Ellison

A Republican candidate for Governor who doesn't highlight crime as the be-all-end-all issue? We've got one.  

Jim Ellison, 55, a Georgia native and onetime Democrat who has lived in the state for 20 years and served two years on the Public Regulation Commission as an independent ('23-'24), has announced his candidacy. He came with a different angle that may be essential if the GOP wants to get back in the game in Dem New Mexico:

This campaign is about tackling the challenges that matter most — affordability, opportunity, and trust in government. . .I believe that the policies that have been implemented and that would be implemented under Deb Haaland are already increasing the cost of living for New Mexicans, and I would expect to see a dramatic rise in our power prices over the next 10 years if these policies continue.

That's a start at returning the GOP to the bread and butter issues that have brought them to power in the past. They are exhausted after walking the crime beat for years and coming up empty. 

Ellison's tip of the hat to "affordability" gets him a listen. How it plays with conservative MAGA primary GOP voters will be interesting. Are they ready for something new as well? 

MONAHAN'S TAKE 

Ellison starts far back in the pack with fund-raising highly problematic because of his brief GOP history. He switched  from independent to Republican only in February of '25. He will have to build trust with longtime Republicans. For now the importance of his candidacy is the injection of economic well-being into the campaign as a primary issue--not as a sidebar to all-crime-all-the-time.

ROBERTO MONDRAGON 

He was a shrewd and notable political figure but Roberto Mondragon may be best remembered as a keeper of the cultural flame of his native New Mexico.. 

Mondragon, 85 died Wednesday died, confirmed current Lt. Gov. Howie Morales on social media, saying: 

(Roberto) was a legendary leader in the cultural and political life of New Mexico over generations...His accomplishments to preserve our Hispanic heritage in New Mexico will endure forever. Roberto found a life’s calling in both public service and love of the musical traditions of New Mexico. A beloved friend of many, we will miss him greatly.

Gov. Lujan Grisham's statement on the passing of Mondragon is here. 

Mondragon's political career was meaty. He served two terms as Lt. Governor in the 70's, ran for the ABQ congressional seat in '74 and made a run for Governor in '94. He was elected to two terms in the state House ('67-'71) from the ABQ valley and served as a special water projects coordinator for the state. Later he switched gears.

Mondragon leaned into his musical and story telling skills--(a lover of dichos)-and made a splash by entertaining on stages throughout the state as well as more intimate gatherings. He released two well-received albums of NM music--Que Cante Mondragón and Amigo. Gov. Richardson appointed him to the board of directors of Hispanic Cultural Center and he had a bit part in the popular film The Milagro Beanfield War. 

King-Mondragon in '70 and '78 was a dream ticket for the Democrats (although the '78 election was a nail biter). The combination of a northern Hispanic native with an Anglo down-to-earth rancher came to own the political sphere.

But in 1994 it was Mondragon playing a key role in squashing King's attempt to earn a fourth nonconsecutive term as governor. He had broken with King's centrist politics and became the Green Party nominee winning 10 percent of the vote to King's 40 percent and Republican Gary Johnson's 50. 

Would King have won if Mondragon had not run? Probably not but it was a point long mulled over. We recall that King's Lt. Governor in 1994, Casey Luna, ran against Bruce in the June '94 Dem primary and weakened him. He had two of his #2's going after him. 

(Here is a 1994 gubernatorial TV debate featuring Mondragon, King and Johnson.) 

Mondragon, a Guadalupe county native, was not a policy wonk but he brought to the table charisma, calm and a deep understanding of the state's people and culture. We learned that first-hand when we covered his losing 1974 campaign against GOP Congressman Manuel Lujan, Jr. and again in 1994 when he wore the Green Party mantle and we consulted his campaign.

With unabashed pride in his home state and his natural people skills, Roberto Mondragon certainly earned his chapter in the never ending book of his beloved La Politica. 

Reporting from ABQ, I'm Joe Monahan. 

