Today, the "I'm Running with Benny, because He's Running for ALL of Us" road crew marked Algodones as the 100th community that they have traveled through as they make their way around northern New Mexico delivering Benny Shendo, Jr.'s message of progressive change to all people of the 3rd Congressional District, not just to the well-connected few.The Run and Bike trek, which began last Saturday morning at the Rio Rancho High School track field, has traveled through numerous chapters, pueblos, villages, towns and cities in Benny Shendo, Jr.'s quest to connect with everyone he will represent in Congress. Benny explained, "As a young competitor, I grew up running in these communities. Before that, I would travel to the farthest ends of New Mexico with my grandfather as he traded bread and hay for sheep in Torreon and sheep for blankets in Shiprock. And of course, as Secretary of Indian Affairs, I worked with many of these chapters, pueblos and villages, helping them move forward with infrastructure, public health, education, economic development and clean, sustainable energy projects."
Campaign manager, Todd Doherty, adds, "While other candidates often disappear in Washington once they are elected, Benny Shendo, Jr. is a man of the people, a man who will stay with the people, with all the people of northern New Mexico, listening to all of them, representing all of them. This is where his heart is, out in the communities of northern New Mexico, where he grew up, where he has deep roots and strong relationships, where he loves to be and will be, staying in touch with all the people of his District."
The trek has created a lot of excitement in big population centers where nightly rallies are being held, and also in the smallest villages where crowds gather to cheer the runners on and provide food and refreshments. In one tiny community store, folks exclaimed, "Candidates never come here. They think we don't matter, but we do."
The weather has ranged from warm and sunny to cold and stormy, but the Shendo runners have pushed on, using bicycles relay-style for some of the long stretches between communities. "Some of these communities don't have paved roads, and when it snows or rains, people have trouble getting children to schools, seniors to their services, or emergency responders can't get out to people's homes. And that's one of the many things we need to change," Benny added via a scratchy cell phone connection on a quick break between legs, "I know these roads intimately. I've run them and biked them my whole life."
