Republican David Hampton is in the race for House District 43. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
Republican David Hampton has announced his candidacy for the House District 43 seat currently held by Rep. Christine Chandler, a Democrat.
In an interview with the Los Alamos Reporter, Hampton said he is running on his beliefs.
“I believe human life begins at conception. I do not support killing a human life, so I will not support abortion. Abortion is not healthcare,” Hampton said.
He said the right to bear arms, a right to due process, a right to not fall victim to illegal search and seizure are all confirmed in the U.S. Constitution
“I will not support any legislation that violates these rights and will seek to repeal the recent Red Flag Law,” Hampton said.
He said he will vote to repeal the National Popular Vote Bill signed into law by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in April 2019.
“The Electoral College was established to protect the rights of small states from the tyranny of larger states. I will not support the National Popular Vote which effectively transfers our sovereignty to California and New York and will vote to appeal the 2019 law that supports New Mexico’s involvement in it,” Hampton said.
Hampton said he will also seek comprehensive tort reform, capping settlements and lawsuits as well as establishing a process to vet frivolous lawsuits.
“New Mexico is the most litigious state in the country and many insurance companies will no longer provide general liability insurance in New Mexico or they will provide it at an exorbitant cost which is passed on to consumers after enriching trial lawyers,” he said. “This has been exceptionally hard on our skilled nursing facilities that are currently prohibited in participating in the Patient Compensation Fund that provides some state-mandated tort reform for our doctors and hospitals.”
Hampton said he will support smaller government and lower taxes including elimination of state taxation of social security and that he will work to pass a taxpayer’s bill of rights.
“I want to build our community through involvement and cooperation, through individual freedom and personal responsibility,” he said.
Hampton would like to see UNM-LA become a four-year university. He said as a second major employer in Los Alamos County it is complementary to the Los Alamos National Laboratory so it could offset some of the changes that occur during down turns at the Lab. He said It also adds a way to revitalize downtown with a second employer.
Hampton currently serves on the County Parks and Recreation Board, the Los Alamos Coop Market board and the Los Alamos Retirement Community board. He does volunteer trail maintenance for Bandelier National Monument and the Forest Service. He also teaches Sunday school to middle school aged boys and Politics in the Bible to high school aged boys each week. He is a former track and field coach in the community.
Hampton came to Los Alamos in 1998 and retired from LANL in 2017. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of California-Santa Barbara.
Hampton is married to Lisa Hampton and has three daughters, two grandchildren, five stepchildren and a step-grandchild.