ties to indicted former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

It is seen by both parties as one of 2006's most competitive and important races.

Political Views

Iraq

Patricia Madrid supports the establishment of a definite timeline for troop withdrawal and has called for investigating the intelligence that led up to the Iraqi war.

Progressive Taxation

Patricia Madrid firmly rejects Bush's economic policies, and staunchly supports reforming the tax system to be less supply-side focused and more progresive.

Government & Health Care Reform

Madrid has come out in opposition to the Medicare D Drug Plan which her opponent, Heather Wilson, has strongly supported. She aims to reform both the major drug plan as well as break the lock lobbyists have on Washington D.C. Her statements echo that of the general Democratic message in the 2006 election against the Culture of Corruption.

Internet Predators & Protecting Children

Madrid has called for amending the New Mexico state Constitution in order to prevent Child Pornography from being protected by the free speech clause .

Madrid has supported an interventionalist state-wide campaign that aims to fight internet predators; the effects of this have been calls for invading the privacy of teenagers. Her anti-sexual predation initiatives have focused more on shielding, and not on educating. Madrid has found it fit to even suggest that teenagers refrain from maintaining social lives on such websites as Myspace.

Environmentalism

Madrid has been a staunch environmentalist during her tenure as Attorney General of New Mexico. Madrid challenged the Bush Administration on its failure to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, the leading cause of global warming.

Gay Rights

Despite Madrid's order to New Mexico's Sandoval County to immediately cease distributing same-sex marriage licenses, she contrasts against her 2006 congressional opponent Heather Wilson in that she stands firmly behind gay rights and has spent much of her career fighting for social justice for the LGBT community.

Notable actions as Attorney General

• Established a Capital Litigation Unit to provide assistance to district attorneys statewide prosecuting violent crimes and death penalty cases.
• Introduced New Mexico's first state-level Crime Victim's Services Unit.
• Established the Violence Against Women unit, which received a grant for over $560,000 to provide training for first responders to domestic violence incidents in rural New Mexico.
• Established the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
• Convicted a number of individuals for the illegal dumping of rendering plant waste near irrigation ditches in violation of the state's Water Quality Act.
• Helped found the Endangered Species Act Work Group, which brings together farmers and municipalities, federal, state and environmental interests.

Awards & Recognitions

• Hispanic National Bar Association Latina Lawyer of the Year
• Mothers Against Drunk Driving Annual Award for Elected Officials
• New Mexico's Commission on the Status of Women Trailblazer Award
• Capital Business and Professional Women of Santa Fe Woman of the Year in Government Award
• Animal Protection of New Mexico 2004 Milagro Executive Director’s Award
• New Mexico Business Weekly three time New Mexico Power Broker

References

• New Mexico Attorney General's Office
• Patrica Madrid For Congress