Deming Headlight
By Kevin Buey Headlight Staff
Article Launched: 05/07/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT

It's seldom a politician who lost an election will tell you voters' preference was a plus.

Speak to C. Earl Greer, a candidate for the Republic nomination for the Second Congressional District. He unsuccessfully sought a seat on the Public Regulation Commission two years ago.

"I had no plans on running," Greer recalled of the 2006 PRC bid, "and kind of got talked into it. Kind of, maybe, it turned out to be a blessing. I won the primary. I didn't win the general election. Now I can run for this – this is the seat I've always wanted to run for."

Greer sought the Congressional seat in 2002, when Steve Pearce won. Pearce is now a candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, to fill the chair being vacated by Pete Domenici.

That opened the door for a number of candidates –Republican and Democrat – to file for the Congressional seat. Five Republicans remain in the race – Greer, Aubrey Dunn, Monty Newman, Greg Sowards and Ed Tinsley.

Greer, a Realtor since 1978, lives in Truth of Consequences. He traces his New Mexico roots from the 1500s. He was raised on a ranch in Winston, N.M., in Sierra County.

"In my Real Estate business," he said, "I've probably done work in every county in this district. I'm accustomed to the community, the roads, the area."

The Second District covers much of the stat's southern half, from the Texas to Arizona borders, and goes as far north on the west side to McKinley County.

Greer has found, he said, border and energy issues are among topics on which voters want answers.

"One that resonates with everybody," he said , "is what are we going to do with the border. This is not an immigration issue. It's a defense issue. We need to seal the border for protection, then we can discuss immigration."

Then, there are rising costs of fuel and energy.

"I think there are several things," Greer said. "We've got to find alternative sources of energy."

He suggests nuclear energy as a means of preserving other resources, with solar energy and wind–generated energy as additional alternatives.

The high price of gasoline, he said, is destroying the fabric of the country. Small business, he added, is the engine that drives the economy and small business owners are not sure if they should expand or wait for an improved economic picture.

Married for 31 years, Greer and his wife, Colleen, have four grown children and, in the past year, three grandchildren.