Kasandra Gandara is running for Mayor. Here's where she stands on the key issues

LAS CRUCES – Kasandra Gandara, long-time social worker and current mayor pro tem of the Las Cruces City Council, announced this week she's running to succeed Mayor Ken Miyagishima. Gandara's official campaign to become Las Cruces' next Mayor began April 14 with postings across social media and an article in the Las Cruces Bulletin.

If elected, Gandara would be the first woman to hold the office of Mayor in Las Cruces' history. But for now, Gandara, 55, holds two titles in city government – Councilor of District 1 and Mayor Pro Temp. On Friday, Gandara also sat down with the Sun-News for an interview regarding some of the city government's biggest challenges.

Gandara is the second candidate to announce a run for Mayor. The first candidate, Jason Estrada, bowed out of the race after police filed charges against him regarding allegations of illegally selling cannabis. Those charges have since been dropped.

Municipal elections are scheduled for Nov. 7. The contest will be Las Cruces' second mayoral election using ranked-choice voting, sometimes called instant run-off voting. Unlike Albuquerque or Santa Fe, the Mayor of Las Cruces is not an executive head. That position belongs to the unelected city manager. Instead, the mayor is the head of the City Council, which oversees the city manager and the city's budget.

More: Ranked choice voting is back! How does it work again?

The position of Mayor is one of the five elected offices in the City of Las Cruces up for election. Those include:

• Mayor, an open election after Miyagishima said he would not run for a 13th term,

• District 1, which opens up as Gandara runs for Mayor,

• District 2, currently held by Tessa Abeyta,

• District 4, currently held by Johana Bencomo,

• Municipal Judge I, presently held by Joy Goldbaum.

As of the publication of this article, none of the incumbents have announced a run to keep their seats.  All candidates must file paperwork at the Doña Ana County Clerk's Office on Aug. 29. 

As part of the Sun-News' coverage of the 2023 municipal election coverage, we asked Gandara six questions regarding critical issues in Las Cruces.

Why should Las Cruces elect you Mayor?

"I'm an experienced leader. And, I am thoughtful and compassionate about our city," Gandara said. "Although I was not born and raised here, I have raised my children here as a single mom. And I think what I've been able to accomplish in my career, and not just my political career, hasn't been easy as a single mom."

Gandara was born in Silver City but spent the last 31 years in Las Cruces. She earned a bachelor's degree in 1990 and a master's in 2013. Both degrees were in social work at New Mexico State University. As a social worker, Gandara worked for the State Department of Health, Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD), and NMSU. She was elected to represent District 1 in November 2015. She won re-elected in 2019 and has served as Mayor Pro Tem since January 2020.

"I think that story, that narrative, will resonate with many people in our community. And what I've been able to accomplish as a politician, I think, is noteworthy. And I'm just ready for that next step."

Is the city doing enough to affect the crisis in affordable housing?

"I believe in the eight years that I've been a counselor, affordable housing has been a priority," Gandara said. "We've shown that by developing policy review committees specific to affordable housing. We had been working up to the point of having it as a question for the GO bond cycle and the community that constituency believes it needs to be a priority."

The city estimates that Las Cruces is roughly 5,600 homes short of meeting the demand for multi-family housing. But, as Gandara pointed out in her interview, that number does not include the "missing middle" or families that can't afford homes in Las Cruces but earn too much money to qualify for certain types of assistance.

In 2022, Las Cruces voters approved a GO Bond measure to send $6 million to affordable housing projects. However, in a recent meeting, city staff recommended holding off on issuing the bond, fearing that taxes and interest rates would cannibalize a large chunk of the money. City Manager Ifo Pili also assured the council that delaying issuance would not affect the city's affordable housing projects or timeline. Council headed that warning, accepted that advice, and has yet to issue the bond.

"I wish that we would be able to go faster," Gandara said, adding that issues outside the city's control impact the pace of homes constructed. "But I think as long as we hold the course and work our public-private partnerships, I believe that we will obtain the necessary housing."

Gandara said she would prioritize affordable housing if elected.

"It's going to take everybody working together to be able to accomplish this," she said.

What changes, if any, should be made to Las Cruces' rules regarding cannabis and dispensaries?

Gandara said she considers herself a supporter of the cannabis and the cannabis industry in Las Cruces. She noted that the industry has "been excellent in scooping up properties that have been abandoned or available for years and years," adding to the city's overall economic prosperity.

