By Mary Alice Murphy

At the latest Democrat candidate forum on Thursday, May 12, the two candidates for the Sixth Judicial District Attorney position, incumbent Francesca Martinez-Estevez and challenger Michael R. Renter+

He said the opportunity was not "a door I opened. It opened for me. I was asked to fill a role to make a difference in the community. It is about service. I feel it is a calling. I have 17 years experience as an attorney and many more working in social work. I worked 20 plus years in schools and coached athletes. I'm about teamwork."

Martinez-Estevez said she is the incumbent to the position. She began her career working in Legal Aid in 1981 in New York and New Jersey. "I have always been a servant. I have been an attorney for 30 years, with the last 10 as a prosecutor. Under my tenure, we have attracted new attorneys and stepped up the prosecution of cases. We have been engaged in jury trials."

She said in 2012, no jury trials were held in Grant County. In 2015, 79 jury trials took place in Grant County. In 2012, there were no jury trials in Luna County and in 2014, more than 100.

"It's about service to the public," Martinez-Estevez said. "It's not a political job. I work with law enforcement in the prosecution of cases. If something has the potential to make big news, I use the transparency of the media. I do not rely on the press to push an agenda. I communicate with people I need to, and if it includes the press, I'll talk to anyone who calls."

"The media can be tricky," Renter+