The immense fundraising reported by Dem gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland--over $11 million already raised for a campaign in a state of 2.1 million--comes with multiple descriptions: "Overwhelming, insane, a national phenomenon." (Full report here.)

Perhaps most alarming to Haaland's critics is the label assigned by longtime state political analyst, former legislator and attorney Greg Payne who opines:

Her candidacy is starting to look like a fait accompli.

In her finance report released this week Haaland reports total expenditures thus far of $6.713 million and cash on hand of $4.366 million. Her Dem primary foe Sam Bregman is not even in shouting distance with $853,000 in cash. 

Haaland's report of donations for the last six months runs nearly a stunning 13,000 pages, so large that the Secretary of State's office needed several days to get it downloaded. 

Overall, the report is so astonishing that it prompts the question of whether her progressive supporters --most of whom are ardent campaign reform advocates--won't ask her to voluntarily place a limit on her future fundraising. She won't, of course. Those grassroots supporters see her cash haul as a mandate. The manic fundraising goes on even if there is only a shred of hope that the eventual GOP nominee could compete against her national cash avalanche that is premised on Haaland becoming the state's first Native American governor and the nation's first female Native American governor.

BERNIE SANDERS AURA 

There are large donations on the report but it is the massive number of small donations from all 50 states that gives it a Bernie Sanders aura, recalling his presidential campaign that first harnessed millions of small-donors in the Democratic grassroots and made history. 

The national ownership of this candidacy also sparks debate over how Haaland would governor our small southwestern state. Would it become even more of a laboratory for California-style progressive politics? Would she pursue national ambitions upon taking office? Would she employ her fund-raising prowess for robust paid ad campaigns to push her agenda through the legislature? Could she get involved in Democratic primaries to take out what remains of the moderate wing of the Democratic party?

A PAPER TIGER? 

Here's a larger issues that has irritated Haaland and her campaign and that can't be hidden behind mountains of cash: Is she a paper tiger? Does she remain vulnerable to a case of the glass jaw where she breaks under the pressure? Is she "incompetent," a charge made publicly this week by GOP governor candidate Doug Turner? 

Bregman says yes to all of the above and has repeatedly challenged Haaland to TV debates which she continues to reject. (The one joint appearance scheduled in May does not qualify as a real debate.)

Haaland's wildly successful fund-raising also can't erase doubts that her candidacy could amount to an ultra-expensive vanity project, anointing her to a first in the nation status but then flailing when challenged by the prospect of truly governing. It is not an imagined worry. 

In 2010 Republican Susana Martinez was celebrated as the nation's first Hispanic woman governor only to falter badly and leave office unpopular and largely unaccomplished after eight years in office. Martinez's deficiencies were seen during her campaign but an enamored electorate looked the other way. 

Money can do wonders for a campaign as Haaland is showing, but it does not change the fundamental nature of a candidate's personality that campaigns are intended to test. The most pressing question on the table at this historic juncture is whether Haaland will be put to the test or is the "fait accompli" already inevitable? 

PAC ATTACKS 

That PAC needling Haaland over her link to Jeffrey Epstein is being financed by figures in the orbit of Sam Bregman although his campaign denies being behind the Accountable NM PAC which reports raising $87,000 for ads attacking Haaland's ride on a jet linked to accused pedophile Epstein. The news:

At least three of (the PAC's) four donors are linked to Bregman through New Mexico’s horse racing industry. . .all four contributed to Bregman in the last campaign reporting period, according to filings. Bregman served as chairman of the New Mexico Racing Commission before stepping in as Bernalillo County district attorney in early 2023. His campaign denied any involvement with the group.

Sam Bregman

What's left of the conservative and moderate wings of the state Democratic party is grasping at the coattails of Sam Bregman who continues a spirited but still long-shot campaign to deprive progressive Deb Haaland of the party's gubernatorial nomination at the June 2 primary election.

In campaign fund-raising reports released this week in which Haaland again greatly out-raised Bregman but did not bury him, his links to the nonprogressive segments of the party are on fully display. They reveal how the sparks would fly between the Fourth Floor and the progressive-dominated state House if Bregman were somehow to pull off an upset win. (His campaign finance report here.)

