Steve Pearce

Steve Pearce

Republican Party

Prior offices

New Mexico House of Representatives

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U.S. House New Mexico District 2

Successor: Harry Teague

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Compensation

Net worth

$22,569,007.50

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 6, 2018

Education

Bachelor's

New Mexico State University

Graduate

Eastern New Mexico University

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Air Force

Years of service

1970 - 1976

Personal

Religion

Christian: Baptist

Profession

Pilot, Business Executive

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Personal website

Personal Facebook

Personal Twitter

Personal YouTube

Steve Pearce (Republican Party) was a member of the U.S. House, representing New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2011. He left office on January 3, 2019.

Pearce (Republican Party) ran for election for Governor of New Mexico. He lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.

He ran on a joint ticket with the lieutenant gubernatorial nominee, Michelle Garcia Holmes (R).

Pearce was elected to serve as the chair of the Republican Party of New Mexico on December 8, 2018.

Pearce served in United States House of Representatives, representing New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District from 2003 to 2009, and again from 2011 to 2019. In 2008, he chose to run for U.S. Senate rather than seek re-election to the House, but lost to Tom Udall (D). Pearce won back his U.S. House seat from Harry Teague (D) in 2010.

Biography

Pearce was born in Lamesa, Texas. He earned a B.A. from New Mexico State University in 1970 and an M.A. from Eastern New Mexico University in 1991.

After graduating from New Mexico State University, Pearce was a pilot in the Air Force, serving in the Philippines and flying missions into Vietnam. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain.

Prior to his congressional career, Pearce owned and managed Lea Fishing Tools, a small business that offered oilfield services.

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Pearce's academic, professional, and political career:

• 2003-2009, 2011-2019: U.S. Representative from New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District
• 1997-2000: Member of the New Mexico House of Representatives
• 1991: Earned MBA from Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, NM
• 1970-1976: Served in the United States Air Force
• 1970: Earned B.A. from New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM

Elections

2018

See also: New Mexico gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018

See also: New Mexico gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 5 Republican primary)

General election

General election for Governor of New Mexico

Michelle Lujan Grisham defeated Steve Pearce in the general election for Governor of New Mexico on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michelle Lujan Grisham (D)	57.2	398,368
		Steve Pearce (R)	42.8	298,091

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 696,459 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Christopher Michael Roybal (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of New Mexico

Michelle Lujan Grisham defeated Jeff Apodaca and Joseph Cervantes in the Democratic primary for Governor of New Mexico on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michelle Lujan Grisham	66.4	116,754
		Jeff Apodaca	22.2	38,975
		Joseph Cervantes	11.5	20,169

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 175,898
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Peter DeBenedittis (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of New Mexico

Steve Pearce advanced from the Republican primary for Governor of New Mexico on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Pearce	100.0	75,162

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 75,162
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Steve Pearce (R), who began serving in Congress in 2003, is seeking re-election in 2016. He was the only Republican candidate to file and will face Merrie Soules, the only Democratic candidate to file, and Jack McGrann (R write-in) in the general election on November 8, 2016. No candidate faced a primary opponent in June.

U.S. House, New Mexico District 2 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Steve Pearce Incumbent	62.7%	143,514
	Democratic	Merrie Soules	37.2%	85,232
	N/A	Write-in	0%	70
Total Votes				228,816
Source: New Mexico Secretary of State

2014

See also: New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District elections, 2014

Pearce ran in the 2014 election for the U.S. House to represent New Mexico's 2nd District. Pearce ran uncontested for the Republican nomination in the primary on June 3, 2014. He defeated challenger Roxanne Lara (D) in the general election on November 4, 2014.

U.S. House, New Mexico District 2 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Steve Pearce Incumbent	64.4%	95,209
	Democratic	Roxanne "Rocky" Lara	35.5%	52,499
	Write-in (R)	Jack A. McGrann (write-in)	0%	69
Total Votes				147,777
Source: New Mexico Secretary of State

2012

See also: New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District elections, 2012

Pearce won re-election in 2012. He was unopposed in the Republican primary and faced Evelyn Madrid Erhard in the November general election.

U.S. House, New Mexico District 2 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Evelyn Madrid Erhard	40.9%	92,162
	Republican	Steve Pearce Incumbent	59.1%	133,180
	Write-In	Jack McGrann	0.1%	173
Total Votes				225,515
Source: New Mexico Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for Steve Pearce, click [show] to expand the section.

2010 On November 2, 2010, Steve Pearce won election to the United States House. He defeated Harry Teague (D) in the general election. U.S. House, New Mexico District 2 General Election, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Steve Pearce 55.4% 94,053      Democratic Harry Teague 44.6% 75,708 Total Votes 169,761 2008 On November 4, 2008, Tom Udall won election to the United States Senate. He defeated Steve Pearce (R) in the general election. U.S. Senate, New Mexico General Election, 2008 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Tom Udall 61.3% 505,128      Republican Steve Pearce 38.7% 318,522 Total Votes 823,650 2006 On November 7, 2006, Steve Pearce won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Albert D. Kissling (D) and write-in challenger C. Dean Burk (D) in the general election. U.S. House, New Mexico District 2 General Election, 2006 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Steve Pearce incumbent 59.4% 92,620      Democratic Albert Kissling 40.5% 63,119      Democrat C. Dean Burk (Write-in) 0.1% 135 Total Votes 155,874 2004 On November 2, 2004, Steve Pearce won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Gary K. King (D) in the general election. U.S. House, New Mexico District 2 General Election, 2004 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Steve Pearce incumbent 60.2% 130,498      Democratic Gary K. King 39.8% 86,292 Total Votes 216,790 2002 On November 5, 2002, Steve Pearce won election to the United States House. He defeated John Arthur Smith (D) and two write in challengers, George L. Dewey (Green) and Padraig M. Lynch (R), in the general election. U.S. House, New Mexico District 2 General Election, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Steve Pearce 56.2% 79,631      Democratic John Arthur Smith 43.7% 61,916      Green George L. Dewey (Write-in) 0% 43      Republican Padraig M. Lynch (Write-in) 0% 39 Total Votes 141,629

Campaign themes

2018

Campaign website

Pearce’s campaign website stated the following:

“	CRIME New Mexico must get serious about tackling our crime problem. Every day we hear another horrific story about violent crime running rampant. This holds back our state by encouraging people to choose other states for their home, places where their family’s safety can be better assured. We start by getting the violent, hardened criminals off the street and into prison where they belong. Our New Mexico families must feel safe in their homes. My administration will also tackle the recidivism problem. Data shows that the two keys to keeping an offender from committing another crime are a job and housing. My HOPE initiative is already doing just that – connecting former inmates with work and a place to live as they rehabilitate their lives and become productive members of our society instead of re-engaging with crime and ending up back in prison. Currently, estimates are that about a third of people in prisons are people with behavior and mental health issues. Those with behavior and mental illness problems who do not have criminal convictions should be separated from the criminal population and be provided the treatment they need. I want to restore the state’s watersheds. I also want to restore the lives of first-time offenders when possible. We will establish Restoration Programs – restoring forests and restoring lives. Judges will have the flexibility to sentence certain first-time non-violent offenders to these programs. The programs will have apprenticeship training available in evening hours after work has finished for the day. Reclaiming lives will help families, the individuals, and NM while helping redirect people who were headed for a life of crime. FAMILIES Social change begins in the family. Therefore, the family should be the starting point for a new beginning for New Mexico. Bright futures stem from strong roots. I believe strong families raise strong individuals; strong individuals make strong communities and a strong country. The well-being of children is a concern we all share. The government, through many taxpayer-funded social programs, has tried to support the family, but it should never be our first choice in providing a solution. When policies and laws pull children further from their parents we should exercise caution. Methamphetamines and opioids are stealing the soul of our people and our state. But families alone cannot solve the opioid crisis. We must address these problems head-on with the resources of the state helping restore lives and families. If we focus on building strong families, many negative statistics that plague our state would begin to resolve. Our fast-food, immediate gratification society, demonstrates that convenience does not always produce positive outcomes. One of the grave challenges families and our state face is that we are exporting our young. They pursue their dreams and opportunities in other states. How can we have a strong state when the next generation is leaving? We, as parents, have largely abdicated our responsibility in the education, discipline, decision-making, substance abuse prevention, respect for others and spiritual training of our children. There are dire consequences of family disorder: depression, poverty, joblessness, domestic violence and a host of other problems. Let’s work to build strong families. When problems begin to manifest themselves in our young, let’s work to train and support parents. Let’s work to help our children understand the ‘why’ of societal absolutes. RESTORING TRUST IN GOVERNMENT “Accountability breeds response-ability” – Stephen Covey Crony Capitalism and Corruption: Both are tremendous impediments to any government and need to be rooted out at all levels in New Mexico. Crumbling Communities: In many areas, our communities, our families and our children have dropped to the bottom in well-being and struggle just to get by. We must have economic opportunity in every community. I will work with forgotten communities in our state to start rebuilding the neglected and blighted neighborhoods where our schools and communities are decaying and unhealthy. We must have a plan and strategy where every child and every family has a chance to succeed. MAKING GOVERNMENT MORE EFFECTIVE As your Governor, my commitment is to ensure our state modernizes the way it provides services to you, our people. We will modernize the communication systems The coming years are pivotal in the future of the state and we will be ready for the new economic realities in the world. We will initiate discussions on how to address the complicated issues we must solve to find the new beginning for New Mexico. Most of New Mexico’s government agencies were designed for a time long passed. A time with a slow, creaking gears and cogs; a tractor-like economy, with mechanical foundations. Processes were paper-based, top-down, closed, cold and artificial. Old government was political, elite, artificial, distant and primitive. It required conformity, standardization and knowing the “right people”. Our agencies seem tired and immobile; unable to adapt to today’s modern lifestyle. In their fatigue, they have forgotten the everyday man and woman who go to work each day, who quietly raise their children to respect the law and take responsibility for themselves and their family. Government has forgotten the people who make society and our country work. Our modern economy features companies that were not even in existence when many of our agencies were designed and our laws written. Uber did not exist 5 years ago. Today it is worth about the same as New Mexico’s entire economy. Amazon, Air B&B, and a host of other ideas are redesigning our way of life. Today’s modern economy demands that we redesign our government. We need a government that is next-generation, fresh and innovative. Our government should be local, personal and fair. It should guarantee equal opportunity for all. Our redesigned government should offer freedom of choice, diversity of options and should be organic and bottom-up just like the economic opportunities. A new ecosystem of incentive-based government is the model of the future. It is what we should be working to design. We will build a team across generations; baby-boomers, 30’s-40’s and millennials who have a burning desire to redesign our state government. I invite you to be part of the team, to share in the vision and in the planning and design. Mental Illness & Drug Abuse Programs to deal with these problems have become decentralized and are rarely able to adequately address the problem. We should find the latest, most innovative and effective ways to help rescue people. They should not be consigned to homelessness and failure. Regulatory Burdens Small businesses create most private sector jobs in New Mexico. Large companies have staff and resources to respond when the government oversteps its authority or fails to uphold its obligations. Small business owners are alone in the fight. Punitive attitudes and regulations hurt New Mexico jobs far more than larger, wealthier states. Therefore, we will concentrate on regulations that protect the environment and workers without killing jobs or destroying jobs in the state. Business Friendly State In 2017 New Mexico fell to No. 42 in CNBC’s annual list of the best and worst states for business, dropping into the bottom 10 after being 24th in 2014 and 39th in 2016. When companies are subject to more than one licensing agency and have to comply with mandates from multiple levels of government, we make it harder to create jobs. Many companies complain that our state treats them like adversaries. A high priority of mine is to establish business-friendly attitudes and policies in our government agencies. To begin our climb to the top, we will focus on: training and networking programs, regulatory and licensing simplicity and helpful government websites to cut red tape By focusing on becoming more business friendly we will improve life for all New Mexicans. One-Stop Business Potential In 2014, New Mexico implemented a one-stop business portal in order to reduce administrative burdens on businesses and business creation. We should continue to perfect that process. TRANSFORMING NEW MEXICO’S ECONOMY A strong economy benefits everyone. It means families can be reunited as young people return home to a quality economy that provides not just jobs but careers and hope for the future. It means families will be able to realize their dreams of homeownership; it means a strong education system that leads to college or career training for their children or a retirement that allows people to live with dignity and remain at home in New Mexico. For New Mexico to succeed, we must transform our economy, jump-start job creation and position ourselves for future growth. Growing and diversifying the economy is a primary focus of my plan. Diversifying the economy needs to be much more than talk. New Mexico has great, unharnessed potential. Companies, as well as workers and their families, are naturally drawn to New Mexico for its scenic beauty. We have some of the most favorable weather in the nation and are rarely struck with major catastrophes resulting from floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters. The dry, mild climate is an enormous competitive advantage over other states. New Mexico should leverage our advantages to the fullest extent. But we need more than the natural attractors. We need to adopt proven, successful economic principles such as embracing the free market, creating more effective and efficient agencies and making a business-friendly environment that will foster job creation. This will create more and better employment opportunities for the people of New Mexico. There are ample opportunities for business-labor-government partnerships that encourage a diversified, growing and sustainable economy. Specific Opportunities Think of New Mexico’s economy as a three-legged stool: government, natural resources, and the private sector. Our task is to lengthen the short leg on the stool, which has historically been the private sector. Diversifying the private sector economy cannot continue to be just talk; we must begin now. At the same time, we must continue to make sure our public sector jobs are appreciated and supported. The national labs, the bases, WIPP and a host of other agencies call New Mexico home. They are critical to our nation but they are also the source of good, high paying jobs in New Mexico. Our resource-driven economy should be improved and modernized to make sure we are making the best possible use of our states advantages. There are 7 distinct areas that New Mexico can harness to diversify and grow our economy: Silicon Mesa Films Value Added Production of our Resources Expand and Energize Tourism Achieve self-sufficiency in food production. Retirement destination Business Resiliency Silicon Mesa HIGH TECH: If we are to keep the best and brightest kids of the next generation in the state we will have to provide suitable careers for them. Our major research universities should partner with the National Labs to create a high tech incubator system that rivals the best programs in the county. We will develop a high tech component of the economy that utilizes a public-private partnership between our national labs, the research universities and our military research and development facilities which call New Mexico home. Efforts like GrowBio and other collaborative efforts have identified huge opportunities for New Mexico jobs in biotechnology, optics, photonics and other high tech industries. These opportunities must be pursued by a state that is open and inviting not only to new businesses but new industries. SPACEPORT AMERICA: The global attention that will be harvested by the initial launch of Richard Branson into sub-orbit could be the most anticipated and watched event in the history of humanity. We should use this milestone as a way to showcase New Mexico’s unique offerings when it comes to tourism, weather, and business. At the same time, we need a new strategy to earn the highest possible return on the state’s $200 million investment in Spaceport America. As the Spaceport grows as a tourism and business destination, we should also develop long-term strategies to market Albuquerque and Las Cruces as gateway cities to Spaceport America. EXPORT CONTRACTOR SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGY: Private sector companies have built a contractor base around our national labs and military research facilities that is unique in the United States. As national budgets decrease, there is an excellent opportunity for New Mexico’s companies to provide the most professional and cost-effective services in the world to the US Government. New Mexico should work directly with these companies to market their unique technical services to a global market and ensure the continued viability of this important segment of our local economy. Likewise, the energy economy in New Mexico has some of the world’s greatest expertise. New Mexico should concentrate on providing services around the globe to create a stronger economy here in the state. Reshoring: Beginning about 2010, companies that had been offshoring for decades began to look at returning to the US as costs escalated in the international marketplace. New Mexico should position itself to be where the companies relocate when they return to this country. Innovation: The key to building a sustainable private sector-oriented economy will be innovation and entrepreneurship. Encouraging an innovation ecosystem will be essential for enhancing prosperity and reducing poverty in our state. This ecosystem has numerous components. ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS: We have to recognize the role that our state’s anchor higher education and research & development institutions play in creating economic vitality. UNM, UNM+HSC and UNMH combined are the largest employer in our state. The global cities of the future will be places where higher education, business, and the cities they reside in collaborate to build a sustainable economy which will be fueled by innovation, business formation and global reach. JOB CREATION FUND: New Mexico needs a closing fund that allows us to attract business and compete with other states. There is no monopoly on competition, so when our neighbors embrace tactics like state-backed closing funds to help recruit employers, New Mexico should be doing the same. FILM INDUSTRY: New Mexico has some of the most scenic vistas in the country that are natural attractors to the film industry. The state should actively pursue these high-quality jobs. Keeping our creative genius at home will benefit the entire state. VALUE ADDED PRODUCTION New Mexico should concentrate on creating value-added production to use all of our precious resources rather than exporting them to create jobs in other states. Let’s establish manufacturing plants here to use our resources. The harvesting of a resource is the lowest economic activity in a production chain. Mining the copper, drilling for oil and gas and growing chile are all valuable economic activities but making copper wire, refining the oil, and canning the chile adds value and creates jobs that are generally higher paying. Houston is one of the richest cities in the country; in part because we ship our high-grade oil there to be refined, creating the thousands of jobs which bring much prosperity to Houston. We should build refineries here to use our oil to create better jobs here. Value-added production in food should be a leading industry for New Mexico. TOURISM New Mexico can facilitate the growth of this important industry. Travelers from around the world visit New Mexico to experience our natural beauty, rich heritage and unique cultures. New Mexico tourism should be promoted globally but we should pay special attention to opportunities close by like Mexico’s emerging middle class.The tourism industry should partner with the Native Americans to create robust travel experiences for every person entering the state as a tourist. The resulting increase in tourism dollars will benefit communities and businesses throughout the state. SPORTS TOURISM: Our great weather and existing tourism attractions in New Mexico make us a natural destination for families looking to participate in youth sports activities. The resulting tourism could drive economic activity for our state and region while also enhancing the quality of life in our own communities. AGRICULTURE The first and most important aspect of sovereignty is a stable and internal source of food. Agriculture in New Mexico is an important part of our economy that should be expanded. We should give incentives to keep young families in agriculture. To achieve significant increases in agriculture we must learn from others. In the Middle Rio Grande we use 300,000-acre-feet of water to produce 3 percent of the food for 1 million people. Israel, which has a similar semi-arid climate, uses 100,000-acre-feet of water to produce 95% of the food for 8 million people. New Mexico should develop the blueprint to lead the United States to more effective use of this scarce resource.Estimates suggest that increasing our food production from 3% to 25% will create thousands of jobs, tens of millions of dollars in new business taxes revenue and $1.4 billion in additional economic growth. RETIREMENT DESTINATION Retiring baby boomers from around the nation are looking for unique, affordable and hospitable places to retire. New Mexico’s climate, natural beauty and affordability should make us a favorite destination. Instead, we make choices which keep them from coming here. Our policy of taxing out of state pensions and social security benefits and military pensions (one of eight states that does this) is usually a deciding factor in retirees not locating here. These practices need to end immediately.New Mexico should follow the lead of other states with growing retiree populations by launching Certified Retirement Community programs. BUSINESS RESILIENCY The impact of severe weather on global business is now seen as a major risk factor for the insurance industry. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Sandy and Katrina, as well as the Japan tsunami, resulted in billions of dollars of lost business productivity and interruption to supply chain activity. With its mild climate and lack of extreme weather events, New Mexico could become an ideal location for global businesses to establish operations that allow them to maintain their competitive advantage during extreme weather events or other natural disasters. New Mexico’s weather and affordable land should be a selling point for business resilience strategies. Other factors that can help transform our economy ATTRACT MORE ENTREPRENEURS Offer in-state tuition to international STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and Business students at New Mexico’s public universities. Statistically, these students are most likely to start new companies and create jobs for New Mexicans. INVEST IN NEW MEXICO The State Investment Council (SIC), guided by strict guidelines, should invest in companies that are locating or growing their companies in our own backyard. The SIC can provide providing financing for facilities or invest directly in companies themselves. The SIC should also establish a proof of concept fund that would help early-stage New Mexico start-ups and entrepreneurs and also stipulate that the use of those funds would obligate the company to build their businesses in New Mexico. IMPROVING EDUCATION First and foremost, the role of the public education system is to prepare students to be productive citizens through academic and vocational teaching and training. I am committed to ensuring that every child in New Mexico receives a quality public education with schools that are safe, where qualified teachers are recruited, supported and retained and parents are welcomed as an integral part of the school system. A well-educated population is essential if New Mexico and her citizens are to compete in the world economy. A strong education is the foundation for our children to create their future and be inspired to positively contribute to our communities. It is critical for each of us to understand our role in supporting the educational development of our children. Campaign slogans and promises such as “an education second to none” and similar words are empty. New Mexico does not need another slogan. Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and go to work and ensure every child has access to rich educational opportunities that will provide them with choice; the choice of attending college or entering the workforce. New Mexico has 213 private schools with an enrollment of 25,298 students; we have a homeschool population estimated at about 10,000, and a charter school enrollment of 25,700 students. Parents understand that the current policies of the Public Education Department (PED) are failing our schools and their children and they are seeking alternatives to traditional public education. We should be thankful for the outstanding array of school options providing families educational choices as well as the significant sacrifice parents make to fund private school education or home school their children. At the same time, we should be concerned about families that choose public schools. We will give them the highest educational opportunities possible for their children. The centralized decision-making system has proven over and over incapable of responding effectively to the local needs of New Mexico communities, parents, teachers or students. Decisions must be made closer to the classrooms and communities that are directly affected by those decisions. We have lived with the status quo; it is harmful for our state’s future and cannot be tolerated any longer. We cannot wait until tomorrow. Failure is not an option. The stakes are too high. Common sense and back-to-basics management will stabilize and bring steady improvement to our schools. By shifting control back to our local communities and implementing common sense, time-tested processes and policies, we can create quality public schools for all students. Some policies can be implemented immediately while others will require more time and effort, but now is the time to outline a plan and get started. Establish & Restore Trust with the Public Education Department The reforming of the public education system in New Mexico must be informed and led by New Mexican educators. By New Mexicans for New Mexicans. The state Public Education Department (PED) establishes and proactively communicates what the expectations are for our students and provides resources and support to districts and schools based on the local needs. State initiatives, policies and practices must reflect authentic input of the people working in the field. PED must get in front of, listen to, ask questions and incorporate feedback from those who serve our children daily. We will immediately suspend the current Teacher Evaluation System. We will seek input from New Mexico educators to create a system that is fair and meaningful. The revamped evaluation system should be simple and easy to understand. Using regional staff, possibly through the already established Regional Education Cooperatives, to provide specialized staff to support all public schools in a region. Areas of specialty available may include: Instructional support through modeling, coaching and mentoring for administrators and teachers; Operational support through budget and fiscal training; student data management Regionally located PED staff would go to the districts instead of the districts always coming to the state. Local Control and Leadership Development Decentralize operations by returning control of day to day management decisions to the local school districts and/or charter schools. From our urban and rural districts to our pueblo and border schools, each district and region is diverse and unique and should be directing how learning expectations are met. Training and support will be provided to support governing school boards in their role as educational leaders and drivers of reform in their regions. Our civic leaders serving on our school boards are critical to a district’s success and should know and understand basic education and management principles to successfully support and monitor the educational progress of their students. Fund operations