<h2>My Story</h2>

<h5 style="text-align: center;">Deep Roots and Deep Faith</h5><img src="https://run.imgix.net/05cad1fa-e1f8-4e4d-a912-4b474d364f56/de1725fd-76dc-4cd2-9df1-44a7bec18bcc/de1725fd-76dc-4cd2-9df1-44a7bec18bcc.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=156%2C123%2C809%2C571&amp;w=1500" alt="Portraits of Tom Wakely’s parents" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="35" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">I was born and raised in a large Catholic family in San Antonio, Texas, by parents who understood the meaning of perseverance. My father immigrated to Texas from Santiago, Chile, at just 13 years old after his own father tragically passed away in a plane crash. My dad arrived in a new country without speaking a single word of English, but he built a life through sheer determination. My mother faced her own deep losses early on; her mom passed away when she was only five years old, and she was raised by her grandparents. They instilled in me a deep sense of faith and family.My work ethic started early. At just 10 years old, my first job was pushing a hand mower around the neighborhood to cut grass to earn a few dollars. By the time I turned 12, I was riding my bicycle early every morning to deliver the morning newspaper, and I hit the streets again right after school to deliver the evening edition. I learned early on that if you want to see results, you have to show up, do the work, and be accountable.The Family I Grew Up With<img src="https://run.imgix.net/05cad1fa-e1f8-4e4d-a912-4b474d364f56/9ab1527e-6488-4849-83d0-98da588478d4/9ab1527e-6488-4849-83d0-98da588478d4.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=-25&amp;shad=-80&amp;usm=35&amp;rect=348%2C79%2C2371%2C1595&amp;w=1500" alt="Tom Wakely with his siblings and parents" caption="My Family /Mi Familia" align="right" alignwidth="42" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">My Family /Mi FamiliaBoth of my parents are deceased and interred at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas, honoring my father's service as a World War II Marine. I am the oldest of six children. Sadly, two of my brothers, Pat and Mickey, passed away from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. My sister Nancy has been living in a San Antonio memory care facility for the past few years, and her health is rapidly declining. My other sister, a retired American Airlines flight attendant, now lives in Fort Worth. My youngest sibling, Brad, lives in San Antonio and has three sons, two of whom are married to wonderful Latina women. Brad serves as a Catholic deacon.My Family TodayMy wife's eyes still reflect the resilience built during a childhood of severe poverty in Juárez, Mexico, where she grew up in a home with dirt floors and a shared communal bathroom on the neighborhood street corner. Despite facing more than her share of disappointment early in life, she was happy and rose above those hardships to become the bedrock of our family. She moved to Guadalajara as a young woman for work and that is where we met, on a blind date set up my some mutual friends in Mexico City.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/05cad1fa-e1f8-4e4d-a912-4b474d364f56/5f66dae5-7846-44d9-8fc2-e466f1bdbbee/5f66dae5-7846-44d9-8fc2-e466f1bdbbee.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C179%2C1023%2C702&amp;w=1500" alt="Tom Wakely with his wife, Norma Leticia Rodriguez Gomez de Wakely" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="50" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"><h4 style="text-align: left;">Her name is Norma Leticia Rodriquez Gomez de Wakely and she is the steady foundation I lean on—my woman, my woman, my wife.</h4>We have 1 daughter and 2 grandsons. Our daughter's name is Kelly and her husband's name is Jason. Their boy's names are Casey and Sean. Both boys are men now. Casey is working with his dad in construction, Sean is a sophomore in college. They all live in Tennessee.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/05cad1fa-e1f8-4e4d-a912-4b474d364f56/a761b520-deaa-4788-9452-9d7604abbfb2/a761b520-deaa-4788-9452-9d7604abbfb2.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=278%2C881%2C798%2C833&amp;w=1500" alt="Tom Wakely with his daughter Kelly and grandsons Casey and Sean" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="25" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">From Military Service to Faith- Based Community OrganizingAfter serving my country and receiving an honorable discharge from the United States Air Force, I immediately put my energy into fighting for working people. I joined the United Farm Workers’ Organizing Committee's historic grape boycott campaign. My pay: $5 a week plus room and board. It was there I met Dolores Huerta and it was she who helped me bring into focus my lifelong calling: standing up for individuals and communities who were being pushed to the margins.Following my time working on the grape boycott campaign, I spent the following decade serving as a union organizer. First with the Service Employees International Union in Denver, then as an international organizer