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Candidate for state treasurer

Name: Vickie Perea, Republican

Age: 60

Campaign Web Site: www.newmexicoforvickie.com

Occupation: Retired, city of Albuquerque, former director of the city's Capital Improvement Program.

Family: I have been married to Serafin Perea for 43 years, and we have two sons: Tom, an Albuquerque police officer, and Robert, a small businessman. Their wives are Kelly and Brandi, respectively, and I have two granddaughters, Alyssa and Chelsea.

Education: Most recently, I served as the president of Trinity International University in Miami, Florida. I have attended the University of New Mexico and completed the program for Executives in State and Local Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. I have also been awarded an honorary LLD, doctor of laws, from Cohen University and Theological Seminary. I am a graduate of Los Lunas High School.

Please list the experience you think would make you a good secretary of state.

I have been an administrator with the city of Albuquerque for 25 years, and I have served as an elected official with policy-making duties as an Albuquerque city councilor and city council president. Therefore, I have the administrative and legislative expertise necessary to serve as New Mexico's secretary of state. Bringing people together - serving as a coalition builder - is something I know well, and I have practiced that throughout my professional life.

Have you ever been arrested or charged with a felony or misdemeanor? No.

What's the best meal you can cook from scratch?

Red enchiladas, with whole beans and calabacitas.

Last book you read:

"To the End of the Earth," by UNM professor Stanley M. Hordes.

What was your biggest mistake in life and what lesson did you learn?

It has always been my perspective that there are no mistakes in life, simply lessons learned - and because we, as human beings, can never come close to perfection, we're learning these lessons each day of our lives.

What would be your top priorities as secretary of state? What specific steps would you take to achieve them?

Securing New Mexico's election system is my top priority, and requiring a photo ID when voting is the critical first step in this process. Campaign contributions should be organized in a searchable and easy accessible online database, so that the media or concerned citizens are able to see the monetary influences in our election process; this is just one part of my charge to ensure that your government, and the election system in particular, is open and accountable at all times.

What distinguishes you from your opponent?

I plan to end the cycle of mismanagement in New Mexico elections; I have not been a part of the disastrous problems we have experienced in our elections over the years, but I aim to bring my administrative and legislative experience to the position so that I can be part of the solution. Also, my opponent has had six years to work for true voter identification in New Mexico, and she has shown that the issue is not a priority to her; requiring photo identification to vote is one of my top priorities, and I will work toward that end immediately. I am committed to securing our election system and bringing administrative excellence to the office; these are things our system currently does not possess.

Do you agree with the Legislature's decision this year to require paper ballots? Why or why not?

My job is to execute the laws of New Mexico, regardless of which system that may be under, and it just so happens that I will be administering elections under a paper balloting system. But, under either system, my job will be to work with the county clerks to ensure the security of our vote and the expediency of our election results. Under a paper balloting system, I believe it will be imperative that we have men and women of great integrity counting our votes; that's fine - I will serve with integrity, and so will those on our election team throughout the state.

What would you do as secretary of state to provide more timely and more detailed access to campaign and candidate information online?

The rash of recent corruption scandals in New Mexico should show us all the importance of monitoring the money that flows into and out of our government; this is why I will push for our state's first searchable campaign contribution database. At all times, a citizen or the media should be able to type in the name of a political candidate or office holder and be able to see an alphabetical listing of all those businesses and individuals who have made a contribution to him/her. The system should also be able to calculate aggregate totals for donors to campaigns. This would be a large improvement over our current cumbersome system, one that requires a tremendous amount of time and energy to navigate; it is a measure that is long overdue and vitally important.

Vote counting in New Mexico has a history of problems. What will you do to fix that?

New Mexico's election system has failed to deliver results in a timely manner, and has been all too often plagued by errors, mishaps, irregularities, and fraud. This should make us realize that we have an opportunity in this election to reverse this course so that our children do not face the same problems that we have. I will require administrative excellence from my office, and I will work to be a partner with each of our state's 33 county clerks. I will build coalitions with executives, legislators, and clerks to enact photo voter identification requirements, along with other legislation to make it easy to vote and impossible to cheat in our state. But above all else, I will serve with integrity - and demand that all others serve with integrity - as we count the vote of our people and ensure that their voice is accurately heard by their government.

Should New Mexico require voters to present a photo ID when voting? Why or why not?

Absolutely. Photo voter identification is the foundation of a secure and modern election system. In 2004, six voters - Rose-Mary McGee, Kim Wistrand, Stephanie Ortiz, Frank Sanchez, Heather Philpot, and Dwight Adkins - tried to vote on election day, only to be told that they had already voted. Someone had signed the voting roster in their place, and their legal votes were not counted; requiring a photo ID would ensure that this is not allowed to happen any longer in New Mexico. The issue has been studied for far too long, and good people from all political parties and all walks of life have expressed their overwhelming support for showing ID, including the 73 percent of Albuquerque municipal election voters in 2005 who enacted the city's photo voter identification ordinance.