The New Mexico Forward Party supports independent-minded candidates who are interested in making a difference in their communities while upholding democratic principles.
A Forward Party candidate in the Farmington area will be different from a candidate in the UNM area. What binds our supporters, our members, and our candidates is the ability to bridge party divides, listen to constituents, and commit to the following:
- * Govern according to Forward principles and values.
- * Put community interests above party platform or ideology.
- * Work across party lines to collaborate on solutions.
If these principles describe your political beliefs, we want to talk with you about running for an elected New Mexico office.
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Michael Vigil.Forward PartyNew Mexico State AuditorMichael Vigil retired as a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of New Mexico and a Level II Licensed Business Manager. Michael worked in public school finance since 1990. His previous work experience includes over 16 years in the Albuquerque Public School District in the positions of Director of Internal Audit, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Business Officer, Associate Superintendent; and lastly, Superintendent for Business. He was the Executive Director and the Chief Operations Officer of the New Mexico Coalition for Charter Schools for approximately 2 years. Michael previously worked in a local CPA firm and the financial industries arena in various capacities. He was licensed as a Certified Public Accountant since 1983. Michael graduated from the Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico. There has not been an accountant in the State Auditor position for over 25 years, with most inhabitants of the office being lawyers using it as a stepping stone for higher office. Michael will not run for higher office. Competence and non-partisanship in this important state-wide office is critical for the financial stability of the State of New Mexico. NM has the second largest sovereign wealth fund in the nation at $73 billion of net assets with multiple layers of government all spending large amounts of money with marginal outcomes for this poor state. A professional CPA is needed to root out waste, fraud and abuse while working with the legislature to monitor performance outcomes for an array of programs. |
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Bob Perls.Forward PartyUnited States Senate (New Mexico)Bob's policy positions and priorities: What: Mandatory 1-2 years of public service for high school graduates and those dropping out. Why: our classes and races, plus urban vs. rural, in the U.S. need to better understand each other to strengthen our national bonds. What: Medicare for All so that all U.S. citizens can access healthcare. Why: employers don’t want to administer healthcare programs and private insurance adds no value to patients. No new bureaucracy and coverage for all. What: Secure the Border while treating all Americans and legitimate visitors with dignity. Why: The integrity of our border protects Americans and better controls who and what products come in. But a thriving economy requires that we increase legal immigration. And we must demand that ICE and other law enforcement agencies are well trained and obey the law. What: Term Limits, end to dark money, non-partisan open primaries, proportional representation and other critical democracy reform measures. Why: There is no incentive for candidates and politicians to listen to all voters, only the party base which does not represent most Americans. To incentivize coalition-building and problem-solving we must change the way we elect, district and finance candidates. What: Balance the Budget and reimpose fiscal discipline. Why: Because both parties use the U.S. Treasury as a piggy bank to get re-elected and our children and grandchildren will be saddled with paying off our debt. Bob is running for U.S. Senate under a “fulcrum” strategy that would allow one or two nonpartisan, non-aligned U.S. Senators to have immense power by brokering deals between Republicans and Democrats. Bob wants to represent New Mexicans, not party leaders, and he believes strongly in country before party. No more rubber-stamping of either side’s party leaders, but rather an embrace of creative and data-driven solutions from both sides and from outside the beltway. Bob has lived in New Mexico since age five and attended Albuquerque Public Schools. He earned a B.A. from Pomona College and an M.S. in Healthcare Management from the University of Maryland. He founded a medical technology company, Monitech, in Albuquerque and then sold it after 25 years of operation. During that time he was married, raised a family, went through a divorce, then married his wife, Joan, and helped raised his children and hers in a blended family. He was elected to the NM State House of two terms representing Bernalillo, Corrales and parts of Rio Rancho where he passed the NM Charter School Act and other significant legislation. He served six years as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State in Germany, The Gambia, Canada and Pakistan. Bob founded and led NM Open Elections, the nonprofit that was instrumental in passing New Mexico’s semi-open primaries bill in 2025 after a decade of volunteer organizing. Bob also co-founded a telehealth and cybersecurity company and ran a renewable energy company for two years. More recently, Bob co-founded a local economic alliance to attract German companies to New Mexico and connect German applied engineering expertise to the national labs and the local startup ecosystem to create jobs and wealth for New Mexicans. Bob races off-road bicycles, is married, and has four children and five grandchildren. Help support Bob in moving New Mexico not right, not left, but Forward. |