with the Office and Professional Employees International Union, traveling the country assisting local organizing campaigns, and finally as a Business Agent for an independent union in Milwaukee.Seeking to ground my advocacy in deeper ethical principles, I left the labor movement to attend the Chicago Theological Seminary. My focus was on Liberation Theology, a Christian movement that follows Jesus's path by emphasizing that true salvation requires actively dismantling social, political, and economic oppression to achieve justice for the poor and marginalized. My seminary training led me into faith-based community organizing.Grounded in my seminary training and the principles of liberation theology, my ministry has been defined by a commitment to servant leadership and the pursuit of justice for the oppressed. I began this journey as the Executive Director of Southern Lakes Communities Organized for Public Service, working alongside farmers in rural southern Wisconsin to help them secure bank financing for their farms, before returning to Texas to lead the Economic Justice Foundation in Austin. My work in Austin was recognized by the NAACP branch in that city, and they presented me with their annual Community Service Award for ensuring that local governments never ignored the voices of the marginalized.A Lifetime of CareLater in life, my wife Lety, and I, decided to take a step back from our often intense faith-based work and moved to the Pacific coast of Mexico, to Manzanillo in the state of Colima where we opened a beachfront jazz and wine bar called Viva Vino.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/05cad1fa-e1f8-4e4d-a912-4b474d364f56/356f245a-18a7-4634-8929-4d05b9a1b0eb/356f245a-18a7-4634-8929-4d05b9a1b0eb.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=232%2C588%2C1082%2C1040&amp;w=1500" alt="Tom Wakely with friends at Viva Vino in Manzanillo, Mexico" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="37" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">It was a wonderful chapter of my life, but when my mother’s health declined and she required hospice, we closed the business after 4 years without hesitation and moved back to San Antonio. We cared for her until her passing. That profound experience changed our lives. CHRISTUS Hospice was so impressed with us they asked if we would be interest in caring for other hospice patients by taking them into our home, and without hesitation we said yes.Over the next 12 years, Lety and I took 84 military veterans or their family members into our home and cared for them until they passed. It was called Ann's Place after my mother. I served as hospice chaplain, cook and chief bottle washer. My wife provided direct patient care, and she is the hero of this story.After a few years, in addition to continuing to operate as a hospice, we became a VA Medical Foster Home, a program designed to be an affordable, community-based alternative to a traditional nursing home.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/05cad1fa-e1f8-4e4d-a912-4b474d364f56/45b564e4-c919-435a-a091-c493371603f5/45b564e4-c919-435a-a091-c493371603f5.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=47%2C737%2C1386%2C1099&amp;w=1500" alt="Lety Gomez-Wakely and Lucy Coffey at the White House with Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"><img src="https://run.imgix.net/05cad1fa-e1f8-4e4d-a912-4b474d364f56/7afc1d9d-3d08-438d-9cdc-7a6446ee7b1b/7afc1d9d-3d08-438d-9cdc-7a6446ee7b1b.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1264%2C843&amp;w=1500" alt="Tom Wakely in the background as Joe Biden and Jill Biden speak with Lucy Coffey in San Antonio" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">Among those we cared for was our oldest, and most well-known patient, beloved World War II veteran Lucy Coffey, who at the time of her passing was the oldest living female veteran in the United States. Our home became a crossroads of history because of her; when Lucy turned 108, Vice President Joe Biden called our house to speak to her and wish her a happy birthday. At the end of their conversation, the Vice President invited Lucy to the White House to meet him and President Barack Obama. Lety personally escorted Lucy to Washington, D.C., to fulfill that historic meeting. We treated every single one of our 84 patients with that exact same level of honor, devotion, and absolute care.The following year Vice-President Biden visited San Antonio to speak at a Veteran's conference and I took the opportunity to take Lucy meet him again but this time with his wife, Jill.In 2021, my wife and I chose to close Ann's Place, and relocate to southern New Mexico to be closer to her siblings and extensive extended family in El Paso and Juárez. We chose Deming as our new home. I am running for Luna County Commissioner because every chapter of my life—from mowing lawns at age 10 to working on the grape boycott campaign for $5 a week, to answering White House phone calls and caring for veterans like Lucy Coffey in my home—has taught me how to listen to people. I will bring that same unshakeable, lifelong commitment to the residents of Deming and Columbus.