For example, Gallup state Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, onetime leader of a vibrant conservative House Dem wing who was ousted from her chairmanship of the powerful House Appropriations Committee when progressive Speaker Javier Martinez took over, had her campaign committee donate $5,000 to Bregman. What a comeback a win by him would be for her.

State Rep. Joseph Sanchez of Alcalde came in even stronger for the Bernalillo county district attorney, donating $10,000 and signaling continued dissatisfaction among Hispanic men with his very "woke" party. Sanchez is seen as a natural House leader but not under the current regime. 

Las Cruces state Rep. Doreen Gallegos once basked in the shadow of state senate powerhouse John Arthur Smith but his defeat in 2020 and the ongoing progressive wave sent her to the sidelines. She donated $5,000 to Bregman and her longtime business lobbyist husband, Scott Scanland, topped that with a $7,400 contribution.

Also from Cruces, the campaign committee of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Joe Cervantes, who ran unsuccessfully for the '18 Dem gubernatorial nomination as a moderate, kicked in $1,500, hoping Sam can do what Joe could not.

Back to the north where former Las Vegas area state Rep. Ambrose Castellano was tossed from his House seat two years ago by a progressive challenger and is running again this year. He gave $7,500 to Bregman. Imagine how that alliance would rock the House if it came to fruition.

Former State Treasurer and current Bernalillo County Treasurer Tim Eichenberg has been a conservative Democrat who has survived and lived to tell the tale. He is back fighting with a $10,000 donation to Bregman in hopes of slowing the progressive bent at the Roundhouse. 

With the odds so much against Bregman, the willingness of these folks to spit into the prevailing wind shows the scar tissue they've developed from the battlefields of La Politica. Keen observers will keep them in mind if Bregman manages to catch lightning in a bottle June 2. 

FAMILY TIES

Reagan and Alex Bregman

The Bregman report highlights the deep family ties of the candidate as they gave $30,000 to the campaign, including $10,000 from his famous baseball playing son Alex Bregman.

Alex also comes into play with a $10,000 donation to his dad from Ivan T. Carbrera of Louisiana, a horse owner who has partnered with Alex to buy thoroughbred horses and run Bregman Family Racing. 

Reagan Bregman, the wife of Alex, is an entrepreneur who has tapped the services of boutique ad agency Best Efforts for her salsa company Wild Sol and baby skincare firm Roe Wellness. We counted at least $60,000 in total donations to Sam Bregman from employees of Best Efforts stationed in El Paso. 

BIZ BUZZ

It's no secret that Bregman appeals more to business than Haaland and that was again demonstrated in this report covering the period from last October to early April.

Presbyterian Health Plan, one of the largest and most influential business partners of the state, donated $12,400 to Bregman.

Presbyterians relationship with the state is built on their multi-billion dollar managed care contracts for Medicaid and providing insurance for the state's large workforce. Haaland's report was not available at blog press time to see if Pres also donated to her. (Update: Pres gave Haaland $12,400 and it was reported in an earlier report)

Real estate interests have been giving heavily to Bregman. In ABQ the well-known Rembe development family gave generously, including a $5,000 donation from Penny Rembe.

Before politics Bregman was a noted defense attorney. His latest report is loaded with trial lawyer donations from here and afar, including the Whitener Law Firm that came with $12.400.

And we can't forget the oil boys whose support for Bregman is constantly targeted by his progressive foes. They were not shy about their giving with Devon Energy President Clay Gaspar donating $12,400, one of many energy company donations received by Bregman. That's highly relevant because of this headline: 

"Devon Energy’s $79 million acquisition of federal oil and gas leases in New Mexico’s Eddy County marks a defining moment for the Permian Basin as the industry enters 2026.

The business community and the significant segment of voters not on the progressive side of the aisle have been on the defensive but are not irrelevant. Bregman has built a bridge to them. They will alook for signs that the sometimes uber-progressive Haaland will do the same--if she becomes the Dem nominee. 

THE NUMBERS

Here's a report on the filings of all the Dem and GOP governor candidates.  

Bregman's total contributions for Campaign  '26 now total $3,680,755.74. Total Expenditures are $2,917,274.95. In-Kind Contributions $79,592.07. His current cash balance is $853,428.72 

Deb Haaland has reports raising $11,079,700.86 with expenditures of $6,712,907.66 and In-Kind Contributions of $21,566.88. Her current cash balance is $4,366,793.20 is 5.12 times larger than Bregman's cash on hand. 