equitably on a per pupil unit basis so that funding is adequate in all districts. We need to stop the practice of district superintendents jumping through hoops to get “below the line money.” The funding below the line should be available to all districts to provide resources and supports as they determine to meet the needs of their students. Build a pipeline to attract and retain strong administrators. Establish training and coaching to continue instructional leader development while adding a business operation component. Provide ample time for principals and superintendents to receive administrative training, support, and authentic internship opportunities prior to being assigned to a leadership position. Let Teachers Teach Many of our teachers and schools are doing a superb job of providing quality learning opportunities for students. In my role as a Congressman, I have visited numerous classrooms. While many politicians tend to go for photo ops while reading to kids, I go and take questions from the students. You can learn far more by listening to their questions than by giving them pep talks or speeches. My visits have convinced me teachers can do the job. We need to remove barriers and let our teachers do what they are trained for and we will see immediate results. We ask our teachers to do things they are not trained for: behavior counseling, anger management, priests, pastors, policemen, etc. In doing so we take away valuable teaching time from the students who are there to learn. Basic discipline must be restored and chronically disruptive students removed and provided alternative opportunities so that a safe environment with a focus on learning is maintained. Deliver focused training to our new and alternatively licensed teachers so they can begin successfully teaching when they enter the classroom. Provide ongoing coaching to support them as they develop and hone their craft. Immediately suspend and redevelop the teacher evaluation system. We will bring teacher, parents, administrators, and other education advocates to the table to design an evaluation system that treats teachers fairly and respectfully, while creating accountability and measurable results. Recruit and retain qualified teaching staff. New Mexico is experiencing a teacher shortage crisis with many classrooms across the state staffed with long-term substitutes. This places an undue burden on the local teachers. We must work with our high schools and colleges to actively recruit students into the teaching profession and develop policies that encourage our current teachers to remain in the classroom. Give teachers voice by creating opportunities to provide genuine feedback to inform state policies and practices. Provide teachers with the resources and classroom supplies needed to do their job effectively and students have the materials they need for learning. Funding Diversify funding sources to ensure stable funding streams to school districts and charter schools. About 35% of education funding comes from the oil and gas sector. A strong energy sector is vital for the state’s economy. However, we must diversify so our school budgets are not so dependent on one industry (oil and gas) that fluctuates beyond the control of New Mexico. Diversification must be achieved by attracting industry to our state, not just for funding schools but also to provide jobs for our educated workforce. Aging school facilities must be evaluated and prioritized on need. Construction should be funded on a need basis since some districts have much older buildings than others. Conduct independent operational audits of every department in every district to ensure state and federal dollars are directed where intended. If we are to deal with chronic shortages of funding and why teacher pay is low, we must get to the root cause of funding issues. Apprenticeship Programs in High Schools Not every student will attend college, nor should they. But their educational needs are just as important as the college bound student. Our current practice of ignoring or minimally addressing the plight of those not headed to college will stop. We will work to establish Apprenticeship Programs in every school district so that those students who do not intend to go to college will graduate with a diploma and a journeyman certificate which along with the experience gained while in the program will qualify them to get a job the day they graduate. Giving students a purpose and a skill should be a requirement of every high school. Choices for Parents and Students New Mexico should embrace all forms of education that give every family a choice in how to educate their child. Charter schools, magnet schools, e-schools and home schooling have a place in meeting the needs of some students. Encourage home school, private school and public school partnerships that allow students to participate in local education, sports and other extracurricular activities. Families pay taxes that support public education. All children should have access to these programs while local schools should receive the portion of funding needed to include these students. ATTACK THE ROOTS OF POVERTY There’s not one of us who has not needed help coping at some time. For me it was shame of poverty and not measuring up. We are going to help those who need it. This state will not give up on those who have stumbled. People New Mexicans are good and hardworking people. Sadly, many have given up hope of finding a job. New Mexico has some of the highest unemployment in the nation. At the same time, thousands of high paying jobs are going unfilled in the state. The job of pairing people needing jobs with the jobs available is a high priority. Thousands of New Mexico workers could have a job, supporting their families, and paying taxes to support critical services if we focus on providing the training or support they need to fill those jobs. It is my commitment as Governor I will concentrate on providing hope to those who have lost it, courage to those who need, and training where it is required for anyone who wants to reenter the work force. Those adults who have lost belief that they can get and hold a job will receive encouragement. Those who are able bodied and just can’t find the courage to try to get a job will receive a helping hand to be paired with work. Those with no skills will receive training. New Mexico will not lose faith in any of her citizens. We often complain that there are those who choose to not work when jobs are available. Actually, the poor are making a rational choice that gives them the most money to live on. We should adopt a sliding scale for benefits that will allow new entrants into the workforce to obtain a job without immediately losing all their benefits. Attacking poverty starts with education. A Brookings Institute study show that avoiding poverty can be accomplished by 3 basic steps: Get a high school diploma Wait until age 21 to get married and have children Get a full time job Of those who follow these rules, only 2% end up in poverty, 75% join the middle class. These are simple rules; we are all capable of doing them. 71% of poor families with children are unmarried. Poverty rate among unmarried white families was 22%. Poverty among married black couples the same year was 7%. Poverty is more from decisions being made than the race or culture. Crime destroys communities. Your life is in your own hands. You get to decide if you have a successful life or not. Take control. Work hard, make smart decisions and not hurting other people. Women Women out of college in 147 of 150 largest cities women make 8% more than men in their peer group. That gap is growing not shrinking. 55% of people in college are women. 58% of graduate degrees are women. The reason there is a statistical difference is that there are women who take time out to have kids. Studies from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. James Chung, Reach Advisors. Teaching those 3 basic steps to every New Mexican will be a goal which helps attack poverty at its roots. IRS studies show that poverty in the US is transitory. In this country you can make your way out of poverty with a little discipline and hard work. New Mexico will strive to help every person out of poverty. Watching the people who are trying to escape from bad choices, from not having the tools to succeed. Watching them struggle without help is almost unbearable. They are covered up with day to day responsibilities and sometimes lose their foothold and slip all the way back to the bottom. Replace all welfare programs with a simple supplement to wages and earned income tax credits. (tax credits to encourage hiring do not work) Apprenticeship Programs in High Schools Not every student will attend college, nor should they. But their educational needs are just as important as the college-bound student. Our current practice of ignoring or minimally addressing the plight of those not headed to college will stop. We will work to establish Apprenticeship Programs in every school district so that those students who do not intend to go to college will graduate with a diploma and a journeyman certificate which along with the experience gained while in the program will qualify them to get a job the day they graduate. Giving students a purpose and a skill should be a requirement of every high school. Behaviour, Mental Health, and Homelessness Any effort to combat poverty must acknowledge the devastating effects of behavior and mental health and the long-term homelessness that affects New Mexicans. Budgets must reflect an increased commitment to addressing these difficult problems. Unemployment Benefits Unemployment benefits were meant to be short term relief for those who are laid off or face other interruptions. The program is useful but is being abused by some who want to avoid work. The Labor Department will be provided a mobile phone APP that allows employers to identify people drawing unemployment who apply for work. The App will allow the employer to post immediately that the person is in fact looking for work. But they will also be able to post if the person refuses the job or if they take the job and do not show up. Those persons who turn down work or who do not show up for work will see reductions in their unemployment checks. People abusing the system meant solely as a safety net will not be allowed to continue. By stopping the abuses, the program will be strengthened for those who need it. Medicaid Able bodied people without children will have a work requirement. Adults with children who are not taking financial responsibility for their children will have a work requirement. Drug Screens I believe the government has a moral responsibility to help those struggling with dependency. Virtually every job requires passing a drug screen. If a person cannot pass a drug screen to get a job, they will be encouraged to enter a treatment program to cure their drug habits to pave the way for them to lead productive lives. Take Jobs into the Deep Pockets of Poverty Many companies have great latitude in where to locate. Companies will be encouraged to locate in areas of poverty where the people have shown the capacity to be trained to become good employees. Taking the jobs to the poverty will help those trapped in circumstances beyond their control. STANDING UP FOR NEW MEXICO’S VETERANS A warfighter leaving the armed forces requires the tools necessary to successfully integrate into the civilian world. Often times, Veterans are not fully aware of the benefits and services that the VA and the state provide. As Governor, I will formalize a statewide process that facilitates a transition for Veterans from military life to civilian life. I will focus on building up the number of VA accredited representatives and integrating them into local communities throughout the state. We will eradicate the bureaucracy that currently encumbers our Veterans. I will direct our VA representatives to be proactive in their outreach to Veterans, they will not simply stand by and wait for Veterans to come to them. My administration will fund the Veterans Education Program. This program provides guidance to public Institutions of Higher Learning in the development of Centers of