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<h2>I Have a Practical Plan to Reduce Dust and Pave Populated Ranchette Roads</h2>

Luna County can do a number of things to reduce the dirt thrown into the air by the recurring dust storms moving through our community. Dust finds its way into every nook and cranny of our homes. It closes portions of Interstate 10 and NM 11—the crucial highway connecting Deming, Columbus and Palomas. It disrupts outdoor activities, including school sports. It <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/health-and-environmental-effects-particulate-matter-pm?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">aggravates asthma </a>and threatens the health of children, older residents and people with heart or lung problems.I can speak out about this problem now, but changing county policy will require action by the County Commission. If I am elected to serve as your county commissioner, I will fight for that change. So consider this.<h5>For decades, Ranchette families have been told, “Those unpaved roads are your problem, not ours.”</h5>Year after year, county policy has left Ranchette families living on roads the county does not maintain. Meanwhile, Luna County maintains approximately <a href="https://www.lunacounty.gov/departments/road_department/index.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1,673 miles of unpaved roads</a> elsewhere in the county.The current Roads Policy is not carved in stone. County commissioners adopted it, and county commissioners have the power to change it. If I am elected, I will fight to do exactly that.<h5>My Proposed Policy Change</h5>I will propose a new road policy allowing Luna County to accept and improve selected Ranchette roads where families have already built homes. I am not proposing that the county pave every road leading to thousands of empty lots.We would begin with the main roads serving populated areas and then include side roads serving clusters of homes. The county would confirm that it has the necessary public right-of-way and determine what drainage and road improvements are needed.Once selected roads are legally accepted into the county-maintained system, the county can spend public road money on them. The county’s own policy allows accepted roads to be constructed or maintained at county expense when the work benefits the county road network and sufficient money, workers and equipment are available.<h5>🛠️&nbsp;How We Can Pay for It</h5><ol><li>Change the Roads Policy:&nbsp;The County Commission would establish a new process for accepting Ranchette roads that serve existing homes.</li><li>Use State Road Funding:&nbsp;The county would apply for money from the New Mexico Local Government Road Fund and other available programs. A recent Luna County road agreement was funded 75% by NMDOT, with Luna County providing a 25% match.</li><li>Use Existing County Funds for the Match:&nbsp;I will fight to use legally available road or capital funds for the county’s share rather than imposing a special road assessment on Ranchette property owners.</li><li>Pave Populated Roads First:&nbsp;Roads serving the most homes, school buses and emergency vehicles would receive priority. Work would be completed in stages as money becomes available.</li><li>Build a Majority on the Commission:&nbsp;One commissioner cannot change county policy alone. I am running in District 2, and Mary Meade is running as an Independent in District 1. If voters elect commissioners who support this plan, we can bring the policy change to a vote.</li></ol>The choice is clear. Luna County can continue telling Ranchette families, “Not our problem,” or it can change the policy and begin improving roads where people already live. If I am elected, I will fight for that change.

