Republican Nominee for Congress, New Mexico's First District
By Lucy Powers
NFRW 2018 Kabis Intern
Janice Arnold-Jones can thank her Democratic college friends for sparking her lifelong passion for Republican politics. When her friends were chosen for internships with Democrats in the New Mexico State Legislature, Arnold-Jones decided to sign up too. “But there was one slot remaining,” Arnold-Jones said, “and that was for the Senate Republicans.”
She decided to take the internship and, while researching the Party platform, realized that Republican principles matched her own. “I never looked back. I’ve been a Republican ever since,” Arnold-Jones said.
Since her time as a University of New Mexico student, Arnold-Jones has lived all over the world, due to her husband John’s service in the Navy. But New Mexico politics were never far from her mind, and came calling once again in the early 2000s. From 2003-2010 she represented District 24 in the New Mexico State Legislature. While there, she began broadcasting committee meetings online, which promoted government transparency and earned Arnold-Jones the nickname “Lady Sunshine,” for shining a light on the statehouse.
Following her tenure as a state representative, Arnold-Jones felt she could do more for New Mexicans, and decided to run for New Mexico’s first Congressional seat. If elected this November, Arnold-Jones looks forward to showing America all that New Mexico has to offer.
“I want to make people aware of the value that our state brings to the nation,” Arnold-Jones said. “Many people think we’re a desert— no we’re not! We are an arid state with a fierce agricultural community.”
She also hopes to shed light on issues that affect the Southwest in particular, like water scarcity, as well as national issues such as military funding and international trade.
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Editor's Note: Janice Arnold-Jones is a member of Albuquerque Federated Republican Women.