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Republicans finally have something to celebrate but it may be an empty win.

On Monday the four GOP ABQ city councilors joined with Democratic Councilor Klarissa Peña to award her the presidency of the nine member council for the year ahead. That gives rise to hopes that the previous coalition that kept the Republican lawmakers closer to the action would persist in Democratic Mayor Tim Keller's third term. But it won't.

Former Dem Councilor Louis Sanchez routinely voted with the four R's to form a council majority. but that's not going to happen under Peña, as described by a City Hall insider:

Klarissa will continue to vote 90 percent of the time with the four progressive Democrats. Her taking the presidency is a council dynamic but don't expect it to bleed over into conservative voting as it did with Councilor Sanchez.

A consultant to Peña adds: 

There is weird chatter online that she is sided with the MAGA Republicans--that is not true. 

While the GOP had a coalition with Councilor Sanchez to win votes 5 to 4, Keller retained the veto which takes six votes to override. That prevented the conservatives from ultimately making much hay.

Councilor Peña

Peña got crosswise with progressive Dems when she narrowly defeated Teresa Garcia at the December city runoff to hold on to her southwest mesa centered District 3 for a fourth term. Peña has a reputation as a pragmatic Democrat. Progressives were mainly irked with what they felt were her too accommodating views toward development in the district. 

Downtown area Councilor Joaquin Baca opposed her for the presidency but she outran him by gathering the R's to her side.

Council progressives may have given Peña some symbolic payback by not voting for her but the consequences are internal not external. 

One other note. The Peña-Keller relationship remains solid.

DIVISION TO COME? 

There is a policy area that could actually unite the entire council this year. That would be funding for the city's Gateway network to combat homelessness and drug addiction, including the flagship Gateway Center on Gibson Blvd., the under construction Youth Gateway, Gateway West and the Family Gateway.  

That's a lot of activity financed with tens of millions from the city, state and feds. Councilors will now be looking to the administration to demonstrate that these expenditures are working. Back to Downtown: 

In the spring budget talks Councilors are going to want to see that the Gateway on Gibson is fully opened and that we are getting results. What happens to people after they come through the doors? Do they get a job, a place to live, kick an addiction? The administration needs to make a good case for funding what we have and expanding these projects going forward. Everyone is hopeful that we are on the right track but we need proof. 

Despite ongoing cynicism over the latest crime statistics Councilors seem pleased that crime is finally coming down. For example, the decline in murder and auto theft rates can't be doctored. Now there will be additional emphasis on the ubiquitous and complicated homeless problem.

OUR FAUX PAS

We endured the punishment of ten lashes with the wet noodle Tuesday when we came with a piece on the southern congressional race and Rep. Vasquez that was based on Kamala Harris carrying the district over Trump in 2024.The problem? Trump won the district by two points. In this case we failed to heed the warnings to double check any stats AI dispenses.

Jeff Singer of Downballot was one of a number of sharp readers who immediately caught the mistake and cleared things up:

Hi Joe, I'm an avid reader of your daily pieces, and wanted to flag that Donald Trump was the one who carried NM-02 in 2024. Per our calculations at The Downballot, Trump won it 49.9 to 48.1, a margin of just under 5,000 votes. Joe Biden would have carried the 2nd 52-46 if the current lines were in use in 2020. Gabe Vasquez won reelection 52-48 in 2024, which is both a notable overperformance compared to Kamala Harris and makes him one of just 13 House Democrats to win while Trump was carrying their seats.  

Thanks, Jeff. Our erroneous report was taken down early so many readers did not see it, but suffice it to say the evidence of the faux pas is sported on my wet noodle scarred backside. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.   

We started the day with a piece about the southern congressional district race and Rep. Vasquez but ran into a buzz saw because we had the incorrect data on the outcome of the '24 presidential race there. We'll have to do a take two on that one and apologize for the error. 

