Paul Matthew Kinzelman

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Paul Matthew Kinzelman

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

Carnegie Mellon University, 1974

Personal

Birthplace

District of Columbia

Profession

Pilot

Paul Matthew Kinzelman (Democratic Party) ran for election to the New Mexico House of Representatives to represent District 8. He lost as a write-in in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Biography

Paul Kinzelman was born in Washington D.C. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University in 1974. Kinzelman’s career experience includes working as a software engineer and pilot.

Elections

2022

See also: New Mexico House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 8

Incumbent Brian Baca defeated Paul Matthew Kinzelman in the general election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 8 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brian Baca (R)	98.2	8,503
		Paul Matthew Kinzelman (D) (Write-in)	1.8	160

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,663
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 8

Incumbent Brian Baca advanced from the Republican primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 8 on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brian Baca	100.0	2,123

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,123
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2020

See also: New Mexico House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 8

Incumbent Alonzo Baldonado defeated Paul Matthew Kinzelman in the general election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 8 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alonzo Baldonado (R)	63.4	8,863
		Paul Matthew Kinzelman (D)	36.6	5,111

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,974
= 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 8

Paul Matthew Kinzelman advanced from the Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 8 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Paul Matthew Kinzelman	100.0	2,834

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,834
= 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 8

Incumbent Alonzo Baldonado advanced from the Republican primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 8 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alonzo Baldonado	100.0	2,928

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,928
= 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

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Paul Matthew Kinzelman did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Paul Matthew Kinzelman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kinzelman's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I, Paul Kinzelman, am running for NM House District 8 to be able to write and pass legislation that supports our economy and all New Mexicans, and makes NM a better place for all to live, work, and play. For voters who oppose the Trump Administration's disastrous policies, as I do, I'm the candidate opposed to Trump in this race. My website is www.Kinzelman4NMhouse8.org My email is Kinzelman4NMhouse8@gmail.com

I've been politically active for many years, and I specialize in holding politicians of both parties accountable for their actions. I ask questions they don-t want to answer - like about taking money from big corporations.

While on the Board of a large credit union, I helped take back the credit union from bureaucrats who had allowed a massive fraud to occur under their guidance. See http://www.kinzelman.com/dcu

My professional background can be seen at https://bit.ly/2JVXB6X

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Government will work only if we eliminate the corrupting influence of money.
• We need universal health care: if not across the country, then at least here in NM.
• Our future depends on our support for education, especially early childhood education.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Campaign finance reform & public financing. Money (lobbying/bribery) is the root of many social & political problems. Public financing empowers new candidates; wealth & dark money not required. I support term limits to prevent 'politician' from being a career

Government needs to be the right size to protect personal liberties, while ensuring that exercising one¡¦s liberties doesn't infringe on other people's rights. If too large, government becomes a hazard to personal liberties (e.g. Ed Snowden). If too small, government can't provide needed public services & can't protect people from predatory capitalism or from upward redistribution of wealth

COVID19 shows how interdependent & interconnected we all are. We need improved healthcare for all, especially for mental healthcare issues, which drive our opioid epidemic, destroy lives, & kill people. I strongly support http://www.nmhealthsecurity.org legislation

We must
-Address root causes of crime. Provide training opportunities for convicts, inside & outside of prison. Provide incentives for businesses to train & hire ex-convicts & homeless people.

-Treat chronic poverty as a symptom of our unhealthy economy & work to eradicate it.

-Adequately fund teachers & education for all NM children - especially early childhood programs & home visits

-Eliminate wasteful pork programs. Audit all programs for waste, fraud, & abuse, & hold politicians accountable. I strongly support the state auditor's fraud hotline

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Martin Luther King Jr

1) He is the person primarily responsible for preventing a violent revolution because of his leadership. He was able to convince most people that non-violence was more effective than violence. He mediated between the justifiably angry people and the powers in DC who finally realized they had to do something. He understood that violence would have legitimized the violence of the state against the demonstrators. By remaining non-violent, the demonstrators prevented the violence of the state from achieving legitimacy in the eyes of the rest of the country.

