About

History

Since its authorization by the Democratic Party of New Mexico in the spring of 2018, Adelante Progressive Caucus has built its structure, elected many progressives to party offices, conducted legislative lobbying, and made endorsements in congressional and legislative races.

Adelante largely grew out of a group that formed in the summer of 2017 to help move the state to the left. That group was led by Moss Templeton and based in Bernalillo County. After some initial discussions, committees were formed.

One of those committees focused on Democratic Party structure and cultures. Spurred by Cheryl Harris, the godmother of the caucus, that subcommittee started laying the groundwork for what was to become Adelante. Members did research on progressive caucuses in other states. Members contacted officials in the state party to see about official formation under party rules. State party officials wanted tighter rules about caucuses. A decision was made to postpone seeking formal authorization until the spring of 2018.

Putting forth the idea of a “New Caucus,” in the fall of 2017, members brought the idea to a meeting held in conjunction with the State Central Committee (SCC) of the state party. Several people from across the state signed up to help form the caucus, calling themselves the Working Group.

The Working Group met often, usually by teleconference. In February 2018, an in-person meeting was held, deciding on caucus leadership structure and the name “Adelante Progressive Caucus.”

During the winter of 2018, bylaws were drafted by Dayan Hochman, Pia Gallegos and Maurreen Skowran. Those three also drafted a new rule on caucuses, later approved by the SCC. The bylaws were unanimously approved by the Working Group.

Working Group members lobbied members of the SCC for approval, which was granted April 21, 2018.

Working Group Members

Cheryl Harris
Dayan Hochman
Jay Levine
JD Mathews
Kathy Wooten
Lloyd DeWald
Liz Copeland
Martin Rodrigues
Maurreen Skowran
Paul Gibson
Paul Stokes
Pia Gallegos
Rachel Coleman
Roxanne Barber
Sara Hume

Additional contributions were lobbying by Kathy, research by Liz, and communications by Cheryl, Lloyd and Roxanne.

Officers: April – October 2018

Chair Pia Gallegos
Vice Chair Roxanne Barber
At-Large Officer Ricardo Guillermo
At-Large Officer Martin Rodriguez
Congressional District 1 Chair Maurreen Skowran
Congressional District 2 Chair Kathy Wooten, then Rusty Pearce
Congressional District 3 Chair Jay Levine
Secretary Sara Hume
Treasurer Jerry Morris

Main accomplishments: setting up the website, starting the newsletter, setting up the PAC. CD 1 held a candidate forum and sign-making party.

Officers: October 2018 – January 2020

Chair Sharla Parsons
Vice Chair Mitch Buszek (died in office)
At-Large Officer Ivan Pfeifer
At-Large Officer Jerry Morris
Congressional District 1 Chair Jeremy Sment
Congressional District 2 Chair Joann Vullo
Congressional District 3 Chair Jay Levine
Secretary Sara Hume
Treasurer Cheryl Harris

Main accomplishments: legislative lobbying and electing progressives to party offices.

Officers: January 2020 – Oct 2020

Chair Maurreen Skowran
Vice Chair Patricia French
At-Large Officer Jay Levine
At-Large Officer Jerry Morris
Congressional District 1 Chair Samuel Nevarez
Congressional District 2 Chair Gilbert Guadiana, then vacant, then Frances Gonzales
Congressional District 3 Chair Debbi Brody
Secretary Sara Hume
Treasurer Cheryl Harris

Main accomplishments: developing an endorsement policy, making primary endorsements in CD 3 and in 11 legislative races, and proposing a bylaws revision to add officer positions of administrative director and political director.