With Venezuela making headlines (and the US intervention there causing ABQ protests) we wondered how many Venezuelans call New Mexico home. A 2025 demographic compilation site using U.S. census ancestry data reports a total Venezuelan population in New Mexico of 848 people. ​ 

Despite that small number we did find a Venezuelan restaurant in downtown ABQ,--Arepas El Pana. An "arepa" is a type of corn bread from the northern Andes and resembling a tortilla. No, we don't believe they have one named "Maduro."

BREWERY BEAT 

Okay, have a beer with your arepa--or maybe not. Reader Ron Nelson weighs in on the rise and decline of the craft brew industry in the state:

I believe the state set up the breweries to fail when they dictated that they could only sell their own products. Frankly, there are only a few local brews I like, but none offer a lite version of their drafts. Many are trying to stay afloat by offering food. How many versions of green chili cheeseburgers can there be in New Mexico? What’s interesting about these brewery bankruptcy filings is the majority of the debt owed goes to the food vendors. 

Craft breweries operating under small brewer licenses are restricted to selling only beer they produce or that is produced by other New Mexico small brewers on their premises. National brands like Budweiser are not permitted.​ 

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Interim Chief Cecily Barker

Welcome back and Happy New Year. Here are questions that loom over La Politica with the calendar turned to 2026.

--Will the search for a new ABQ police chief truly be "national" as announced by City Hall or will it again be an internal pick? 

The last two national searches gave us chiefs Michael Geier (2017) and Harold Medina (2020), both longtime APD higher ups. This time the usual preference for an insider chief appears to be combining with identity politics. The selection of the first woman chief could be in the cards. Will it be Deputy Chief Cecily Barker who Mayor Keller has already named interim chief and who former Chief Medina is pushing? That's about as far from an outsider as you can get.  If selected, will Barker be a DEI hire who is a clone of the controversial Medina or does she bring something new to the table? 

Will there be major policy changes in Keller's third term? 

Mayor Keller's reelection is an affirmation of his current APD policy as well as his policies dealing with homelessness. His critics continue to guffaw over the election results and blame the electorate for being bozos. But Mr. and Mrs. Albuquerque see a city stabilizing after years of decline. For example, there were 65 homicides in ABQ in 2025, a 34% drop from 99 in 2023 and 2024. That's the lowest since 2016. If the critics want power and not just clicks, they'll have to get a new act. Keller has told us he foresees no major policy changes in the new year.  

Keller was sworn in for his third term at a ceremony Sunday at the downtown Convention Center. He said:

Underneath the surface, our election was about something deeper in this City and our Country. It was about fear: fear of not making ends meet, of losing a family member, of being othered or disconnected.  

Swearing in and speech here. (Starts at 23:50.) The speech transcript is here.  

The Mayor took the official oath of office before Sunday, administered by City Clerk Ethan Watson. Video here. 

New Santa Fe Mayor Michael Garcia took the oath over the holidays.

DUKE'S DILEMMA 

Duke Rodriguez

--Will a lawsuit abruptly end the GOP gubernatorial candidacy of Duke Rodriguez or energize it? 

A lawsuit surely will be filed over Rodriguez's claim that he has met the state constitutional requirement that a Governor candidate live in the state for five consecutive years--even as records show he has voted in Arizona elections the past two decades. Duke is prepping for the court challenge by arguing: 

I have absolutely, 100% resided for five years preceding the election and, in fact, I've continuously resided for the last 54 years in New Mexico. The state Constitution] doesn't talk about where you vote. It doesn't talk about where you had lunch. . .It talks about two specific words--'resided continuously'--so yes, the answer is correct."

From a Legal Beagle: 

Joe, a person does not lose their residency in New Mexico solely by voting in another state, provided they have not regained residency in that state. Establishing Residency: To establish residency, a candidate must demonstrate a fixed habitation in New Mexico, with the intention to return if temporarily absent.