RIO RANCHO RESULTS  

Mayor-elect Wymer

Rio Rancho City Councilor Paul Wymer won the city's mayoral run-off election in a landslide Tuesday, defeating Dem challenger Alexandria Piland 63% to 37%. The results affirmed the Republican lean of the suburban city directly northwest of ABQ. 

Results late Tuesday had Wymer with 10,394 votes to Piland's 6.096, a turnout of about 20 percent of the about 84,000 registered voters in the city of 112,000.

More on the election is on our Monday blog. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics 

It's the issues not making headlines in today's Rio Rancho mayoral run-off election that catch the eye of New Mexicans who may harbor a streak of envy. 

In that sprawling suburb of of 112,000 souls, ensconced a hop and a skip away from Big Burque, hardly a peep can be heard about drug addiction, crime--juvenile or otherwise--or the homeless. Those, of course, are the perennial problems that bedevil their neighbors. 

Instead the big issue in the City of Vision is the respective candidates' vision for making the car-clogged roads easier to navigate. Really? Yep. That's it. 

That may make the political class stifle their yawns but Mr. and Mrs. New Mexico would probably give away a freezer full of green chile to have a Rio Rancho election election of their own. That's not to be because Rio Rancho is unique. 

IN THE BEGINNING. . .  

The city was founded in the 1960's by a real estate company who populated it with retirees from the New York area who gladly gobbled up the desert acreage to escape the ravages then sweeping across big city East Coast life.

Those emigres were primarily Anglo working class--retired cops and firefighters, schoolteachers and others. That DNA is still in the city today with a conservative streak dominating politics. There are now more Hispanic voices as the city became attractive to ABQ and Santa Fe working class voters tired of overpriced homes, schools that didn't deliver and the insidious creep of drugs and crime. 

Given that backdrop it would be quite the upset if Democrat Alexandria Piland were to defeat Republican Rio Rancho City Councilor Paul Wymer today but not unimaginable. Both have been on their game as they campaign widely and energetically while raising close to $80,000 each to woo voters. 

FOLLOWING THE MONEY 

Wymer and Piland

Digging into the finance reports we find Republican Wymer's donations lean heavily on the ABQ development community that does considerable business in the city including on those aforementioned roads. 

Roadrunner Redi Mix donated $5,000 to Wymer's effort. JPR Decorative Gravel also came with $5,000 as did ABQ land developer Garett Price and ABQ contractor S& S Enterprises. 

Piland, a former official with the Sandoval County Democratic Party, saw her campaign receive $5,000 from that party. Offsetting Wymer's development money, she received $20,000 from various labor groups including $5,000 each from the Central NM Labor Council, the Plumbers and Pipefitters union, the IBEW PAC and the NM Building and Trades council. 

Piland also reports significant individual donations with $8,000 coming from Corrrales couple Peter Coha, a retired Intel engineer, and his wife Nicki Norwark.  

RIO RANCHO VS. ABQ 

Rio Rancho Mayor Greg Hull held the office starting in 2014. He ended his long run this year to run for the '26 gubernatorial nomination. Hull gets his fair share of praise for ably governing the city and keeping away the big city evils that often thrive on the doorstep. But a direct comparison of Rio Rancho to ABQ is apples and oranges. 

Rio Rancho is in so many ways a homogeneous community easily united by a population that moved there for the specific purposes of low crime, affordable middle-class housing and decent schools. There has been very little disagreement over the city's destiny since it was first incorporated in 1981. 

On the other hand, ABQ is a beehive (some would say a hornets' nest) of diverse opinions and population that is exceedingly difficult to get on the same page on anything. But the city does offer a more zestful and varied quality of life than Rio Rancho even as it struggles with a challenging set of social ills. To each his own as the saying goes. 

Today's mayoral run-off election won't settle much. Both Wymer and Piland have inherited that DNA from the original settlers who sought a quiet refuge that had features of a city but at heart was and is an escape from one. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics 

A new study showing New Mexicans shouldering the fourth highest tax burden in the nation will be fodder for GOP Guv candidates Duke Rodriguez and Doug Turner. Both have been calling for either eliminating or chipping away at the state's gross receipts tax and personal income tax.

