Leo Martinez Former Lincoln County Commissioner Endorses Sharon McDonald for Mayor of Alamogordo

Leo Martinez,  Republican, and a former Lincoln County Commissioner endorses Sharon McDonald for her collaborative nonpartisan approach to leadership. Prior to living in Lincoln County New Mexico and serving the public, Leo Martinez served as a City Council Member in Santa Barbara California. What follows is his endorsement of Sharon McDonald based on his experience as a business owner in Ruidoso and as a civic leader intimately familiar with the workings of municipal and county government.

To Whom It May Concern,

As former Lincoln County Commissioner, and current business person, see LeoMartinez.net, who has witnessed Alamogordo’s challenges and triumphs firsthand, I am proud to endorse Sharon McDonald for Mayor.

Her commitment to transparency, fiscal responsibility, and community engagement is exactly what our city needs, and her track record show it ~ find a problem in the City, and she’s worked the solution, or is working on the solution, together with our community, right now.

HOW? … by going to the people, forming coalitions, and close-listening to all sides first, mustering options and resources, seeking knowhow. She draws in problem solvers who work together.

Sharon has consistently shown up—not just at council meetings [the bare basics of the job], but in neighborhoods, to work side by side with her constituents, and those across the City, to roll up her sleeves and be part of doing the actual work, 1000s of volunteer hours per project.

Think:

• sidewalks you can both walk & roll a mobility assistance device along, with side walk cuts that make sense
• murals to celebrate our local culture
• she’s a regular supporter of improvements not just to the old down town, New York Avenue Main St, but also with organizations such as 100% Otero, 2025 nonprofit of the year, which hubs regular working connections between countless individuals, government, nonprofit and volunteer community betterment networks,
• pickle ball courts ~ high use, vibrant new community space she championed 
• navigating the breaking of the gridlock regarding replacing the swimming pool / rec center now in progress of water line installation.
• partnering with non-profits for changing weed-scraggly vacant land spots, into food productive, kids & family engaging community gardens,
• connecting households in need, with the tool loaning library of Community Power & their assistive services for solving code enforcement citations,
• Support of the Tiger Care Center of At Risk Youth, 
• Small business development & new revitalized living history. She championed the incredible restoration of the former Maryland School for Mexican Children,  as the integral City liaison & lead, with the Tularosa Basis Historical Society. The Dudley Community Center, re-opened to 120 decision makers from across the state visiting Alamogordo for the New Mexico MainStreet state conference just a few weeks ago.
• Honoring our HAFB special relations with the City of Alamogordo & wider support communities. 
• Commissioner McDonald's volunteers the last two months, put out thousands od flyers, across our City, Otero County and surrounding small neighbor partner towns, as far north as Encino, to invite community to the Oct 11th 2025 HABF cosponsored 80th year after the Trinity Test historic event. The event was a FREE screening of First We Bombed New Mexico, FWBNM, a downwinder shared history award winning documentary, at the Flickenger Center.
•  Since this effort began, over 170 claims, or $1.7 million in claims are started, just for within Alamogordo City limits, and many more in process. Sharon McDonald is the quiet, seated Commissioner, supporting this historic work, she's been doing the work, to help this access to millions of dollars for individuals within the city limits, which in turn will invest in our community.
  • On Oct 10th 2023 City Commissioner Sharon McDonald, was the Commissioner who shepherded the TBDC presentation regarding downwinders & support for eventual RECA claims, to the Alamogordo City Commission: see Oct 10th 2023 City Commission Agenda https://alamogordonm.portal.civicclerk.com/event/2870/files/agenda/3360
  • Rightly, Oct 11th 2025, she simply did what she does, the quiet, behind the scenes volunteer work, to support & highlight our HAFB Commander's decision to cosponsor the free FWBNM Flickinger Center screening, to kick-off Alamogordo City residents and the wider community, accessing the $100 000 RECA claims process. Not a single other Mayor candidate highlighted this national historic event.

SHARON MCDONALD listens, she learns, and she leads with integrity, agency and she gets projects through to completion. Her deep experience in civic planning, and her well networked, collaborative approach to problem-solving with Alamogordo people, make her uniquely qualified to guide the City of Alamogordo with her fellow Commissioners, into the now, and the future.

I strongly urge my fellow citizens to support Sharon McDonald and go vote for her on Tuesday. She’s not just a candidate—she’s a catalyst for positive change, and a living legend.  Alamogordo needs experience  from a term a presently seated Mayor pro tempore. She is tried and tested by the people and resilient, with ability to rise above the noise, roll up her sleeves, and get the job done, WITH us, the people. 

We the people working with making Sharob are making Alamogordo great, one block at a time with her leadership. I endorse her. I emplore YOU, my friends and colleagues: come out, bring your neigbors and friends to VOTE Sharon McDonald.

7-am to 7-pm  on Tuesday is our last chance, to elect Sharon McDonald. Let's play to WIN.

Sincerely, 
Leo Martinez Retired

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