Officers: Oct 2020 –

Chair Cheryl Harris
Vice Chair Patricia French
Congressional District 1 Chair Samuel Nevarez
Congressional District 2 Chair Frances Gonzales
Congressional District 3 Chair Debbi Brody
Secretary vacant until Micheal Sperberg-McQueen appointed Oct 2021
Treasurer Dimid Hayes
At-Large Officer Jay Levine
At-Large Officer Colton Dean
Political Director Athena Christodoulou
Administrative Director Vacant

Main accomplishments: revising the endorsement policy, making an endorsement in Congressional District 1, instituting the new positions of administrative director and political director, holding monthly caucuswide all-member meetings, buying a banner for each Congressional district, and legislative lobbying.

Caucus Officers

Colton Dean - Chair

Colton Dean has been a resident of Albuquerque since 1992 – minus three years (2002 – 2005) in Ventura, California, for college. Always having an interest in government, Colton had listened to conservative talk radio for years, but it never aligned with his principles. Upon discovering Air America radio around 2007 and listening to hosts Thom Hartmann, Randi Rhodes, and Norman Goldman, Colton discovered progressive issues were in line with his morals and values.

For fun, Colton enjoys reading state constitutions to compare how other “laboratories of democracy” have chosen to govern. Colton hopes to help educate people on how accessible city, county, and state government is and how we should be open to trying new ideas to form the more perfect union the Founders intended.

Term: 2024 – 2025

Scotti Romberg - Vice Chair

In her working career, Scotti Romberg was a residential interior designer and worked in the corporate world, small business world and eventually as an entrepreneur. She has been president to two different design associations and has organized over a dozen continuing education courses for designers to be able to fulfill their educational requirements for licensure and professional affiliation.

While in the working world, she volunteered for Democratic campaigns. After 2016, she felt compelled to get involved to improve lives by supporting the Democratic Party more actively. She first became a member of Adelante Progressive Caucus in the Spring of 2019. After a few years, she became more involved in the Caucus and worked with some very dedicated people in writing the “ Transparency Resolution 2023-07”. That is still working its way through the official channels.

Over the past year Scotti has been working closely with some members of the caucus and have gotten to appreciate everyone’s talent, knowledge and caring for progressive causes, making a more just Democratic Party.

When the position of Vice Chair fell open, Scotti decided to step up and run for the position. She looks forward to being able to create a greater impact on the Democratic Party of New Mexico by continuing the work in and through the Adelante Progressive Caucus.

Term: 2024 – 2026

Secretary

The Secretary position is currently vacant.

Dan Fay - Treasurer

Dan's political journey began in 2016, sparked by an invitation to a Bernie Sanders rally that transformed interest into action. That experience lit a fire for progressive change, leading Dan to become deeply involved in grassroots organizing and local politics.

Starting with canvassing for candidates who championed working families and bold solutions, Dan steadily took on more responsibility. This hands-on experience demonstrated a deep commitment to the hard work of building political power from the ground up.

This dedication led to formal leadership roles within the party structure, including serving as a Precinct Chair and holding a position on the State Central Committee (SCC). Through this work, Dan gained a comprehensive understanding of the political landscape and the operational side of successful organizing.

Now, as Treasurer for the Adelante Progressive Caucus, Dan brings that same passion and methodical dedication to managing the caucus's finances. He is committed to ensuring the organization has the resources necessary to support its progressive mission and elect candidates who will fight for a more just and equitable future.

Term: 2025 – 2027

Carol Trujillo-Fay - CD1 Chair

Carol 'Cricket' Courtney -- CD2 Chair

Carol “Cricket” Courtney presently serves as Vice-President of the Socorro County Federation of Democratic Women. For the past five years, she has been active in various political campaigns, the local Democratic party, and voting activities. Courtney works as a para-professional at Magdalena Schools utilizing some of the skills she developed during her career as a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. Cricket has been an active volunteer for various organizations since age 16. She supports maintaining and improving services for Elders/Senior Citizens in the county. In mid-2022, she and her husband became grandparents.

Term: 2024 – 2026

CD3 Chair

The CD3 Chair position is currently vacant.

Political Director

The Political Director position is currently vacant.

Administrative Director

The Administrative Director position is currently vacant.

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