If the WalletHub study has it right (and some tax nerds may dispute it) the state's total tax burden (just the state burden not the Feds) is10.76 percent, placing us behind only Hawaii, New York and Vermont for the highest tax rate in the nation. 

New Mexico's gross receipts tax is largely responsible, says the study. 

The overall NMGRT rate is 6.28 percent with only Hawaii's 7.48 percent sales and excise taxes higher

The GRT in the state varies widely with Taos Ski Valley the highest at 9.4375 percent. ABQ is at 6.625. The city of Santa Fe is at 8.312% and downtown Las Cruces at 8.39% 

The state rate is currently 4.875 percent but local governments can add their own increments and that takes the rate much higher. 

Unlike the sales tax in other states, the NMGRT is know as the "tax on everything." It applies to almost all services leading to a much broader tax base. 

State government says it is expected to raise $4 to $5 billion from the GRT in the budget year that ends in June. Cutting into that significantly is not impossible but problematic. The latest state General Fund budget is $11.1 billion. 

As we recently noted, MLG engineered two small GRT cuts during her two terms. Rather than elimination of the GRT, such continued small cuts and a more sweeping reduction in the personal income tax rate may be an alternative that emerges to lower the state's too-high tax burden.

Keeping the PIT on high earners earners but eliminating it for a broad class of other taxpayers is one way to lower the state's overall burden. And it should be lower, say tax cut advocates, given the huge oil money reserves and the state's low per capita income.

Republicans are on board and Dem Guv candidate Sam Bregman appear flexible but Dem Guv front-runner Haaland, a progressive, may need convincing.  

A CLEAR PATH 

Vasquez & Cunningham

The path has been cleared for Greg Cunningham to become the Republican nominee for the 2nd congressional district with the announced withdrawal of his rival Jose Orozco. 

Cunningham, a Gulf War Marine veteran and former APD officer, says he is building his campaign on a platform of "border security, economic growth, and accountable governance." 

Cunningham was always the favorite for the nomination. Orozco had to resort to getting additional petition signatures to make the ballot after failing to get enough support at the GOP preprimary convention. But having Orozco, a Marine veteran and former DEA contractor, out of the contest will remove any competition Cunningham had for funding and gives him longer to establish himself without interruption as he preps to take on two-term Dem US Rep. Gabe Vasquez in November. 

The 2nd CD contest is now ranked "lean Democratic" so Cunningham will need more breaks like Orozco's towel throw to get the race in play. 

NO WRITE IN FOR DOW

We erred in the first draft of our Thursday column when we said there is a possibility that GOP state Rep. Rebecca Dow might run as a write-in candidate in the November election after being kicked off the June primary ballot by a district court for submitting incomplete screenshots of her petition signatures.

As the SOS's office explains:   

Representative Dow cannot be a write-in candidate in the November election. Pursuant to state statute, "No person shall be a write-in candidate in the general election who was a candidate or who filed a declaration of candidacy in the primary election immediately prior to the general election" (Subsection F of 1-8-66 NMSA 1978). 

Dow filed her official "Declaration of Candidacy" in March to run in the primary so she is legally considered a "candidate" for that office. 

We regret the error. To atone for it we have submitted to four lashes with a wet noodle (the maximum punishment being 10 lashes).

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.  

Rep. Dow (Eddie Moore, Journal)

Don't believe the optimists. It can always get worse. Case in point is the latest downer development for state Republicans. State Rep. Rebecca Dow, one of the leading lights left in the beleaguered minority party, flubbed the petition process for her re-election bid and has been denied a spot on the June primary ballot. She says she will appeal to the NM Supreme Court but a reversal is unlikely. 

The Democrats have only a write-in candidate for the June primary, David Mooney of Radium Springs whose website has no bio details but the messaging is progressive Dem. He can get on the November ballot by attracting around 30 votes required at the primary. If the political machine of House Speaker Javier Martinez then goes all-in for Mooney for November, the seat should be theirs. 

