The Democratic Party of Valencia County announced the results of its recent election of new party leaders.
Summer Ludwig
New Democratic Party of Valencia County chairwoman
In balloting among members of the party’s county central committee, former party treasurer Summer Ludwig ran unopposed to succeed outgoing county party chairwoman Pam Cordova, who did not run for reelection.
Ludwig’s term begins immediately and will run for two years. She is a long-time Democrat who has lived in Belen for the past five years. In addition to her work with the Democratic Party, Ludwig has been active in supporting various community-based initiatives, such as volunteering for the Valencia County Literacy Council, serving as treasurer for the Valencia County Federation of Democratic Women, and serving on the School of Dreams Academy Governing Council.
While Ludwig is realistic about the party’s recent disappointing performance at the polls, she is also sanguine about its prospects for the future.
“Democratic voters in this county have worked their way through a challenging political environment over the last few cycles, but we understand the importance of our mission and are ready to reclaim Valencia County’s proud Democratic heritage,” Ludwig said. “We are going to fight for the people of this county who are being exploited by big-money interests that want to deplete our resources and destroy our environment.”
While state- and national-level issues tend to dominate political coverage in New Mexico, Ludwig believes voters have grave misgivings about plans to ravage Valencia County’s delicate ecosystem with the adoption of dangerous extraction techniques such as hydraulic fracking.
“Our party is not going to stand by silently while our living standards are degraded and our precious water resources are sold off to the highest bidder,” she said following her election. “Homeowners and workers need a voice in how our county protects its quality of life. The Democratic Party of Valencia County intends to be that voice before it’s too late.”
Completing the Democratic Party leadership team in Valencia County are George Colombo, the party’s incoming vice chairman; and Marcos Balido, incoming party secretary. A party treasurer has not yet been elected.
The Valencia County News-Bulletin is a locally owned and operated community newspaper, dedicated to serving Valencia County since 1910 through the highest journalistic and professional business standards. The VCNB is published weekly on Thursdays, including holidays both in print and online.
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April 18, 2024
