Greg Solano - Political Career

Political Career

Solano was a former President of the Santa Fe Police Officers Association, the City Police Union. During his presidency, the union became the first certified and recognized City of Santa Fe Union. He lost re-election as president in 1994 after Mayor Debbie Jaramillo appointed a controversial black police chief Don Grady. He was caught in between union members who wanted the chief removed and those who felt the fight for removal was racist in nature. He lost the election to the pro removal faction. He then left the police department in 1994 and first ran for sheriff in 1998, losing to then Under Sheriff Ray Sisneros by a slim margin.

In 2002, Solano ran again for sheriff against a field of two other Democrats and one Republican. After winning a close primary in June, he went on to win 70% of the vote in the November general election.

As sheriff, he raised deputy pay by 21% and in doing so stopped a flood of deputies leaving for other departments as well as filling often-vacant positions. Solano took on the privatization of jails in Santa Fe County after the problem-plagued jails formerly run by private companies received widespread criticism. He fought for the adult and juvenile jails return to public control ending the counties association with private companies. He was involved in a settlement agreement with the United States Department of Justice over complaints and deficiencies found in audits of the adult facility prior to his administration. Sheriff Solano also took on drunk driving issues when he fought for local ordinances allowing for the taking and auctioning of repeat offenders automobiles and the placement of breath test machines in local liquor establishments. The most controversial of his driving while intoxicated ideas was to place the information and photos of repeat offenders on the Sheriff's Office website.

In September 2005, Solano announced his re-election bid for the office of Sheriff in the June 2006 Democratic Primary. The Santa Fe Reporter wrote a cover story on his life called "Behind the Badge" which was published May 3, 2006.

In June 2006 Sheriff Solano handily won re-election with 64% of the vote. He was challenged by one of his deputies who ran an increasingly negative campaign which failed to garner enough support to remove Sheriff Solano from office. Sheriff Solano begins his second four year term January 1, 2007 having no Republican opponent in the General Election. The Sheriff's office is term limited with only two consecutive four year terms allowed.

On August 27, 2008 Sheriff Solano announced he would run for Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico in the 2010 Primary election under the Democratic party.