Rich hopes to work for NM families in Washington DC

ALAMOGORDO – After working to build communities in New Mexico for 35 years, construction contractor Mick Rich believes there’s less opportunities for residents of the state.

Rich, 63, is traveling the state in his bid as the Republican candidate to take on current Democrat U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich in the 2018 Senate race.

Rich said he is tired of career politicians voting against opportunities for hardworking New Mexican families.

He said he wants to know if Heinrich was asleep at the wheel when the U.S. Air Force moved the F-22 mission out of Holloman Air Force Base, “and left us with a bunch of F-16s that they’re going to slowly phase out over the years.”

“He was in D.C. (District of Columbia) at the time,” Rich said. “We came out on the short end of the stick at the time. We’re looking to send people to D.C. and stand up for New Mexico, not stand by and let it get obliterated.”

He said he is also concerned about New Mexico’s federal lands.

“When more and more of our federal lands are being moved out of mixed use or recreation for other states to use or just set aside for other generations while we’re sitting on the vine,” Rich said.

He said he’s talked with New Mexicans around the state about opportunities in New Mexico.

“I was in Santa Rosa talking to a woman working as a cashier,” Rich said. “She told me there’s no future here where can I go. I would’ve loved to have said to her go to Albuquerque, Las Cruces or Santa Fe but the opportunities aren’t there either. I’ve got two of my children who’ve moved away from this state looking for opportunity elsewhere.”

Rich was born in Berkeley, Calif., but moved to New Mexico in 1980 after getting his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Oregon State University in 1977. He married his wife Marion in 1982. They have four grown children: Audrey, Jim, Grace and Margaret.

Rich first co-founded Britton & Rich Contractors that was a commercial contracting company between 1983 and 1988. He went on to found Mick Rich Contractors in 1988, which is also a commercial contraction company that continues to do work throughout the state. Mick Rich Contractors is based out of Albuquerque.

Since 2013 he has been a commissioner on the New Mexico Labor and Industry Commission. He is a past board member of the Albuquerque Economic Development, Albuquerque Vocational High School, Associated Builders & Contractors and Catholic Charities.

He said he believes due to regulations the timber industry has been suffering.

“We enacted regulations or taken it off the table for being able to do timber sales,” Rich said. “We’re not able to do that so the timber just sits and gets burned up. I’d rather see it go to peoples’ homes then being burned up and contributing to greenhouse gases. Regulations pretty much killed the timber industry in New Mexico and there went hundreds of jobs.”

He said he wants to fight for New Mexico residents who want to make an honest living in order for families to provide for their children.

“Sen. Pete Domenici insured our labs had a mission,” Rich said. “He insured the mission was well spent. It’s one of the legs of the economy that’s still can come back to life in our state. We need a new mission for Holloman. I am going to make an effort and focus on our labs and military installations have a mission.”

He said he believes Heinrich is not standing up for New Mexicans.

“When the San Juan and Animas rivers were contaminated up in the Farmington area, Martin Heinrich didn’t say a word,” Rich said. “Then Heinrich asked all New Mexicans to be his voice in D.C. for Flint, Mich. safe drinking water because the Senator in Utah was holding up the funding for the Flint water. Why couldn’t Heinrich stand up for Farmington to make sure that was funded? There’s a way our senator can stand up for our state and he’s not doing that.”

For more information about Rich’s run for the U.S. Senate go online to his website at mickrichforsenate.com