In his bid to become New Mexico’s next governor, Congressman Steve Pearce has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, a written commitment to New Mexico taxpayers to “oppose and veto any and all efforts to increase taxes.”
“By signing The Pledge to the voters, Pearce demonstrates that he will safeguard New Mexico taxpayers from higher taxes,” said Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform.
“Pledge signers understand that government should be reformed in a way so that it spends and takes less taxpayer dollars and will oppose tax increases that prolong failures of the past.”
Pearce was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002. Although he lost his seat in 2009 in his run for U.S. Senate, he was reelected in 2011to represent New Mexico’s 2nd District and is currently the only Republican member of New Mexico’s congressional delegation.
Prior to serving in Congress, he served in the New Mexico House of Representatives from 1996 until 2000.
Americans for Tax Reform offers the Pledge to all candidates for state and federal office.
In the 115th Congress, 46 U.S. Senators and 209 members of the U.S. House of Representatives are pledge signers. Pledge signers include Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, and GOP Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady are also pledge signers.
On the state level, this commitment is shared by 11 incumbent governors including Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.), Gov. Rick Scott (Fla.), and Gov. Paul LePage (M.E.), and nearly 1,000 state legislators across the country.
President Ronald Reagan endorsed the Pledge and campaigned for Pledge-signing candidates in the 1986 midterm elections.