This means the Dems are now well-positioned to retake House District 38, a swing seat that includes parts of Dona Ana, Sierra and Socorro counties. Dow was first elected there in 2016 and served until she decided to make an unsuccessful run for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in 2022. That year Democrat Tara Jaramillo won the seat but in '24 Dow took it back.

The House is currently controlled 44-26 by the Dems. Any D pick-up would further the deep disadvantage Republican Santa Fe legislators already face. They would have to flip a Dem seat to make up for losing Dow--not an easy lift. 

The irony wasn't lost on anyone that former Rep. Jaramillo was signed up to be the plaintiff in the case  challenging Dow's petition signatures. The crafty attorney Daymon Ely, a former ABQ area Dem state rep, needed a registered District 38 voter to make good on his court challenge and Jaramillo was ready to go.  

THE LEGAL ANGLE 

Attorney Ely

Dow, a well-respected conservative, screwed up. Plain and simple. 

With a foe as legally agile as Ely and in spite of her protests that hers was a "technical" violation, her political ambitions were quashed by the district court who agreed with Ely's skillful argument: 

Ely said the issue was more than just a technical problem, "She filed screenshots of her nominating petitions and so a challenger looking at that couldn't find the addresses [of voters who signed her nominating petitions] because they weren't there," he said. "The screenshots do not include any addresses for the signatories, This is not simply a ministerial problem. Dow's opponents do not have an adequate method by which to determine whether the signatures are duplicative. The process is designed to keep people on the ballot, right? We want voters to have access. You want to have choices, and I agree with that. "But in this case, this is other side of the coin, which is people shouldn't be on the ballot if they've jeopardized in their ability to challenge their signatures. Otherwise you're going to have people just filing for office without valid signatures and not being challenged. And the election code is set up so that it's a transparent process, and then the challenger has a very short period of time to make the challenge. And in this case, that was compromised substantially by what Rebecca Dow did."

Any questions?

ROADMAP FOR CYFD 

The state attorney general's office--now called the Dept. of Justice-- has been making headlines for successfully suing Facebook for having a harmful influence on children. Important stuff but closer to home is the department's just reeleased in-depth investigation scorching the systemic and longtime problems causing the ongoing crisis at the state's Children, Youth and Families Department. 

CYFD says the AG's report "underplays" the "measurable success" made at the agency but we've been hearing that for years while horrific abuses continue and poor management makes matters worse. There is a lengthy list of recommendations in the report to improve how the state deals with neglected and abused children. They are well worth the special attention of the Legislature and the wanna be governors on the campaign trail. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics. 

Before this latest world crisis is over New Mexicans may have to be treated for a guilt complex. 

The rising cost of oil--trading at around $100 a barrel--is going to contribute untold millions in royalties to already bulging state coffers, if the price stays anywhere near that level. Add in a humongous $1.7 billion budget increase being proposed for nuclear bomb making at Los Alamos Labs. Taken together our little state, perennially last in many social standings, may soon be the most financially healthy one.

But any guilt of benefiting from the war dissipates when New Mexicans fill up at the pump and then head to the increasingly pricey grocery stores. This inflation-induced decline in the standard of living is now making Dem Guv candidate Sam Bregman's call for $500 tax rebates for every state resident more welcome instead of seeming like a gimmick. Real relief is needed. 

And the state Republican party, moribund of late about the economy, finally wakes up and joins GOP  gubernatorial candidate Duke Rodriguez in calling for the elimination of the state personal income tax. Senate GOP leader Bill Sharer and his colleagues are elbowing in on what is likely to be a top issue this fall:

In addition to a tax rebate, the senators also proposed the outright elimination of the Personal Income Tax (PIT), a move which would help make New Mexico competitive with other states who do not impose a state income tax. A suggested alternative would be to offer targeted tax relief by expanding current exemptions for social security income, military salaries, and military pensions, as well as by exempting tips from taxable income.

Outright elimination of the PIT is probably a bridge too far since it would cost over $2 billion annually but doing away with it for a sizeable portion of taxpayers is more than doable. 

That's because the state's overall reserves in permanent funds and the like are growing beyond the imagination of a Pharaoh--soon to top $100 billion. That and the economic hurt felt in average income households could and should reset the debate over the state's tax structure. Democrats have been reluctant to go there but if $5 a gallon gas is around the corner, they may be dragged there.