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Dennis Dinge.Forward PartyNew Mexico Public Education Commission (District 3)Click HERE to view a map of PEC, District 3Dennis Dinge is a physicist and former Physics and Astronomy professor whose career spans industry, national laboratories, and academia, including research in supercomputing, astronomy, computational fluid dynamics, and related fields. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, an M.S. in Physics from Clemson University, and a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dennis is currently semi-retired and is running for the Public Education Commission (PEC), a ten-member statewide body that authorizes and oversees state-chartered schools in New Mexico. Dennis and his wife—a former APS high school science teacher who now teaches water education to students throughout the Albuquerque area through in-class presentations and field trips—are longtime advocates for strong public education. Two of their children attended Cottonwood Classical Charter School, and they plan to send their youngest to a charter school beginning in middle school. Dennis wants to spend his newly acquired free time giving back to the community by serving on the PEC, with a focus on ensuring charter schools strengthen New Mexico’s overall education system. His guiding principles include: (1) charter schools should not take funding from other types of public schools; (2) charter schools should provide both quality and meaningful curricular choice; (3) charter schools should benefit public schools and taxpayers by serving as laboratories for improving quality and efficiency; and (4) access to charter schools should not depend on a student’s access to transportation. Dennis has been involved in politics throughout his adult life, including local leadership roles in the Democratic Party and a 2017 run for Congress. He and his wife were foster parents for eight years and have actively advocated for reforms to New Mexico’s foster care system. Dennis also serves as the New Mexico Forward Party Secretary. Visit Dennis's campaign website HERE! |
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Harry Montoya.Forward PartyMagistrate Judge (Santa Fe County)Harry Montoya is running for Santa Fe County Magistrate Judge because he believes justice should be fair, accessible, respectful, and rooted in the values of our community—and that every person who enters Magistrate Court deserves to be treated fairly. Born and raised in Santa Fe County, Harry is a graduate of Pojoaque High School and earned a B.A. from Westmar College and an M.A. from New Mexico State University. He has a long record of public service, including appointment to the Pojoaque School Board in 1994 (and re-election for two additional four-year terms) and election as President of the New Mexico School Board Association. He later served as a Santa Fe County Commissioner (elected in 2002; re-elected in 2006) and represented New Mexico on the National Association of Counties Board of Directors for six years, including four years as Chair of its Labor, Employment & Economic Development Committee. Professionally, Harry is internationally recognized for his work in substance abuse prevention and has traveled with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Commerce in an official diplomatic capacity to Argentina and Mexico. He is also an active community volunteer and civic leader, and he and his wife, Doris, live in the Nambe Valley. Visit Harry's campaign website HERE! |
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Frances Kava.Forward PartyMagistrate Judge (Luna County)Frances Kava is retired from the field of psychiatry after more than 40 years of experience. During the last 15 years of her career, she served as a mobile assessment team member in the greater Los Angeles area, evaluating a wide range of individuals for 5150 and 5585.5 detainments. Her professional background includes utilization review and quality improvement, including service as Director of Utilization Review. She served on committees focused on hospital accreditation, clinical care paths, forms, and policy and procedure manual revisions. Her experience includes evaluating, counseling, and preparing court reports for the criminal justice system in Santa Ana, California. Frances is running for Magistrate Judge as a fair choice for regular people. Local courts handle the everyday legal matters that affect real families, working people, and small businesses, and Frances believes the court system should be transparent, accessible, and fair to everyone—not just the well-connected. She has lived in Deming, Luna County, New Mexico for the past ten years, and, if elected, will be in Deming full time and dedicate herself solely to the position of Magistrate Judge. Frances is committed to following the U.S. Constitution, the New Mexico Constitution, and the rule of law while protecting the individual rights of all citizens of Luna County. She is neither right nor left; she is for all the people and will advocate for what is right and legal for everyone. Frances spent her formative years in Brockton, Massachusetts, “The City of Champions,” where community service was instilled in her at a young age by her first-generation Polish parents. She volunteered with the Brockton Area Association for Developmentally Delayed Children, the V.A. Hospital, and Meals on Wheels, and later remained active in community and youth organizations while raising her family. Most recently, she volunteered with Senior Corps.
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We are Recruiting Candidates for Future Election Cycles!. The New Mexico Forward Party is actively recruiting candidates who want to challenge the dysfunctional two-party system. Our candidates are independent thinkers with new ideas on how to improve life for all New Mexicans. We do not have litmus-test issues that candidates must support. Instead, we have shared values and a commitment to democracy reform, including support for:
Although Forward candidates may not support every one of these initiatives, these approaches are key to building a system that listens to all voters and responds to their needs. Our state organization upholds the Forward Party's national-level principles while setting our state-level party priorities and policy proposals, and endorsing candidates who share our vision. If you're considering running for office in the future, we want to talk with you! Reach out to us at: [email protected] |
