Voters Reject Book Bans Nationwide as Amy Barela Defends Restrictions in New Mexico Schools

As voters across the country delivered a sweeping rebuke to Moms for Liberty-backed school board candidates in the 2025 elections, New Mexico Republican Chairwoman Amy Barela doubled down on her support for restricting access to certain books in public schools—highlighting a growing divide between parental rights advocates and defenders of intellectual freedom.

In recent comments responding to proposed legislation that would protect books from bans in New Mexico libraries, Barela :

“Protecting children from harm is the most basic responsibility our elected leaders have, and Democrats are failing egregiously.”

While Barela clarified she does not support banning books in public libraries, her stance aligns closely with Moms for Liberty, a national organization that has led efforts to remove books dealing with race, gender identity, and sexuality from school shelves. The group has flagged hundreds of titles—including The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and have also sought to ban classic books like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as “obscene” or “inappropriate,” often targeting LGBTQ+ and authors of the classics with narratives that explore trauma, identity, race, historical context and systemic injustice.

But the political tide appears to be turning. In the November 2025 elections. Moderate candidates that believe in compromise over extreme ideology overwhelmingly won for offices from school boards, mayors and governors to include winning the Mayors office of Alamogordo, the county seat of deep red Otero County.

Moms for Liberty-endorsed candidates lost a majority of school board races they contested nationwide, including in conservative strongholds like Florida, Tennessee, and Texas. Moms of Liberty claims 17 wins but did not comment on the 31 losses they experienced. 

Analysts say the losses reflect growing public fatigue with culture war politics and extremism with voters seeking stability, compassion and a desire to refocus on more inclusive education and community trust.

The backlash against book bans has galvanized educators, librarians, and parents who argue that censorship undermines critical thinking and silences marginalized voices. In New York, the state’s education commissioner recently rejected Moms for Liberty’s attempt to ban five books, affirming their literary and educational value.

As New Mexico lawmakers prepare to debate bills in the future session safeguarding access to diverse literature, Barela’s comments may face increasing scrutiny and be out of touch with moderate Republicans, Republican leaders in Northern New Mexico and the mainstream of most voters.

Representative Kathleen Cates (D-Bernalillo & Sandoval Counties) responded pointedly:

“Every parent gets to decide what is the content of a book that is not appropriate for their children… but she doesn’t get to decide for my children”.

The national repudiation of Moms for Liberty and Barela’s extreme partisanship in nonpartisan elections suggests a shifting landscape—one where voters are increasingly rejecting ideological policing, in favor of academic freedom and inclusive political leadership.

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