2) He spoke out against injustice, not because doing so was fashionable, but because it was the right thing to do. His 'Beyond Vietnam' speech is probably the most influential and moving speech I've ever heard. He was widely criticized for not staying focused on Civil Rights for black people. Instead, he rightly realized that Civil Rights are universal rights, extending beyond just black people being able to sit at lunch counters or in any seat they choose on a bus.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

"Starman" is my favorite movie of all time. The movie is about a character transforming her experience of deep fear into an experience of love through understanding. Marianne Williamson, recent presidential candidate, terms this a 'miracle'.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Emotional intelligence is the characteristic that most determines how effective a legislator will be.

(See: https://psychcentral.com/lib/what-is-emotional-intelligence-eq/ )

Emotional intelligence (EQ) encompasses a number of traits, all of which are important for a legislator to have.

Empathy is the most important EQ quality, because empathy reminds legislators that they are there to represent constituents' concerns, not their own.

Of course, not all constituents will agree on every issue, so representatives must adhere to the empathy-driven principle that they will make intelligent and well-informed decisions, incorporate their core values when making those decisions, and be prepared to explain the reasoning and judgments behind their decisions. Legislators must also be sensitive to the values and principles of people with whom they disagree, and must try (as much as possible) to support legislation that reflects this sensitivity.

The quality of being introspective (part of the EQ trait of self-awareness) is the antidote for arrogance, ego, and greed. Legislators should always be questioning and evaluating themselves about the reasons behind their support for - or opposition to - legislative proposals, without regard to party or personalities.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am good at establishing connections between people and finding common ground between opposing sides. I look for compromises that maximize benefit for those affected. I also like to talk with people with whom I disagree so that I can better understand both sides of issues.

I enjoy connecting people together, both professionally and personally, who might not have encountered each other without my connecting them.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Legislators must constantly strive to increase their Emotional Intelligence as described previously. Legislators are in their positions to represent the interests of their constituents, not for ego-building or self-aggrandizement. To be effective, they must remain close to and available to their constituents.

What legacy would you like to leave?

The world is a better place because I was in it.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The JFK assassination. I was 11 and standing in line waiting to reenter the classroom after recess when the teachers told us. We all watched TV for the rest of the day.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a gas station attendant pumping gas, changing oil, and fixing tires part time for a couple of years during High School. I think my pay was $1.70/hr at a Shell Gas Station.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Charles Eisenstein's book "The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible" provides no answers, but does provide a context or framework in which to contemplate the state of the planet and human society, and where we're going. It's a book that encourages introspection, with a new way to contemplate the world and its problems. It's the only book I've ever read that, when I finished reading it, I read the entire book a second time.

Very much along the lines of Eisenstein's book is this talk by Kate Raworth, who says that if we are to survive, we must redesign our economy with emphasis on thriving, not growth.

https://www.ted.com/talks/kate_raworth_a_healthy_economy_should_be_designed_to_thrive_not_grow

Both the book and the TED talk convey the message that, without a major change, we will not survive.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I would be Monty Python, the name of a character made up by the members of The Monty Python Flying Circus, a British surreal comedy troupe. The Flying Circus troupe's influence on comedy has been compared to the Beatles' influence on music. Humor is the antidote to the poison of hate.

Art Buchwald, a humorous columnist for the Washington Post for many years, famously said that you could tell anybody a difficult truth successfully and safely if you could do it with humor.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Tin Man' by America.

This song contains the line "Oz Never Did Give Nothing to the Tin Man, that he didn't... didn't already have..."

People already have a lot more power to change the world than they understand. Instead, people often give their power away to leaders who don't deserve their trust. See Marianne Williamson's poem "Our Deepest Fear," which was even quoted by Nelson Mandela. (See https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/our-deepest-fear-5/ )

We should not put our leaders on a pedestal, as if those leaders have it all figured out. They don't -- they're usually stumbling through life just like the rest of us.

My favorite quote about leadership (unknown source)...