Thanks, Beagle. Let's see what the folks wearing the black robes say.  

--Will there be a "Stop Duke" movement among Republicans?

Turner

If his residency proves to be no problem and he kicks in $2 million of his own money to fund his campaign, please don't think that he won't be the front-runner. He has two unknown rivals--Gregg Hull and Steve Lanier. There are rumblings of getting a stronger challenger. Over the holidays a candidate who ran for the GOP nomination in 2010--business executive Doug Turner--told us he is taking a close look at running. The deadline to submit the required nominating petition signatures is February 3. We're staying tuned. 

--Will the '26 Governor's race be another layup for the Democrats? 

If the results of the ABQ mayoral election are any guide, yes it will be. Mayor Keller's outsized victory in this city, which is key to statewide political wins, bodes poorly for the Republicans who have been enduring a years-long political winter. Signs of a thaw are nil as Dems continue to thrive here in the Trump era. A marginal increase in GOP voter registration--largely the result of the official voter purge--is not a sign of a turn. Actual elections are the tell and we just had one in the Duke City. 

--Will the state's southern congressional district (the 2nd District) lose its "swing"status this year? 

No need to ask. That question has been answered. Two wins for Rep. Gabe Vasquez--the last in '24 by 10,000 votes--puts the district firmly in the "lean Dem" column. We expect DC pundits to catch up. Should Vasquez be performing better? Yes. Is the early GOP field forming against him a threat? No. 

--Will the state's "vice" industries continue to weaken in the new year? 

Yes. Legal marijuana was one of the more bungled roll outs of a state sanctioned program. The easy money is long gone. Far too many pot shops were allowed and more closures will come. Ditto for the brewery boys. Craft beer joins hard booze as anathema to many in the new generations as they cut  consumption. Health authorities egg them on with findings that even small amounts of alcohol can cause cancer. Think how cigarettes peaked after a similar warning in the 60's. That's where we're headed today. 

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One final blog as we wrap up 2025 and as you prepare to unwrap your Christmas surprises. So let's dash into it. 

The results of the ABQ December 9 runoff election are in the history books. The Bernalillo County Clerk's office says: 

The official canvass of the returns has been completed. The canvass included a comprehensive review of Election Day, early, absentee, and provisional ballots, reconciliation of ballot totals, verification of tabulator reports, and completion of all required post-election procedures. “Certification marks the conclusion of a thorough and transparent process to ensure every eligible vote is counted accurately," says Clerk Michelle S. Kavanaugh. 

The full canvass is here. 

The final vote tally was 129,138 or 35.1 percent of the 367,576 registered city voters. Not bad at all.

Mayor Keller defeated Republican Darren White 74,458 or 57.71 percent to 54,558 or 42.29 percent. That's a hefty margin of 15.4 percent but not a landslide which is traditionally defined as a 20 percent win.

The total vote cast in the mayoral race was 129,016, a bit less than the overall total as some voters chose to vote only in one of the two city council runoff elections. 

Dem Stephanie Tellez easily won her District 1 council runoff on the Westside but there was a cliffhanger in SW District 3. 

The final official vote in District 3 shows Councilor Klarissa Peña holding off challenger Teresa Garcia by just 71 votes. Peña received 3,341 votes or 50.46 percent to Garcia's 3,271 or 49.54 percent.

Garcia actually lost three votes from the unofficial Election Night results that showed her losing by 68 votes. 

The closeness of the contest led to some confusion on Election Night over the rules for an automatic recount in an ABQ election. Newsman Dan Boyd clears it up: 

New Mexico has both automatic recounts and requested recounts. An automatic recount happens when the margin between the two candidates who have received the most votes is under 1%.  

State law makes a provision for publicly funded automatic recounts in local elections when the margin between the two candidates is 1% or less. . .

