A former sheriff from New Mexico who recently abandoned the Democrat Party has voiced his support for Donald Trump in November.
Manuel Gonzales, who was the sheriff of Bernalillo County for about 13 years, is now running for the Senate as a Republican. On Sunday, he told Breitbart News he’s endorsing the former president because Trump understands what the nation needs. Gonzales also cited Trump’s “dedication to the principles that matter most to our communities,” and his opposition to “out-of-touch policies.”
A Marine veteran, Gonzales told the outlet that the “far-left agenda” embraced by President Joe Biden and incumbent Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) is being “enabled by their influence within the national Democratic Party.” This left-wing agenda “no longer [aligns] with the values of hardworking New Mexicans,” he asserted.
“President Trump’s track record and dedication to the principles that matter most to our communities resonate with my vision for New Mexico’s future,” Gonzales stated. “I am eager to support a leader who understands the needs of our great nation and will stand against the out-of-touch policies that have left our state behind.”
Saying he was “proud” to endorse Trump, the former sheriff offered his backing before Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his campaign Sunday, saying he was confident that Trump “will be the Republican nominee.”
Gonzales announced earlier this month he was switching parties to challenge Heinrich as a Republican.
“I’m a law and order and fiscally responsible family man that cares about his community,” he told Fox News in an interview. “My whole career in life has been surrounded by service.”
“My concerns are that of the [Democratic] Party. The party that I was in has gone far left in terms of their ideologies towards families and law and order. I can no longer become complicit in their values because I don’t believe that they align with mine,” Gonzales continued.
In the end, he said he wanted to “get things done.”
“I understand I represent the people and not a party when I get elected,” Gonzales said. “I can stand on my own two feet. I am my own person, and I’m a person that is very reasonable. I’m also a person that is fair. I have the best interest of everybody at heart. Politics don’t play into my decisions when it comes to serving people.”
“I want to get things done. I want to help people, and I want to serve them because that’s what I’ve been called to do,” he added.
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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