A Republican is taking a second crack at the First Congressional District seat.
Army veteran Richard Priem announced this week that he will run for the seat for a second time in 2016, after failing to win the Republican primary in 2014.
The district, which has increasingly trended away from Republicans in recent years, is largely made up of Albuquerque, the state’s largest city.
Priem’s announcement focused on responding to terrorism.
“Business as usual will not solve our current problems. Combating terrorism requires detailed analysis and planning, along with flawless implementation,” Priem said. “In order to stop the growth of radical Islamic terrorism in America, we need to reorganize government agencies responsible for defeating the terrorist threat and replace incompetent bureaucrats and elected officials who have neither the skill nor inclination to protect Americans.”
Priem also said that he would propose an agency in the FBI “focused on identifying and eliminating the terrorist threat in America.”
Priem addressed his previous campaign as well.
“I enjoyed meeting great people during my last campaign and was pleased that many asked me to run again, especially in light of my personal experience in small business, law enforcement training and the military,” Priem said.
Priem lost 65 percent to 35 percent in that campaign to Mike Frese. Frese went on to lose in the general election by 17 percentage points.
Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, holds the seat and is currently in her second term.