A leader is someone about whom people say, "Look what he accomplished".
A good leader is someone about whom people say, "Look what he led us to accomplish".

A truly great leader is when people say, "Look what we accomplished".

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Understanding the 'subtitles' of conversations. I often miss cues and subtle messages that people transmit even while their verbal conversations are saying something entirely different.

Sometimes I get too focused on detail and miss the big picture or other details. I sometimes need to be reminded to step back and take in the big picture.

Every state besides Nebraska has two legislative chambers. What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?

The House districts are smaller and so can be more responsive to constituents.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

The state legislature is a lot like a corporation¡¦s Board of Directors. It is important that some legislators have previous experience in government, but it's equally important that not all of them have political experience. All problem-solving groups do better when the members come from different backgrounds, so they can bring different talents and perspectives to work on developing solutions to problems. I learned this critical lesson from my experience as a board member of a large credit union (see http://www.kinzelman.com/dcu ).

Any board of directors composed of all financial specialists is as much of a disaster as one having no financial specialists. John DeLorean wrote of this in his book "On A Clear Day You Can See General Motors." He pointed out that you need a balance on the board between finance and operations people. One of the problems he saw at GM was that the board had only finance people and no operations people.

In addition, regular turnover is also critical for the effectiveness of any governing body to reduce "group think." New people bring in new ideas and new ways. Katie Porter and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are both examples of freshman US Representatives (both first elected in 2018) who have become shining stars for asking questions and holding bureaucrats accountable in Congressional hearings. Term limits are important because they enforce healthy turnover.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

The legislature's greatest challenge is a financial one: To balance the critical needs of our state with our finite income sources. We must find ways to adequately fund these needs

Economy: The state must make basing a business in NM be attractive. NM can offer tax incentives, but the agreements must have effective claw-back provisions for corporations that do not hold up their side of the bargain. We must not race to the bottom by constantly underbidding other states. NM has many advantages over other states, like inexpensive land and housing, good quality of life for workers, and a climate conducive to renewable energy generation

Healthcare: The state must make healthcare universal, affordable, and effective for all NM residents. The state could offer scholarships to students in the medical professions who commit to working in New Mexico for some number of years after graduation

Education: We must care about and support public education, which spans the time from prenatal care (for unborn children and their mothers) to the end of formal education (high school, technical or vocational training, or a college education). This care includes supporting parents so they can be more involved with their children's education, and ensuring that children do not go hungry

Crime: We need effective, properly trained, and adequately paid police officers. But law enforcement departments manage symptoms. We must also address the root causes of crime, which stem from our failed drug war, lack of job training and opportunities, and lack of mental healthcare facilities. We must eliminate private, profit-driven prisons

Regulations: We must balance the needs of employers, employees, and the community at large. Too much regulation can hinder the ability of businesses to thrive. With too little regulation, businesses often take advantage of people and pass their business costs onto taxpayers - e.g., by polluting our shared environment instead of properly handling waste

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?

The relationship between the governor and legislature should be like the relationship between a CEO and a board of directors; the main difference is that the legislators don't elect the governor. Through legislation, the legislature provides guidance to the governor, based on what the legislators understand about their constituents.

In addition, the governor sets the tone of the legislative session, much like the CEO of a company sets the tone and expectations for the company. The governor sends the Governor's Legislative Agenda to the legislature at the beginning of the session, specifying the governor's priorities and recommended legislation.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Of course. Legislation gets done by negotiation, and trust among legislators is essential.

MLKjr would have understood this quote from the "Beautiful Wave" movie: "Look into the eyes of your enemy, and when you can see yourself, then you can talk." The point is not that other legislators are the enemy, but that building personal relationships among legislators with whom you disagree is essential. Legislators must be able to trust each other even through disagreements. We must trust that we are all there to do the best for ALL New Mexicans.