Excellence for Veteran Students transitioning from the military to school, fostering academic success and credential attainment. After World War II, nearly half of the small businesses in America were Veteran-owned small businesses. Today, that number is less than five percent. My administration will work with the State Small Business Administration to identify and create small business opportunities for our Veterans. Veterans in the Workforce Veterans come to the table with a set of job skills second to none. Not only do service members possess trade skills, but they also hold transferable skills employers desperately seek such as leadership, attention to detail, poise and discipline. To encourage Veterans to stay in our great state, we need to provide the opportunities for them to do so. My administration will develop a program granting reciprocity for licenses in the fields that these service members have trained. My administration will suspend all licensure fees for Veterans and their spouses, which are often expensive and place an undue burden on Veterans trying to enter the workforce. As a state, we should be cultivating our Veterans’ experience and brainpower to help grow our economy. To further ensure our Veterans start on an equal playing field, my Administration will guarantee every qualified veteran who applies for a state job gets an interview. Additionally, I would apply half of a Veterans’ years in service towards their state retirement plans, so a veteran that leaves the service after 10 years does not have to start at square one as a result of their honorable service in keeping our nation safe. We need to be on a level playing field to attract to the state more military retirees and families. In addition to bringing their retired pay and associated benefits, they also have special skills and proven ability to create jobs by starting new businesses. New Mexico needs to join and compete with the 28 other states that exempt military retired pay from personal income tax (PIT). Absent that exemption New Mexico will continue to lose this valuable source of talent and income to include military retirees moving out of the state because of retired pay taxation. My administration will support a 100% PIT exemption for the pay of uniformed service retirees and widowed spouses. Post-Traumatic Stress Task Force Combat Veterans returning from war and transitioning into the civilian sector face hurdles for which I am intimately familiar. Veterans throughout the state lack access to assistance for Post-Traumatic Stress. My administration will commit to serving our combat Veterans in the same way they served us. Provide screening and services for New Mexico National Guard when they are reintegrated into civilian life after a deployment Create a State network of therapists and support groups that have a special focus on PTS Ensure veterans who do not want to use the VA, or are too far from the VA have access to quality mental health care Work with our institutions of higher learning to create a PTS Center of Excellence in New Mexico Women Veterans Task Force My administration will lead from the front when it comes to supporting our Women Veterans. Our women Veterans face daunting challenges when they leave the military. Many are single mothers pursuing an education and trying to overcome many difficulties. I will bring the full resources of our state together to form a Women’s Veterans Task Force to identify ways to support our women Veterans. Our state will provide full tax credit and vouchers for women who are in job training or school and require childcare. No woman Veteran should have to sacrifice their professional betterment because they can’t afford safe childcare. For any who have experienced sexual trauma, we will make counseling and treatment available. Homeless Veterans Task Force My administration will make it our mission to end Veteran homelessness. Veterans make up about 10 percent of the overall homeless population in New Mexico, which puts the estimate of homeless Veterans between 750 and 1,000. Just like the military motto: “Leave No One Behind” my Administration will “Leave No Homeless Veteran Behind.” Veterans Serving Veterans Who knows the problems that a veteran faces better than a fellow vet? I stand steadfast in my belief that developing a program throughout the state that links Veterans together will foster better communications and relief for Veterans who are facing challenges they do not know how to overcome. Our Veterans Service Officers are extremely overtaxed. My administration will leverage the state-wide service organizations, such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars Posts as force multipliers. These force multipliers can identify and “intake” Veterans from their post and community for service support. My administration will create a statewide support program – NM Vets 4 Vets – that connects Veterans with each other to provide support for Veterans dealing with the unique challenges they face. Additionally, we will create a state-chartered Veteran’s County Advisory Board comprised of local veteran leaders from every county to give input and policy guidance on challenges facing Veterans. Thanking our New Mexican Veterans We live in the Land of Enchantment, where individuals come from far and wide to access our beautiful state parks, hunt our lands and fish our streams. My administration will use our beautiful state and resources to our advantage by granting free fishing and hunting licenses and a guaranteed deer tag to any honorably discharged New Mexico resident veteran who served a minimum of 90 days consecutive active duty. In addition, Veterans and their families will have free access to state parks and camping sites. We will also capitalize on our growing mass transit system by granting free access for Veterans to train and bus services. Finally, we will waive all motor vehicle administrative fees for any honorably discharged New Mexico resident Veterans. ASSURING PUBLIC SAFETY Support our Police and uniformed law enforcement Drug Prevention and Treatment Today, 80% of crimes leading to incarceration are related to drug or alcohol abuse. We can no longer ignore the effect this is having on our families, our communities, our children or our future. Separate the mentally ill from the criminal population Opioid Addiction Domestic violence Border Security Terrorism Strict criminal penalties for those who profit from the sale and distribution of illegal drugs. Gangs and Cartels IMPROVING HEALTHCARE Affordable, Accessible Healthcare New Mexico is blessed with one of the best and healthiest places to live in the country. Our air is clean, the natural beauty of the state is unparalleled and our social diversity fills our society with a vitality that is special among all the states. New Mexico is a healthy place to live but health care is not always accessible in some remote areas and is expensive in the urban areas. Health insurance is not always available and uninsured illness can financially devastate a family. My pledge for the new beginning is to meet these challenges head on to improve access to health care in every corner of the state and to provide competitive markets where insurance is available and affordable. Medicaid New Mexico faces a problem with almost half of our population (905,000 people out of a population of about 2 million people) on Medicaid. Many times, people who really need the support have trouble getting it because the system is overwhelmed. My commitment is to see that every case is reviewed for accuracy. Those who are gaming the system will be removed. Able-bodied people without children will have a work requirement. That way, the system can be focused on providing quality service for those who truly need it. Life The founding fathers organized this country around the concepts of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; life being the first of those. One of the most important functions of a government is to speak for those who have no political power, who essentially have no voice, the mentally ill, the poor and others who tend to be overlooked in society. Those with the least voice are the unborn. As governor, I will enforce the law of the land and ensure that institutions in the state are abiding by the law. I will also seek to bring the citizens of the state to the point of agreement that the unborn should be protected under the Constitution the same as all lives are protected. Human Dignity In all the discussions about life, the people who are experiencing their last years should receive equal respect and protection under the law. Insurance Encourage employers to provide health insurance by allowing a tax credit for employees who work less than 20 hours per week. PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP The human is the first and most important part of the environment. We should do everything we can to make life easier for our citizens. Each generation holds the land in trust and should use it but we must keep it clear and clean for future generations. Where possible, we should clean up messes left by previous generations. Public Lands New Mexico is a stunning, beautiful state. One of our great benefits is the vast expanse of undeveloped areas. We have much public land. That land should be accessible to all. As an avid hiker and backpacker, I value the majesty of our national forests, the solitude of our wilderness and the limitless horizon of the eastern side of the state. We should invest in forest management to protect our forests and watersheds from the impact of extreme fire and drought. These lands are the lifeblood of our rural economy including tourism, forest products, and agriculture. Restoring the health of our forests will allow the natural recharging of our streams and aquifers, providing much-needed water that an arid state usually captures. New Mexico used to have more than 100 timber mills and a vibrant forest economy. We should immediately rebuild that once thriving economy, restoring our healthy forests while renewing hope in some of the most economically distressed, rural counties of our state. An entire new industry based around bio-fuels production and bio-mass energy can be created producing alternative energy while cleaning up the overgrown forests. In all this, we will diminish the likelihood of the massive fires that destroy our forests for generations to come. WATER: Conserve, Protect and Develop New Sources New Mexico needs to become a global leader in research and development around all things water. Water security, food security, health, and energy will be major issues confronting the world for the foreseeable future. New Mexico can lead the way in resource management, especially as it relates to water and energy. If we in New Mexico can solve our own water problems through technology, planning and policy initiatives, we can be a leader in the water issues for the nation. As governor, I will establish a new approach to reclaiming and reusing water. In counties that produce oil and gas, millions of gallons of water are disposed of each day. Where practical, water should be treated and provided for use in industry and preserve our aquifers for use in towns which face dwindling water supplies. Protect Other states have become aggressive in trying to take water from whatever source they can find. Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Nevada have made attempts to secure water in New Mexico and pipeline it to their cities. If we allow our water to be shipped out of state we forfeit forever our future. New Mexico will protect its water. Clean Up Water to Provide New Sources In many areas of the state, we have abundant water, it is just not clean water. New Mexico should become a world leader in the cleanup and reuse of water. SUPPORT EVERY FORM OF ENERGY Alternative Energy We have abundant energy; tremendous reserves of oil and gas, geothermal, biomass, sunlight and abundant wind energy. We enjoy more than 320 days of sunshine a year and our vast open spaces are a valuable resource to the alternative energy sector. Nuclear is the ultimate clean fuel with no emissions. New Mexico can be a national leader in every form of energy.	”
—Pearce for New Mexico

