Karen Bash
Karen Bash (Democratic Party) was a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives, representing District 68. She assumed office on January 1, 2019. She left office on December 31, 2022.
Bash (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the New Mexico House of Representatives to represent District 68. She won in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Biography
Bash earned a B.A. from Phillips University in 1970, an M.Ed. from Lamar University in 1981, and an M.Div. from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in 1988. Her professional experience includes working as an early childhood teacher from 1977 to 1979, as a supervisor for a halfway house for developmentally disabled adults from 1981 to 1984, and as a member of the clergy from 1988 to 2011. She has been affiliated with Rotary International and New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light.[1]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2021-2022
Bash was assigned to the following committees:
2019-2020
Bash was assigned to the following committees:
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2022
Karen Bash did not file to run for re-election.
2020
See also: New Mexico House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 68
Incumbent Karen Bash defeated Giovanni Coppola in the general election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 68 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Karen Bash (D) | 52.5 | 8,515 |
 | Giovanni Coppola (R)  | 47.5 | 7,696 | |
| Total votes: 16,211 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 68
Incumbent Karen Bash advanced from the Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 68 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Karen Bash | 100.0 | 3,356 |
| Total votes: 3,356 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 68
Giovanni Coppola advanced from the Republican primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 68 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Giovanni Coppola | 100.0 | 2,411 |
| Total votes: 2,411 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 68
Karen Bash defeated incumbent Monica Youngblood in the general election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 68 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Karen Bash (D) | 58.0 | 6,872 |
 | Monica Youngblood (R) | 42.0 | 4,978 | |
| Total votes: 11,850 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 68
Karen Bash advanced from the Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 68 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Karen Bash | 100.0 | 1,931 |
| Total votes: 1,931 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 68
Incumbent Monica Youngblood advanced from the Republican primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 68 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Monica Youngblood | 100.0 | 848 |
| Total votes: 848 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Karen Bash did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Karen Bash participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on May 6, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Karen Bash's responses follow below.[2]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | Education reform
Public Safety |
” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | I am especially concerned about early childhood education, including visitation programs for pregnant parents and newborns because our state lags behind in education which starts before a baby is born. Young children need stimulation to learn early in life so they can learn and achieve throughout school. Many parents need support and education in how to stimulate and teach their children.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[4]
|
” |
Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Karen Bash answered the following:
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow and why?
| “ | I look up to Stephanie Garcia Richards who was recently the chair of the New Mexico House Education Committee. She worked hard for early childhood education and improved schools in our state and i intend to follow her example.[4] | ” |
| “ | Honesty, Integrity, Transparency, Bravery, Empathy and Compassion[4] | ” |
| “ | I am well educated, well spoken, compassionate and empathetic. I am able to meet challenges and adapt to changing circumstances. I have a background as a teacher, a minister, and a small business owner.[4] | ” |
| “ | Listen to the needs of constituents, educating myself about issues, act in the best interess of my district and according to my principles when voting on legislation, serving on committees, and cooperating with colleagues.[4] | ” |
| “ | I would like people to say that ran clean campaigns, that I served with integrity and honor and that I left New Mexico better than it was before i was in office.[4] | ” |
| “ | The State House is where representatives are closest to the people of their district. The State Senate deliberates in the interests of all the people of the state. Legislation should not be easy, it should be deliberate, debated, and improved through committees and the deliberations of both houses.[4] | ” |
| “ | Not in every case.[4] | ” |
| “ | Improving the lives of children in our state whose well being is near the bottom of all the states in the nation. This certainly includes education, amelioration of food insecurity, homelessness and child abuse.[4] | ” |
| “ | Yes, I think it is important to collaborate with legislative colleagues in order to draft good legislation and I believe in cooperation across the aisle whenever poosible.[4] | ” |
| “ | I favor a bipartisan board of non-legislators appointed by the New Mexico Supreme court.[4] | ” |
| “ | Education and Conservation[4] | ” |
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of New Mexico scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2022
In 2022, the New Mexico State Legislature was in session from January 18 to February 17.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to animal welfare.
- Legislators are scored on environmental and conservation issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills relating to economic issues.
2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2021, the New Mexico State Legislature was in session from January 19 to March 20.
|
2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2020, the New Mexico State Legislature was in session from January 21 to February 20.
|
2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2019, the New Mexico State Legislature was in session from January 15 through March 16.
|
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on November 14, 2018
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Karen Bash's responses," May 6, 2018
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Monica Youngblood (R) |
New Mexico House of Representatives District 68 2019-2022 |
Succeeded by Charlotte Little (D) |