However, I do not believe in the negotiation tactic of voting for something I oppose in return for getting votes for something I support. I also oppose tacking unrelated amendments and riders onto bills. Each issue should stand on its own and be voted on independently. The constituents must be able to see and evaluate where their representatives stand on each issue, and bundling issues conveniently obscures legislators' positions.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I'm happy to participate in any committee to which the leadership thinks I'd add value, but my preferences would be:

Transportation, Public Works & Capital Improvements
Health & Human Services
Education
Consumer & Public Affairs

Appropriations & Finance

If you are a current legislator, what appealed to you about your current committees?

n/a

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the legislature, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

I have no plans and no ambition for that, but if I felt I could add value, I would consider it.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

US Rep Katie Porter - she has been a model of how to ask questions of bureaucrats who do not want to give straight and honest answers, and do not want to be held accountable for their department's behavior and policies. See this youtube video for an example of her effective questioning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHEH3TnRmrQ

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I have no plans and no ambition for a different position, but if I had an opportunity to run and felt I could add value to some other office in the future, I would consider it.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

One House District 8 constituent is now the mom to her granddaughter. Her granddaughter's parents both died as a direct result of the state's cutbacks to medical, behavioral, and mental healthcare programs and facilities under the previous administration.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the New Mexico House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Javier Martínez

Majority Leader:Reena Szczepanski

Minority Leader:Gail Armstrong

Representatives

District 1

Rodney Montoya (R)

District 2

Mark Duncan (R)

District 3

Bill Hall (R)

District 4

Joseph Hernandez (D)

District 5

Doreen Johnson (D)

District 6

Martha Garcia (D)

District 7

Tanya Mirabal Moya (R)

District 8

Brian Baca (R)

District 9

Patricia Lundstrom (D)

District 10

G. Romero (D)

District 11

Javier Martínez (D)

District 12

Art De La Cruz (D)

District 13

Patricia Caballero (D)

District 14

Miguel Garcia (D)

District 15

Dayan Hochman-Vigil (D)

District 16

Yanira Gurrola Valenzuela (D)

District 17

Cynthia Borrego (D)

District 18

Marianna Anaya (D)

District 19

Janelle Anyanonu (D)

District 20

Meredith Dixon (D)

District 21

Debra Sariñana (D)

District 22

Stefani Lord (R)

District 23

Alan Martinez (R)

District 24

Elizabeth Thomson (D)

District 25

Cristina Parajón (D)

District 26

Eleanor Chavez (D)

District 27

Marian Matthews (D)

District 28

Pamelya Herndon (D)

District 29

Joy Garratt (D)

District 30

Elizabeth Torres-Velasquez (D)

District 31

Nicole Chavez (R)

District 32

Jenifer Jones (R)

District 33

Micaela Lara Cadena (D)

District 34

Raymundo Lara (D)

District 35

Angelica Rubio (D)

District 36

Nathan Small (D)

District 37

Joanne Ferrary (D)

District 38

Rebecca Dow (R)

District 39

Luis Terrazas (R)

District 40

Joseph Sanchez (D)

District 41

Susan Herrera (D)

District 42

Kristina Ortez (D)

District 43

Christine Chandler (D)

District 44

Kathleen Cates (D)

District 45

Linda Serrato (D)

District 46

Andrea Romero (D)

District 47

Reena Szczepanski (D)

District 48

Tara Lujan (D)

District 49

Gail Armstrong (R)

District 50

Matthew McQueen (D)

District 51

John Block (R)

District 52

Doreen Gallegos (D)

District 53

Sarah Silva (D)

District 54

Jonathan Henry (R)

District 55

Cathrynn Brown (R)

District 56

Harlan Vincent (R)

District 57

Catherine Cullen (R)

District 58

Angelita Mejia (R)

District 59

Mark Murphy (R)

District 60

Joshua Hernandez (R)

District 61

Randall Pettigrew (R)

District 62

Elaine Sena Cortez (R)

District 63

Martin Ruben Zamora (R)

District 64

Andrea Reeb (R)

District 65

Derrick Lente (D)

District 66

Jimmy Mason (R)

District 67

Jack Chatfield (R)

District 68

Charlotte Little (D)

District 69

Michelle Abeyta (D)

District 70

Anita Gonzales (D)

Democratic Party (44)

Republican Party (26)