THE TRUMP FACTOR

While the state GOP has awakened on taxes, they are being shoved back into hibernation by the outlandish social media activity of President Trump. It's motivating the Democratic base for the November election, further dashing any slim chances the GOP has of taking the governorship or other statewide office. 

Dem US Rep. Melanie Stansbury, the most progressive member of the state's congressional delegation, is throwing red meat to the gathering crowd: 

This man is threatening mass killings and war crimes on social media posts. When will enough be enough? This is why the 25th Amendment and impeachment were created. These aren’t policy differences. He is threatening crimes. The Cabinet needs to invoke the 25th Amendment. But Congress can’t just sit on its hands and wait for that to happen when the President is threatening to commit war crimes. This is all hands on deck—Democrats, Republicans, Independents—Americans must look at using any and every tool to stop the President and his unauthorized war including the 25th Amendment, Impeachment, and War Powers Resolutions. The world is watching, and history will remember.  

What may have sounded extreme a mere month ago is now much more mainstream, and that's a problem for the likes of Duke Rodriguez, Gregg Hull and Doug Turner.

ELECTION CHAOS? 

Reader David Strip writes:

By what perverse logic can the NM Supreme Court rule that Duke can run for an office that the state constitution disqualifies him for? This is a formula for chaos. What happens if he wins and the court says he can't take office? Now play this out in the 2028 presidential election. Trump runs for a constitutionally prohibited third term and wins, and the court says he can't be seated. If you thought Jan 6 was bad, wait for the chaos this will sow.

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.

New Mexico Republicans will have their hopes dashed if they expect independent voters to start bumping their numbers. Despite being allowed for the first time to vote in primary elections, a majority of the independents will likely choose to vote in the Democratic primary. That's the conclusion of our political pros as they dive into the data in preparation for the June 2 primary. 

Earlier, veteran NM pollster Brian Sanderoff forecast a turnout of around 10 percent of the 370,000 registered "Decline to State" voters who now comprise 26.2 percent of the electorate. Now the discussion moves to how they will vote. The vibe from the NMGOP is that these new voters present them with a golden opportunity but the opposite appears to be the case. 

Judging by past elections the "lean" of the independent voters here is a mix of moderate and left leaning Dem voters with geography being the key determinant as it often is with registered Republicans and Democrats.  

The lean of an independent often matches the region they live in with indys in ABQ, Santa Fe and Las Cruces leaning Democratic or progressive. Those happen to be where a majority of the votes come from in state elections. 

Only a long shot, heavy marketing campaign to get conservative independents to boost turnout and out number their more liberal counterparts might change that calculus. 

Republicans can still count on the independents in "Little Texas" (Lea, Chaves and Eddy counties) where the GOP dominates but the region can't compete with the big numbers in the state's three Dem dominated cities. 

Interestingly, Los Alamos County has one of the highest percentages of independent voters (over 30%), often consisting of highly educated, moderate-to-lean-Democratic professionals. 

Much of this was obvious when the Democratic-controlled legislature permitted the semi-open primaries hat opened the door to indy voting. Approval cam as the Dems are on an historic roll here. They control the governorship, all statewide executive offices. the entire legislature, the State Supreme Court and the mayoral offices of ABQ, Santa Fe and Las Cruces. 

Here's how one campaign consultant sums up the issue:

Joe, about 35% of New Mexicans under 35 are registered as independents—more than are registered with either major party. They traditionally lean left on social and environmental issues.  Also, a significant portion of Native American and Hispanic voters (particularly younger ones) are choosing  "Decline to State." By opening the primaries, Democrats are essentially creating a smoother "on-ramp" for these voters to participate in Democratic contests.   Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 130,000 statewide. Even if independents split 50/50, the math still favors Democrats. 