Campaign advertisements

The following is an example of an ad from Pearce's 2018 election campaign.

"Home" - Pearce campaign ad, released May 2, 2018

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Pearce was assigned to the following committees:

• Committee on Financial Services
• Committee on Natural Resources

2015-2016

Pearce served on the following committees:

• Financial Services Committee
  • Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, Vice Chairman
  • Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance
  • Subcommittee on Monetary Policy and Trade

2013-2014

Pearce served on the following committees:

• Financial Services Committee
  • Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
  • Subcommittee on Monetary Policy and Trade

2011-2012

Pearce served on the following committees:

• Financial Services Committee
  • Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprise
  • Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018

For detailed information about each vote, click here.

• Votes on domestic policy (click to expand)

  Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (Conference report) (HR 2)

   Bill Passed (369-47) on December 12, 2018

  Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance through fiscal year 2023.

  Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2 (second vote))

   Bill Passed (213-211) on June 21, 2018

  Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance. It also proposed modifying the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as the food stamp program.

  Voted Yea on: Securing America’s Future Act of 2018 (HR 4760)

   Bill Failed (193-231) on June 21, 2018

  Proposed funding a border wall, limiting legal immigration, a mandatory worker verification program, allowing DACA recipients to apply for legal status, and preventing separation of families at the border.

  Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2)

   Bill Passed (369-47) on December 12, 2018

  Reauthorizes through FY2023 and modifies some Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs.

  Voted Yea on: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (HR 36)

   Bill Passed (237-189) on October 3, 2017

  Proposed amending the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus was 20 weeks or more. The bill provided exceptions for an abortion: (1) that was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest.

  Voted Yea on: Kate's Law (HR 3004)

   Bill Passed (257-167) on June 29, 2017

  Proposed increasing criminal penalties for individuals in the country illegally who were convicted of certain crimes, deported, and then re-entered the U.S. illegally.

  Voted Yea on: No Sanctuary for Criminals Act (HR 3003)

   Bill Passed (228-195) on June 29, 2017

  Proposed withholding federal funds from states and localities that chose not to follow federal immigration laws.

  Voted Yea on: American Health Care Act of 2017 (HR 1628)

   Bill passed (217-213) on May 4, 2017

  Proposed modifying the budgetary and fiscal provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare.

• Votes on economic affairs and regulations (click to expand)

  Voted Yea on: Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 6157)

   Bill Passed (361-61) on September 26, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education.

  Did not vote on: Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 5895)

   Bill Passed (377-20) on September 13, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs.

  Voted Yea on: Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 6157)

   Bill Passed (359-49) on June 28, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education.

  Voted Yea on: Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 5895)

   Bill Passed (235-179) on June 8, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs.

  Did not vote on: Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S 2155)

   Bill Passed (258-159) on May 22, 2018

  Proposed exempting some banks from the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

  Voted Nay on: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1625)

   Bill Passed (256-167) on March 22, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes.

  Voted Nay on: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (HR 1892)

   Bill Passed (240-186) on February 9, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Further Extension Of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1892)

   Bill Passed (245-182) on February 6, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)

   Bill Passed (266-150) on January 22, 2018

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)

   Bill Passed (230-197) on January 18, 2018

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 16, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1370)

   Bill Passed (231-188) on December 21, 2017

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)

   Bill Passed (227-203) on December 19, 2017

  Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes (HJ Res 123)

   Bill Passed (235-193) on December 7, 2017

  Proposed funding the government until December 22, 2017.

  Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)

   Bill Passed (227-205) on November 16, 2017

  Proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses.

  Voted Yea on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)

   Bill Passed (216-212) on October 26, 2017

  Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027. (This bill proposed adopting the Senate's budget resolution.)

  Voted Yea on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)

   Bill Passed (219-206) on October 5, 2017

  Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027.

  
  

  Voted Yea on: Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3354)

   Bill Passed (211-198) on September 14, 2017

  Proposed providing FY2018 appropriations for the federal government. It combined 12 appropriations bills.

  Voted Nay on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)

   Bill Passed (316-90) on September 8, 2017

  Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts.

  Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 601)

   Bill Passed (419-3) on September 6, 2017

  Proposed providing $7.85 billion for disaster relief requirements, including response and recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey.

  Voted Yea on: Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 (HR 10)

   Bill passed (233-186) on June 8, 2017

  Proposed amending the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, among other acts.

  Voted Nay on: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 (HR 244)

   Bill passed (309-118) on May 3, 2017

  Proposed a $1.2 trillion budget to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017.

• Votes on foreign policy and national security issues (click to expand)

  Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (HR 5515)

   Bill Passed (351-66) on May 24, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities

  Voted Yea on: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 695)

   Bill Passed (250-166) on January 30, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations for military functions administered by the Department of Defense and for other purposes, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018.

  
  

  Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018—Conference report (HR 2810)

   Bill Passed (356-70) on November 14, 2017

  Proposed authorizing FY2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths.

  Voted Yea on: Make America Secure Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3219)

   Bill Passed (235-192) on July 27, 2017

  Proposed making appropriations for defense, military construction, Veterans Affairs, the Legislative Branch, energy and water development, and for other purposes for the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364)

   Bill Passed (419-3) on July 25, 2017

  Proposed providing congressional review and measures to counter aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes.

  Voted Yea on: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180, second vote)

   Bill Passed (380-35) on July 28, 2017

  Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.

  Voted Yea on: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180)

   Bill Failed (241-163) on July 24, 2017

  Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.

  Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 2810)

   Bill Passed (344-81) on July 14, 2017

  Proposed authorizing fiscal year 2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It did not provide budget authority.

  Voted Yea on: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 1301)

   Bill passed (371-48) on March 8, 2017

  The $577.9 billion fiscal year 2017 defense spending bill proposed $516.1 billion in base budget funding and $61.8 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations/ Global War on Terrorism funding.