However, Albuquerque is a home rule municipality, meaning it conducts elections under its own city charter. City Council runoff returns are not eligible for an automatic runoff because the Albuquerque City Charter contains no provision for it. The SOS's office said: “If the losing candidate wishes, they can pay for a recount and would work with the (Bernalillo) County Clerk to determine the cost.

BY THE DISTRICT 

Click to enlarge

Posted here are the results of the mayoral election from each of the nine city council districts. 

Dem Mayor Tim Keller lost only two to Republican Darren White--District 5 on the Westside, a mainly working class and socially conservative area represented by GOP Councilor Dan Lewis--and District 4 in the largely affluent NE Heights district of GOP Councilor Brook Bassan,  

In District 6 in the SE Heights, the one with the highest rates of crime and homelessness, Keller finished his best of any district, capturing 76 percent of the vote. 

WEBBER'S GOODBYE

While ABQ preps for Mayor Keller's unprecedented third consecutive term, Santa Fe says goodbye to two term Mayor Alan Webber. He finishes with mixed reviews, including our own, in this New Mexican exit interview. Apart from his policy performance, Webber, 76, will be remembered for his decency, integrity and dedication to serving others. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

That's a wrap for 2025, our 22nd year on the blog--a chronicle of an entire generation of La Politica all of which is in our archives and that you can access in the event you just have to have a holiday political fix. 

We anticipate returning here Jan. 5 but being an old school newshound, we'll break in if major news breaks out. (We secretly hope it does.)

During the break we'll reflect with appreciation over this space we've created where bonds are silently formed and that make life more special. Thanks.

For now we cede the stage to Frank and Dino and get this holiday swingin'! Take it away, fellas.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, New Mexico. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.   

Keller and MLG

It sounds as though MLG should have voted for Republican Darren White for mayor. Just snap your fingers and the city's notorious War Zone in ABQ's SE Heights turns into an idyllic slice of paradise. 

That doesn't work, of course, and neither does the Governor dumping on freshly re-elected Mayor Tim Keller over the perceived failure of her deployment of 125 National Guard personnel (and $7 million) to clean up the stricken neighborhood. But here we go. . . 

(The Governor) is disappointed that the mission did not achieve a sustained decrease in crime. This is partially due to lax engagement by local partners and also because New Mexico’s criminal justice system too often allows serious offenders back on the streets within days or even hours of an arrest. The mission could have been more successful if the Keller Administration had engaged in strategy development and shown more initiative in maximizing the governor’s deployment of National Guard resources in the community.

The city says MLG is wrong about crime in the Zone not decreasing and offered stats showing homicides have been cut in half in the area and other crime categories also down but when no one trusts anyone. . .well, you get the picture. 

BUSINESS AS USUAL? 

That statement from the Guv's office was only the prelude to a much harsher appraisal by Sarita Nair, MLG's Secretary for Workforce Solutions who was brought in to supervise the National Guard deployment:   

Sarita Nair

There is not a single street in the focus area that does not have an encampment or hub of illicit activity. . .We have witnessed police cars drive past women who were passed out in the street. We have seen no increased outreach or an additional presence of proactive policing. Adding our personnel to ‘business as usual’ was never the idea of the National Guard deployment. But without City leadership, nothing more has happened. . .The City has simply been unable to articulate a vision for the resources it requested or to implement its side of the operation.

Come on now. Isn't this the same War Zone where the Governor deployed NM State Police in her first term only to have them meekly retreat when they got nowhere? 

And isn't Sarita Nair ABQ's former Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) appointed by Mayor Keller to the powerful position that supervises APD and all other city agencies? And didn't she resign after Keller's first term amid record high crime rates and the mess in the SE still standing? Like she doesn't have an axe to grind?

We know the Guv's axe is sharpened as she continues to shift blame for high crime as she heads into her final year sporting lousy approval ratings. 

