Sen. Heinrich expresses opposition to charter schools

As a sitting US senator who has never been either a legislator or governor, Martin Heinrich has not had much to say about state-level policymaking in New Mexico. Albuquerque City Council does not impact education and Congress’ role in education is rather limited as well.

So, why would Heinrich take time specifically to Tweet that he is opposed to charter schools? See below:

The type of charter schools my opponent has worked on only perpetuate disparities. It’s great that she’s able to leverage charitable giving to 11 small charter schools.

My focus is and will always be on the 900 public schools across New Mexico.

— Martin Heinrich (@MartinHeinrich) October 14, 2024

It is hard to say exactly, but what it DOES show is that Heinrich embraces New Mexico’s monopolistic and failing government K-12 system. While disappointing, it is not surprising that Heinrich has embraced such a strong anti-choice approach. The education system’s unions remain a top special interest in the Democratic Party and they don’t like charter schools. Besides, Heinrich is generally NOT a freedom guy when it comes to your ability to buy a gas stove or the car you want (and many, many others).

In 2019 Gov. Lujan Grisham attempted to limit the number of charter schools in New Mexico and failed due to bipartisan opposition. The issue has not come up since. We’ll see what the future holds for Sen. Heinrich.