<h2>I AM The Man With A Plan !</h2>

Luna County is currently served by the Western Regional Housing Authority, which is responsible for Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra, Socorro, Catron, Torrance and Valencia counties. The regional authority performs important work, but its mission covers an enormous and geographically diverse part of New Mexico. Luna County needs a housing organization whose principal responsibility is addressing conditions in Deming, Columbus and rural Luna County.New Mexico law allows a county to establish a local housing authority with the power to develop, construct, own, operate, rent and sell affordable housing. Once established, the Luna County Housing Authority could assume local responsibilities through a carefully planned transition coordinated with Western Regional Housing Authority, Housing New Mexico and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.Before any transfer, I would require a public feasibility study identifying the vouchers, properties, funding, contracts, personnel and federal approvals involved. Existing tenants and voucher holders must not lose assistance or experience an interruption in service.The purpose of creating a Luna County Housing Authority would not be to duplicate bureaucracy. It would be to establish local accountability and give Luna County the capacity to develop housing, pursue funding, manage construction and respond directly to the needs of our residents.<h5>Housing Vouchers</h5>According to 2025 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development data summarized by <a href="https://usafacts.org/answers/how-many-subsidized-housing-units-are-available/county/luna-county-nm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">USAFacts, </a>approximately 545 subsidized housing units existed in Luna County, including about 390 units of tenant-based assistance. Approximately 130 units—24% of the total—were reported as unoccupied and available to rent. At the same time, local families continue to report difficulty finding and obtaining affordable housing. This apparent disconnect deserves a clear public explanation. I will seek a full accounting of available units, voucher utilization, waiting lists, processing times and barriers preventing qualified families from securing housing.<h5>New Rental Housing</h5>Under my plan, a Luna County Housing Authority could pursue the construction of new affordable multifamily rental housing. One possible financing tool is Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds, which are generally repaid from revenue generated by the housing development rather than from the county’s general tax revenues.Limited Taxpayer Exposure: Properly structured revenue bonds generally do not constitute a general-obligation debt of Luna County and do not pledge the county’s taxing power. The exact protections would have to be established in the bond documents and reviewed publicly by independent legal and financial advisers.How the Bonds Are Repaid: Revenue from the development—including rent, housing-assistance payments and required reserves—would be used to pay operating expenses and repay bondholders.Taxpayer Safeguards: Before supporting any bond issue, I would require a professional feasibility study, independent financial review, full public disclosure and clear language protecting the county’s general fund and taxpayers.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/05cad1fa-e1f8-4e4d-a912-4b474d364f56/49a4fb70-64b6-4b70-ac33-283d12dad93e/49a4fb70-64b6-4b70-ac33-283d12dad93e.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1800%2C981&amp;w=1500" alt="The planned Luna County Housing Authority multifamily apartment complex " caption="" align="center" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"><h5 style="text-align: left;">Single-Family Homes</h5>A Luna County Housing Authority could also pursue the development of entry-level single-family homes for rent or purchase, helping low- and moderate-income families obtain safe and affordable housing.HOME Development Financing: The authority could apply to Housing New Mexico’s <a href="https://housingnm.org/developers/homeownership/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HOME Single-Family Development Program</a>, which provides below-market-rate development loans for eligible affordable-housing projects. Funding is competitive and subject to federal requirements, underwriting and program availability.Zero-Interest Construction Financing: The authority could also apply to Housing New Mexico’s<a href="https://housingnm.org/developers/homeownership/zero-interest-homebuilder-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Zero Interest Homebuilder Program</a>. This program offers interest-free construction financing to eligible organizations—including governmental housing agencies—to develop affordable entry-level homes for qualified buyers.