FIRING BACK 

Keller laid low while the Governor and her hired gun fired away, but a source not unfamiliar with City Hall came with this rebuttal: 

This attack by Sarita Nair shows how much MLG’s final year of governing is being left to a power-hungry bureaucrat who is supposed to be addressing the state’s employment woes but is instead going after her former employer. Why is the head of Workforce Solutions running the National Guard ? You would think the person in charge of keeping people employed in the state could find other people to take the job. It’s hard to see this as anything other than payback for Albuquerque’s former CAO who left the town after tanking it. . .

Certainly the Governor and Mayor will find time to celebrate the season of peace this week--just not with each other. 

A NYC/NM XMAS

New Mexico has its luminarias and New York has the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center. This year we're taking in both. 

Here's the Center's 75 foot Norway Spurce from East Greenbush, NY, exquisitely lit with 50,000 multi-colored LED lights and drawing the usual packed crowds of pre-holiday celebrants from around the world.

And since the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular was playing across the street at Radio City Music Hall, why not?  

This year is the high-kicking Rockettes 100th year celebration, making for a very special, and yes, spectacular Christmas show. 

Next up is the New Mexico spectacular of thousands of flickering luminarias and faroilitos. For that ritual 100 years is a blink of the eye.

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Duke Rodriguez

When it comes to Republicans Darren White and Duke Rodriguez, what you have is two Republicans peas in the same pod. 

White, the Republican ABQ mayoral hopeful who was defeated this month, claimed that his primary residence was in Florida and when busted for that falsehood, had to pay back the tax break he had taken for the declaration.

Duke Rodriguez, the just announced candidate for the '26 gubernatorial nomination, is tangled up like an octopus in a fishing net as he tries unconvincingly to claim that his long voting record in Arizona does not jeopardize his claim that he has been a NM resident for five consecutive years as required by the state constitution.

Darren was forced to resign as ABQ's Public Safety Director under GOP Mayor Berry when his then wife had a serious traffic accident and he intervened with the police investigation.

White

Duke was forced to resign as as Secretary of Human Services in 1997, forced out because of a scandal over a business he owned receiving payments from Medicaid even as his department supervised Medicaid. 

Both Darren and Duke went against GOP orthodoxy by starting marijuana businesses. In doing so White, a former Sheriff, was forced to retract his long-held stance in opposition to legal pot.  

Rodriguez not only dove into the marijuana business in Arizona and New Mexico but he and his firm were major lobbyists for the legislation that saw the state legalize marijuana.

Darren and Duke have both blessed Dem Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham with generous campaign donations--in the five figure range--as they pursued their marijuana interests. Giving money to a Dem would have been called an act of political heresy not long ago in the GOP but today the beat goes on. 

In spite of all of the above, Republicans, desperate and distraught over years of internal fighting, united behind White's candidacy and predictably he suffered a near landslide defeat at the hands of Dem Mayor Keller.

Those Republicans who say that Duke can't possibly win the GOP Guv nomination because of his weighty baggage must be blissfully unaware that Darren has already paved the path for him. 

Rodriguez can and will probably win the nomination, if his residency survives a likely court challenge--and it probably will.

Combine that with his willingness to spend upwards of $2 million of his own money. If he shows the green to the GOP they will go ga ga and nominate him and his problems will be lovingly received by whoever is the Dem Guv nominee following the June primary.

Since the advent of Trump everything has been upside down in GOP land. Candidates like Duke and Darren in past times would be gripping to life survivors to stay afloat. No more. 

The problem is Democrats and independents notice and will reject baggage-laden contenders. The GOP needs fresh faces but can't attract any because losing begets losing and the result is a one party state. 

As the man once said, that's the rest of the story.  

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Rep. Sanchez

From El Norte we see that state Rep. Joseph Sanchez has stockpiled $175,000 in cash in his campaign kitty, a huge sum for a lawmaker not in leadership. 

The conservative Democrat is seeking his third consecutive term to House District 40 in Colfax, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miguel and Taos counties. He is surrounded by a sea of liberals and is taking no chances. 