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

114th Congress The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Pearce's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections. Economic and fiscal Trade Act of 2015 See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015 Trade act procedural motion On June 11, 2015, 34 House Republicans voted against a procedural motion to open up debate on a Senate amendment to the Trade Act of 2015, the primary bill associated with the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The White House and GOP leadership supported the motion, as well as the TPP, while most House Democrats opposed it. The rule passed 217 to 202, but Speaker John Boehner (R) openly expressed his disapproval of the House Republicans who voted against it, telling reporters shortly afterwards, "I made it clear to members today I am not happy about it." Several of these Republicans lost leadership positions in the weeks following the vote, causing some to see a connection between the demotions and the vote against the procedural motion. Pearce was one of 34 Republicans to vote against the procedural motion. Trade adjustment assistance On June 12, 2015, the House rejected the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015—by a vote of 126-302. Trade adjustment assistance (TAA) is a federal program providing American workers displaced by foreign trade agreements with job training and services. The measure was packaged with trade promotion authority (TPA), also known as fast-track authority. TPA is a legislative procedure that allows Congress to define "U.S. negotiating objectives and spells out a detailed oversight and consultation process for during trade negotiations. Under TPA, Congress retains the authority to review and decide whether any proposed U.S. trade agreement will be implemented," according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Pearce was one of 158 Republicans to vote against TAA. Trade promotion authority On June 12, 2015, the House passed the trade promotion authority (TPA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015—by a vote of 219-211. TPA gives the president fast-track authority to negotiate trade agreements sent to Congress without the opportunity for amendment or filibuster. Although the House approved TPA, it was a largely symbolic vote given the measure was part of a package trade bill including trade adjustment assistance (TAA), which was rejected earlier the same day. Pearce was one of 54 Republicans to vote against the measure. Trade promotion authority second vote After the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) and trade promotion authority (TPA) did not pass the House together on June 12, 2015, representatives voted to authorize TPA alone as an amendment to HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—on June 18, 2015. The amendment passed by a vote of 218-208, with all voting members of the House maintaining their original positions on TPA except for Ted Yoho (R-Fla.). Pearce was one of 50 Republicans to vote against the amendment. Trade adjustment assistance second vote The House passed HR 1295—the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015—on June 25, 2015, by a vote of 286-138. The Senate packaged trade adjustment assistance (TAA) in this bill after the House rejected the TAA measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015. Along with trade promotion authority (TPA), which Congress passed as part of HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—TAA became law on June 29, 2015. Pearce was one of 132 Republicans to vote against HR 1295. Defense spending authorization On May 15, 2015, the House passed HR 1735—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 269-151. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Pearce voted with 227 other Republicans and 41 Democrats to approve the bill. The Senate passed the bill on June 18, 2015, by a vote of 71-25. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015. On November 5, 2015, the House passed S 1356—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 370-58. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included $5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Pearce voted with 234 other Republicans and 135 Democrats to approve the bill. On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 91-3, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015. 2016 Budget proposal On April 30, 2015, the House voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 226-197. The non-binding resolution was designed to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. All 183 Democrats who voted, voted against the resolution. Pearce voted with 225 other Republicans to approve the bill. 2015 budget On October 28, 2015, the House passed HR 1314—the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015—by a vote of 266-167. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017. Pearce voted with 166 Republicans against the bill. It passed the Senate on October 30, 2015. President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015. Foreign Affairs Iran nuclear deal See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015 On May 14, 2015, the House approved HR 1191—the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 400-25. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove, or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Pearce voted with 222 other Republican representatives to approve the bill. Approval of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action On September 11, 2015, the House rejected HR 3461—To approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 162-269. The legislation proposed approving the nuclear agreement with Iran. Pearce voted with 243 Republicans and 25 Democrats against the bill. Suspension of Iran sanctions relief On September 11, 2015, the House approved HR 3460—To suspend until January 21, 2017, the authority of the President to waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 247-186. HR 3460 prohibited "the President, prior to January 21, 2017, from: limiting the application of specified sanctions on Iran or refraining from applying any such sanctions; or removing a foreign person (including entities) listed in Attachments 3 or 4 to Annex II of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) from the list of designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the Department of the Treasury." Pearce voted with 244 Republicans and two Democrats for the bill. Presidential non-compliance of section 2 On September 10, 2015, the House passed H Res 411—Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 245-186. Section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 required the president to submit all materials related to the nuclear agreement for congressional review. House Republicans introduced the resolution because two agreements between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran were not submitted to Congress. Pearce voted with 244 Republicans for the resolution. Export-Import Bank On October 27, 2015, the House passed HR 597—the Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015—by a vote of 313-118. The bill proposed reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank and allowing it to resume offering assistance in the form of loans and insurance to foreign companies that wanted to buy U.S. goods. Pearce voted with 126 Republicans and 186 Democrats in favor of the bill. Domestic USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 2048—the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015—by a vote of 338-88. The legislation revised HR 3199—the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005—by ending the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Pearce voted with 195 Republicans and 142 Democrats to approve the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015. Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 36—the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act—by a vote of 242-184. The bill proposed prohibiting abortions from being performed after a fetus was determined to be 20 weeks or older. The bill proposed exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Pearce voted with 237 Republicans in favor of the bill. Cyber security On April 23, 2015, the House passed HR 1731—the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015—by a vote of 355-63. The bill proposed creating an information sharing program that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. It also proposed including liability protections for companies. Pearce voted with 219 Republicans and 135 Democrats to approve the bill. On April 22, 2015, the House passed HR 1560—the Protecting Cyber Networks Act—by a vote of 307-116. The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Pearce voted with 201 Republicans and 105 Democrats in favor of the bill. Immigration On November 19, 2015, the House passed HR 4038—the American SAFE Act of 2015—by a vote of 289-137. The bill proposed instituting additional screening processes for refugees from Iraq and Syria who applied for admission to the U.S. Pearce voted with 241 Republicans and 47 Democrats in favor of the bill. 113th Congress The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Pearce's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections. National security DHS Appropriations Pearce voted in support of HR 2217 - the DHS Appropriations Act of 2014. The bill passed the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 245 - 182 and was largely along party lines. Keystone Pipeline Amendment Pearce voted in opposition of House Amendment 69, which would have amended HR 3 to "require that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, conduct a study of the vulnerabilities of the Keystone XL pipeline to a terrorist attack and certify that necessary protections have been put in place." The amendment failed on May 22, 2013, with a vote of 176 - 239 and was largely along party lines. CISPA (2013) Pearce voted in support of HR 624 - the CISPA (2013). The bill passed the House on April 18, 2013, with a vote of 288 - 127. The bill permitted federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities. The bill was largely supported by Republicans, but divided the Democratic Party. NDAA Pearce voted in support of HR 1960 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2013, with a vote of 315 - 108. Both parties were somewhat divided on the vote. Economy Government shutdown See also: United States budget debate, 2013 On September 30, 2013, the House passed a final stopgap spending bill before the shutdown went into effect. The bill included a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and would have also stripped the bill of federal subsidies for congressional members and staff. It passed through the House with a vote of 228-201. At 1 a.m. on October 1, 2013, one hour after the shutdown officially began, the House voted to move forward with going to a conference. In short order, Sen. Harry Reid rejected the call to conference. Pearce voted for the stopgap spending bill that would have delayed the individual mandate. The shutdown ended on October 16, 2013, when the House took a vote on HR 2775 after it was approved by the Senate. The bill to reopen the government lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies. The House passed the legislation shortly after the Senate, by a vote of 285-144, with all 144 votes against the legislation coming from Republican members. Pearce voted against HR 2775. Federal Pay Adjustment Act Pearce voted in support of HR 273 - Eliminates the 2013 Statutory Pay Adjustment for Federal Employees. The bill passed the House on February 15, 2013, with a vote of 261 - 154. The bill called for stopping a 0.5 percent pay increase for all federal workers from taking effect. The raises were projected to cost $11 billion over 10 years. Immigration Morton Memos Prohibition Pearce voted in support of House Amendment 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order. The amendment was adopted by the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 224 - 201. The purpose of the amendment as stated on the official text is to "prohibit the use of funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Morton Memos." These memos would have granted administrative amnesty to certain individuals residing in the United States without legal status. The vote largely followed party lines. Healthcare Healthcare Reform Rules Pearce voted in support of House Amendment 450 - Requires Congressional Approval for Any Rules Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The amendment was adopted by the House on August 2, 2013, with a vote of 227-185. The amendment requires all changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act be approved by Congress before taking effect. The vote was largely along party lines. Keep the IRS Off Your Healthcare Act Pearce voted in support of HR 2009 - Keep the IRS Off Your Healthcare Act of 2013. The bill passed through the House on August 2, 2013, with a vote of 232-185. The bill would prevent the IRS and Treasury Secretary from enforcing the powers provided to them in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The vote largely followed party lines. Pearce co-sponsored the bill. Social issues Amash amendment Pearce voted in support of House Amendment 413 - Prohibits the National Security Agency from Collecting Records Under the Patriot Act. The amendment failed on July 4, 2013, by a vote of 205-217. The amendment would have prohibited the collection of records by the National Security Agency under the Patriot Act. Both parties were split on the vote. Government affairs HR 676 See also: Boehner's lawsuit against the Obama administration On July 30, 2014, the U.S. House approved a resolution 225 to 201 to sue President Barack Obama for exceeding his constitutional authority. Five Republicans—Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Paul Broun of Georgia, Scott Garrett of New Jersey, Walter Jones of North Carolina and Steve Stockman of Texas—voted with Democrats against the lawsuit. Pearce joined the other 224 Republicans in favor of the lawsuit. All Democrats voted against the resolution. Previous congressional sessions Fiscal Cliff Pearce voted against the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was 1 of 151 Republicans that voted against the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257-167 vote on January 1, 2013.