"And many of the companies are thoughtful and smart about their business model," she said.

However, she pointed to two areas she'd like to see more thoughtfulness as she framed it. Gandara said issues stemming from outdoor consumption lounges require more attention, as did problems around illegal use from minors.

"I know, if it's on my mind, I know it's on others, around youth consumption, and what that means, and really cracking down on the legal sale and distribution of cannabis and cannabis products," Gandara said. "I think those are things that I'm really concerned about."

Assessing the use of cannabis among minors is a difficult task. However, a recent presentation from the Las Cruces Public Schools' representatives suggested that district officials discovered more teens using tobacco products, like vape pens, than cannabis products, like flower or edibles.

Gandara said she'd like to get school officials and the cannabis industry leaders into a dialogue to discuss ways to keep kids from accessing legal cannabis.

Do you believe LCPD needs reform?

"I believe that we have to continue to develop that community policing perspective," Gandara said. "And that's going to require not just the community policing unit. It means really integrating that philosophy in all the various units."

For Gandara, community policing resembles officers engaging the public by building relationships within the community. She said that would build trust between the department and the community they police. She pointed to LCPD Cares – the department's primary venue for community outreach – as exemplars of that effort. She said she'd like to see more resources dedicated to that program and programs like it. She also referenced some of Las Cruces' budding non-police response efforts like Project LIGHT. Gandara said she'd like to see those efforts continue to grow.

"So, when I talk about community policing, it's also the way we respond in conjunction with our light program," she said.

As Mayor, what would you do regarding a rise in certain types of crime?

Gandara pointed out that any mayor's influence over crime trends is limited. For example, the police department determines much of its own day-to-day operations, while the chief of the police reports to the city manager – not the Mayor.

"But I would work in conjunction with our city manager and address those types of crimes," she said. "They are just one entity and a piece of the spectrum of service."

In the last five years, Las Cruces has seen an overall increase in crime – although many categories remain near 30-year averages and fall far below historic levels in the 1990s. However, Las Cruces records more aggravated assaults, and vehicle thefts remain at historic levels.

Gandara again pointed to efforts already in place. Programs like Project LIGHT, which focuses on a trauma-informed approach to people in crisis, will help reduce crime in Las Cruces, Gandara said. But Gandara also pointed to other areas of the criminal justice system as places to focus attention.

"I would really like to open up the lines of communication with our district attorney and address the issues that I see in regards to the revolving door," Gandara said, referring to the perception that New Mexico's bail reform has led to an increase in crime.

Eliminating cash bail may not be correlated to crime trends. A study of crime and bail reform in Bernalillo County found that more than 95 percent of people released after being charged did not commit new crimes. However, police officials in Las Cruces have also pointed to a handful of anecdotal examples of a few individuals committing dozens of property crimes in short spans of time.

"I know a lot of the issues have to do with mental health, substance abuse and addiction. And I will continue to work by addressing those areas in a thoughtful manner. And that means ensuring that we have quality services," she said.

Gandara said those services currently do not exist; another place she said the Mayor's office could have a positive effect.

"And so that means building up those public-private partnerships that are going to be essential to addressing these issues," she said. "But there's no easy answer there."

Do you foresee any other issues affecting Las Cruces in the next four years?

Gandara said part of her mayorship would focus on building individual wealth. She outlined several policy areas that would, in her vision, create more wealth for more people. First, she said continuing efforts to develop affordable housing was critical. Then, she pointed to Las Cruces' youth.

"Bringing good paying jobs, ensuring that we're reducing the brain drain that we're not only training our youth here but ensuring they'll want to be here," she said. '

Gandara added that efforts to diversify Las Cruces' economy – particularly in arts and culture industries like film – were also important. She also pointed to growing the scope of the Las Cruces International Airport. Lastly, Gandara said she'd like to see more focus on supporting the medical industries in Las Cruces.

"I want to have robust conversations with our physicians and our specialty docs to see how the city can help bear some of that burden so that we can continue to grow our medical team here so folks don't have to feel like they leave out of our community for medical care," she said.

Justin Garcia covers public safety and local government in Las Cruces. He can be reached via email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com, via phone or text at 575-541-5449, or on Twitter @Just516Garc.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Councilor, long-time social worker, running for mayor