Sanchez of Alcalde works as an engineer at Los Alamos. 

He already faces a progressive primary opponent next June and has seen others of his ideological stripe (think Rep. Ambrose Castellano)  fall to the progressive machine.  

His rival is Nancy Jane Wright who worked as a pediatrician in Las Vegas for 20 years and serves on the Native American Advisory Committee for BeWell, New Mexico's Health Insurance Marketplace.

It looks as though Sanchez's conservative stances on abortion and gun control will be on the firing line. 

If so, he may need more than that $175K. 

SPACEPORT BLUES  

When it comes to long-awaited regular commercial space tourism flights by Virgin Galatic from the NM Spaceport near T or C the kicking of the can goes on and on. The latest: 

The Richard Branson-founded space tourism venture financial restructuring has all the hallmarks of a company trying to buy itself more runway before it runs out of cash. . .A. . .plan designed to cut debt by $152 million. . .sounds good on paper,but details reveal a company performing financial gymnastics to stay solvent. . . Virgin Galactic has been unprofitable every single quarter since going public six years ago. . .CEO Michael Colglazier said in November that the company is on track to begin commercial operations at the end of 2026, though most current customers won't actually fly until 2027 when flight capacity ramps up. As of September 20, Virgin Galactic had approximately $424 million in cash—funds that are clearly being stretched to cover ongoing expenses.

The legislature has been patiently putting up about $4 million a year to keep the Spaceport going. Other commercial ventures have met with more success there but leading lawmakers like Sen. George Munoz have previously said the Spaceport should be sold.   

Shares of Virgin Galactic dropped 18.90% to $3.69 when the restructuring was announced, reflecting the market's concern. 

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Mayor-elect Garcia

Amid howls from the city bureaucracy and outgoing mayor, Santa Fe Mayor-elect Michael Garcia is lowering the boom over the haphazard manner the city's finances have been handled. It could be the beginning of an administration that challenges the status quo in unexpected ways, 

Speaking from his current perch as a city councilor, Garcia provoked the city manager and Mayor Alan Webber and shook up finance officials as he expressed dismay and concern over the handling of $3 million Affordable Trust Fund for housing in decidedly unaffordable Santa Fe. 

The fund had had been lumped in with general revenues with no way to distinguish how much money was actually in the fund.

Garcia's grilling at a city council meeting of those responsible had the outgoing city manager moaning and groaning like a flaming Zozobra but ultimately the city's finance director admitted: 

I should have realized that there should have been a separate fund in the financial statements much earlier than I did, and I take responsibility of that.

Conduct over Santa Fe's finances can be fairly described as outrageous, with the city submitting its annual audit reports late 13 out of 20 years (65% of the time) between FY2004 and FY2023. Only recently have they been catching up after repeated warnings from state officials and possible federal budget cuts due to the mismanagement.

Garcia said after the contentious council meeting:

. . He plans to request an audit of the trust fund and modernize financial systems to prevent similar issues. “At the end of the day, it’s my job. . .to ensure that we are conducting our business in an open process and really looking at when these challenges come across our path, that we’re having an honest conversation around the challenges that we’re seeing."

Santa Fe government is like a teenager--not fully developed and Garcia was elected in November to bring it to maturity. 

Increasing crime, drug addiction and homelessness are much greater threats today. The city also faces a chronic crisis due to the lack of reasonably priced housing and sky high rents. Combined with a subpar government performance, this presents a challenge not only to local livability but to sustaining the City Different's positive national and international reputations.

This is the first rocking of the boat by Mayor-elect Garcia and the sailing could get rougher when he assumes office January 1. 

To that Santa Fe's frustrated voters can toast the new year with a shout of "Bring it On!"