Issues

Conservative Fight Club

According to the conservative website RedState, Pearce was one of 16 U.S. House members in the "Conservative Fight Club," a designation meant to describe the "gold standard for conservatives in the House," as outlined by RedState. They were the 16 Republicans who voted against the continuing appropriations resolution to avoid the impending government shutdown in March 2013. This type of resolution is used to fund government agencies when a formal federal budget has not been approved.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Steve Pearce campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2016	U.S. House, New Mexico District 2	Won	$1,840,392	N/A**
2014	U.S. House (New Mexico, District 2)	Won	$2,070,663	N/A**
Grand total			$3,911,055	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Pearce's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $7,983,015 and $37,245,000 . That averages to $22,569,007.50, which is higher than the average net worth of Republican representatives in 2012 of $7,614,097.96. Pearce ranked as the 27th most wealthy representative in 2012. Between 2004 and 2012, Pearce's calculated net worth increased by an average of 1 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

Steve Pearce Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2004	$20,589,933
2012	$22,614,007
Growth from 2004 to 2012:	10%
Average annual growth:	1%
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Pearce received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Oil & Gas industry.

From 1999-2014, 26.86 percent of Pearce's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

Steve Pearce Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$15,520,269
Total Spent	$13,867,128
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Oil & Gas	$1,675,914
Retired	$834,800
Leadership PACs	$644,022
Republican/Conservative	$570,111
Real Estate	$443,726
% total in top industry	10.8%
% total in top two industries	16.18%
% total in top five industries	26.86%

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Pearce was a lonely far-right Republican follower as of August 2014. Pearce was rated as a "rank-and-file Republican" in June 2013.

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.

Pearce most often vote5 with:

• Bill Johnson
• Jim Matheson

Pearce least often vote5 with:

• Walter Jones
• Mark Pocan

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Pearce missed 187 of 7,669 roll call votes from January 2003 to September 2015. This amounted to 2.4 percent, which was higher than the median of 2.2 percent among representatives as of September 2015.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Pearce paid his congressional staff a total of $841,013 in 2011. Overall, New Mexico ranked 23rd in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.

2013

Pearce ranked 117th in the conservative rankings in 2013.

2012

Pearce ranked 52nd in the conservative rankings in 2012.

2011

Pearce rankied 36th in the conservative rankings in 2011.

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Pearce voted with the Republican Party 93.3 percent of the time, which ranked 154th among the 234 House Republican members as of August 2014.

2013

Pearce voted with the Republican Party 92.1 percent of the time, which ranked 155th among the 234 House Republican members as of August 2013.

2011

Pearce voted with the Republican Party 92.4 percent of the time, which ranked 132nd among the 242 House Republican members as of December 2011.

2016 Republican National Convention

See also: Republican National Convention, 2016

Pearce was an at-large delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention from New Mexico. Pearce was one of 24 delegates from New Mexico bound by state party rules to support Donald Trump at the convention.

RNC Rules Committee

See also: RNC Rules Committee, 2016

Pearce was a member of the RNC Rules Committee, a 112-member body responsible for crafting the official rules of the Republican Party, including the rules that governed the 2016 Republican National Convention.

Appointment process

The convention Rules Committee in 2016 consisted of one male and one female delegate from each state and territorial delegation. The Rules of the Republican Party required each delegation to elect from its own membership representatives to serve on the Rules Committee.

Delegate rules

See also: RNC delegate guidelines from New Mexico, 2016 and Republican delegates from New Mexico, 2016

Delegates from New Mexico to the Republican National Convention were elected at a state convention in May 2016. New Mexico delegates were bound for the first ballot at the convention. As of July 2016, New Mexico state law explicitly criminalized the conduct of any delegate who does not vote for the presidential candidate to whom they are pledged. A violation of the delegate's pledge to support that candidate on the first ballot was considered a petty misdemeanor.

New Mexico primary results

See also: Presidential election in New Mexico, 2016

New Mexico Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Delegates
Donald Trump	70.7%	73,887	24
Ted Cruz	13.3%	13,911	0
John Kasich	7.6%	7,919	0
Jeb Bush	3.4%	3,517	0
Ben Carson	3.7%	3,825	0
Carly Fiorina	1.4%	1,507	0
Totals		104,566	24
Source: The New York Times and New Mexico Secretary of State

Delegate allocation

See also: Republican National Convention, 2016 and 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules

New Mexico had 24 delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Of this total, nine were district-level delegates (three for each of the state's three congressional districts), and 12 served as at-large delegates. New Mexico's district and at-large delegates were allocated proportionally; a candidate had to win at least 15% of the statewide primary vote in order to be eligible to receive a portion of the state's district and at-large delegates.

In addition, three national party leaders (identified on the chart below as RNC delegates) served as bound delegates to the Republican National Convention.

RNC Rules Committee

See also: RNC Rules Committee, 2016

Pearce was a member of the RNC Rules Committee, a 112-member body responsible for crafting the official rules of the Republican Party, including the rules that governed the 2016 Republican National Convention.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Pearce and his wife, Cynthia, have one child together and reside in Hobbs, New Mexico. Pearce lists his religious affiliation as Baptist.

"Just Fly the Plane, Stupid" Controversy

Pearce received attention for comments in his memoir, "Just Fly the Plane, Stupid," specifically his thoughts on the proper relationship between husband and wife. Pearce wrote that "the wife is to voluntarily submit [to her husband], just as the husband is to lovingly lead and sacrifice...The wife’s submission is not a matter of superior versus inferior; rather, it is self-imposed as a matter of obedience to the Lord and of love for her husband." Pearce contextualized the statements, writing "authoritarian control is not given to the husband" and that submission does not equal inferiority, but that the family unit is most effectively run when structured similar to military command, with different units playing different roles.

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term Steve + Pearce + New + Mexico + House

Steve Pearce News Feed

See also

• Governor of New Mexico
• New Mexico gubernatorial election, 2018
• United States House of Representatives
• New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District
• United States congressional delegations from New Mexico
• News: Steve Pearce proposes bill to rename state federal courthouse, December 26, 2011
• New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District elections, 2014
• New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District election, 2016

External links

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• Governor of New Mexico
• Congressman Steve Pearce website
• Steve Pearce for Congress

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Footnotes

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New Mexico's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Martin Heinrich (D)

Ben Luján (D)

Representatives

District 1

Melanie Ann Stansbury (D)

District 2

Gabriel Vasquez (D)

District 3

Teresa Leger Fernandez (D)

Democratic Party (5)

Political offices
Preceded by Harry Teague (D)	U.S. House of Representatives - New Mexico District 2 2011-2019	Succeeded by Xochitl Torres Small (D)
Preceded by Joe Skeen	U.S. House of Representatives - New Mexico District 2 2003-2009	Succeeded by Harry Teague
Preceded by '	New Mexico House of Representatives 1997-2001	Succeeded by '