<h5>Single-Family Homes for Rent</h5>A Luna County Housing Authority could explore building affordable single-family rental homes within Deming and Columbus, subject to each municipality’s approval, zoning requirements, infrastructure capacity and available funding.Scattered-Site Housing: The authority could identify suitable publicly owned or donated vacant lots for individual homes, duplexes or townhomes. Each property would require evaluation for legal access, utilities, drainage, construction costs and neighborhood compatibility.Housing Voucher Compatibility: Qualified tenants could potentially use Housing Choice Vouchers in authority-owned rental homes if all HUD requirements are met. The authority could also pursue project-based vouchers for selected properties. Because the housing authority would own the homes, federal rules would require independent inspections, independent rent determinations and appropriate HUD oversight.<h5>Single-Family Homes for Sale</h5>The Luna County Housing Authority would serve as the public developer rather than turning the project over to a private development company. It would control the land, financing, home designs, construction budget and sale prices from beginning to end.An In-House Construction Division: The authority could establish its own construction division and apply for a New Mexico GB-2 residential contractor license. The license would be obtained by employing an experienced construction director who meets the state’s qualifying-party requirements. The authority would then competitively hire licensed electricians, plumbers, HVAC contractors, roofers and other trade subcontractors while directly managing construction, inspections, scheduling, purchasing and quality control.Building at Cost—Not for Private Profit: Because the housing authority would be building homes for a public purpose, it would not add a private developer’s profit margin to the price of each house. Actual project costs, financing expenses and reasonable reserves would be documented publicly. Savings would be passed on to qualified homebuyers through lower sale prices.Reducing Construction Costs: Luna County, Deming or Columbus could consider donating or discounting suitable publicly owned land under an approved affordable-housing plan. The authority could further reduce costs through standardized energy-efficient designs, competitive bidding, bulk purchasing and low- or zero-interest construction financing.Lawful Tax Savings: Before construction begins, the authority would obtain a written determination from the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department identifying every deduction, exemption and Non-Taxable Transaction Certificate legally available when the authority purchases materials directly. No tax savings would be included in a home’s projected price until those savings were verified in writing.Energy-Efficient Homes: Homes could include high-efficiency heating and cooling, improved insulation, solar panels, tankless water heaters and battery storage when financially practical. The goal would be to reduce homeowners’ monthly utility expenses without making unrealistic promises that every household’s bill would be zero.Financing the Homes: The authority could apply to Housing New Mexico’s Zero Interest Homebuilder Program and other eligible programs. It could also evaluate carefully structured lease-to-purchase opportunities for families who need time to prepare for conventional homeownership.Public Accountability: Construction budgets, contracts, change orders, financing costs and home sale prices would be publicly reported. The purpose would be simple: build durable, efficient entry-level homes at the lowest responsible cost and pass the savings directly to Luna County families.

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<h1>Let's Work Together To End The Luna County Housing Crisis!</h1>

I am the Man With the Plan—working for affordable housing, cleaner air, and a stronger Luna County workforce.

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<h1>Thomas John “Tom” Wakely for Luna County Commissioner District 2 </h1>

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A practical plan to reduce road dust, protect public health, and make travel safer throughout Luna County.

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<h1>God can stop the wind from blowing, but Luna County can stop the dust from flying! </h1>

As a Vietnam-era Air Force veteran, family man, and retired hospice chaplain my entire adult life has been devoted to fighting for low-income families, and anyone just struggling to make ends meet. I am running for District 2 County Commissioner to bring real, accountable leadership to our local government. Together, we can put the needs of Deming and Columbus first and build a community where every resident is included.

Thomas John “Tom” Wakely wearing a U.S. Air Force veteran cap

<h1>About Thomas John “Tom” Wakely</h1>

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Learn how road dust affects health and safety in Luna County and read Tom Wakely’s plan to improve heavily traveled unpaved roads in Ranchette communities.

Dust and Your Health | Tom Wakely for Luna County D2

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Thomas John “Tom” Wakely | Luna County Commissioner D2

Wakely for Luna County Commissioner

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