 RODRIGUEZ REACT 

The Democratic Governors Association welcomed Republican Duke Rodriguez to the '26 Guv chase with this:  

With Duke Rodriguez’s entrance into the Republican primary for governor, he joins a field of candidates who will have to own Donald Trump’s destructive and deeply unpopular agenda that jacks up costs for working families, puts health care in jeopardy for 90,000 New Mexicans, and threatens rural hospitals, all to give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. We look forward to making sure that none of them get close to the governor’s office.

Deb Haaland,Sam Bregman and Ken Miyagishima are the two Dem candidates seeking the '26 nomination.The primary is next June. 

THE BOTTOM LINES

In an early draft we omitted state Sen. Steve Lanier as a GOP gubernatorial candidate. And Guv candidate Duke Rodriguez is 68 years old not 69. Also, he served as Sec. of Human Services under Gov. Johnson. At first we had him as Sec. of Health.

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Duke Rodriguez (KRWG)

The gubernatorial candidacy of marijuana magnate Duke Rodriguez is getting a closer look from Republicans who initially wrote him off because of residency issues and his association with legal pot which remains unpopular with GOP voters. 

Rodriguez officially entered the race Sunday without fanfare, releasing his website RunWithDuke.com and naming crime, education and healthcare among his top priorities. He also took out a newspaper ad posted below).

Rio Rancho Mayor Greg Hull and Farmington state Sen. Steve Lanier are the only other candidates in the chase for the '26 GOP nomination, the ebullient Rodriguez, if he can resolve his residency issue, could emerge as the leading candidate. 

Here's how one Republican, who initially supported Roswell oilman and state rep Mark Murphy for the nomination but who has since dropped out of contention, made the case for Rodriguez:

Click to enlarge

Duke is smart as a whip and can carry the Republican case on the campaign trail; He is a Hispanic male male in a state that has not elected An Anglo governor in nearly 30 years; He does not carry the baggage of Trump--he is demonstrably independent minded. Perhaps most important he says he is willing to put up as much as $2 million of his personal funds to make the run. 

That source also reports that Rodriguez, 68, is telling him that his lawyers have the residency issue "all buttoned up" and he does not see it as an obstacle. 

Rodriguez heads up medical marijuana company Ultra Health, headquartered in Scottsdale where he has a residence and that has 29 dispensaries in New Mexico. He also haas a residence in ABQ's NE Heights.

Rodriguez, who is a former Sec. of Human Services under GOP Gov. Johnson, will likely face a legal challenge over the five year continuous residency requirement declared in the state Constitution.

HOME SWEET HOME 

We reported on our June 16 blog of Rodriguez's residency controversy and how, according to the SOS, he had not voted in any recent state elections. Records show he registered to vote in the state only in January. 

He has voted mostly in Arizona elections for several decades. When we asked him about his New Mexico voting record when we interviewed him in June, he said: 

I’m taking a page from Governor Gary Johnson’s playbook—keep it focused, keep it real, and don’t take the bait.

SIMILAR SUITCASES 

The recent ABQ mayoral candidacy of Republican Darren White increased the chatter about a Rodriguez candidacy. Their political baggage is remarkably similar. 

White has also owned a medical marijuana business--after being an ardent foe of legalization--and he was caught taking a tax break he did not qualify for by claiming his Florida home was his primary residence when it was not. He sold the marijuana business several years ago.

Both of those circumstances were thought by some observers to be major obstacles for the former BernCo Sheriff. But once it became clear that White was the only Republican in the mayoral field with a chance to win, GOP voters looked away from his past and voted for him. 

White finished with 42 percent of the city vote in the December 9 runoff election with Mayor Keller--in line with recent GOP performance in BernCo.

Mayor Hull is well-liked in the party but is not generating excitement and his fund-raising is anemic. Lanier is an unknown. That is seen as leaving the door open for the energetic, aggressive and wealthy Rodriguez. 

The small Republican party is good at uniting behind candidates they see having a shot at winning. If Rodriguez can overcome his legal problems and convince the grassroots he is a potential winner, he could be the party's pick next year. 

Stay tuned.

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