BUDGET BATTLES 

The ABQ mayor's office has released the city's proposed budget for the year beginning July 1 and the push and pull is underway over the $1.47 billion measure now being considered by the city council. This blog reader has a complaint:  

 Joe, I love and read the blog (loved the April Fools' jokes, too). I'm a small business owner with a small audio/video production company that tries very hard to get government contracts. But, the city keeps giving all of its contracts to Bands of Enchantment which is OK. But, now, Councilor Dan Champine wants to give them $280,000 more and that would mean they are at almost $1 million. Come on! Spread it around! There are dozens of companies like mine fighting for business, and BOE folks are getting all the money from the city, plus they get to use the Kimo, plus they already get major distribution on PBS. It just feels like someone is picking a favorite here and not giving the rest of a chance. Also, with the city's budget crunch, it doesn't make sense that one private company is getting so much money, to me, anyway. 

BOE produces what has been an award winning TV series and music festival in downtown. It is broadcast on PBS and streamed on Prime video and other platforms. Champine's resolution providing the additional funding for BOE is Council Bill No. R-26-12.

GOT THE CREEPS 

An AI generated photo we used of Sen Heinrich with then-Sen. Markwayne Mullin did not settle well with this reader: 

It gave me the creeps that you posted a fake photo. If you can't find an actual photo, why not go whole hog and have the bros naked drinking bourbon on the beach? 

Hmm. We're not sure the Heinrich-Mullin bromance reaches that level--but we'll mull it over.             

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics 

That competitive contest for the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State is getting front-paged as opponents of Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark try to tie her in legal knots by claiming that she has violated the law by repeatedly posting early and absentee election results before the official closing of the polls at 7 p.m. 

But there's a problem. 

The accusations have not been accompanied by definitive proof that Clark was an early bird. Her rival in the June primary--fellow County Clerk Amanda López Askin of Las Cruces--says she saw the early results posted on the Internet but no other officials or observers have surfaced to back that assertion. Neither has the Secretary of State's office.

The attorney pursuing an ethics complaint against Clark is David Duhigg, brother of ABQ Dem state Sen. Katy Duhigg, also an attorney who is an intense critic of Clark's and a former ABQ city clerk who has repeatedly attacked Clark on the socials. 

Attorney David Duhigg released a a list of times in a letter to the editor that he says are official records from the Santa Fe clerk's office and that show early results were posted before polls closed for five different elections. However, he offered no proof that anyone other than the Sec. of State's office saw the early results.

We asked our Legal Beagles to help clear up what must be a confusing picture to the average voter. Their collective answer is that unless the early results were available for public consumption before polls closed at 7 p.m. the complaint is a nothing burger. 

Clark

Joe, the key legal question is not whether Santa Fe County staff were preparing or uploading results before 7 p.m.; it is whether those results were publicly visible or released before polls closed. The Secretary of State says unofficial results become available after 7 PM and are posted as received from county offices, and state statute is about “unlawful release” before the polls close. So if Duhigg's timestamps truly show the results were publicly accessible before 7 p.m., that could support the complaint. But Clark’s defense is that internal processing may happen earlier while safeguards prevent external visibility until after polls close, which would mean the timestamps need to be examined carefully to determine whether they reflect internal submission, a public webpage, or cached/visible results. 

If it can be shown a public-facing source, screenshot, or webpage timestamp proving voters or the public could see results before 7 p.m., that is a meaningful issue. If the timestamps only show that county staff uploaded data internally before release time, that is much weaker and may fit the normal workflow described by the clerk’s campaign and the Secretary of State’s office. 

Clark beat out Lopez Askin at the March Dem preprimary convention 46-36 percent with a third candidate getting the remainder. That was the first indication that Clark may have the edge in what appears to be a close race. Expect plenty of more action in this one. 

HEINRICH FALLOUT

Heinrich and Mullin

Don't punish Dem land commission candidate Juan Sanchez over the voting behavior of his former boss, Sen. Martin Heinrich. So argues reader Carolyn Serafin Abeyta: 

Like reader Jose Campos, I too am a Dem activist from Valencia County. Like Jose, I am incredibly disappointed in Sen. Martin Heinrich's support of an unqualified, uneducated, ill-tempered, election-denying, Trump-supporting appointee like Markwayne Mullin for secretary of the Homeland Security Department. However, unlike Jose I will not waver in my support for Juan Sanchez, or any other candidate Heinrich endorsed. It is not fair to the candidates who did not disappoint and betray their constituents. Honestly, it doesn't make any sense. Juan continues to be the best candidate for this position. 

I sincerely hope that Senator Heinrich reflects on his poor decision and the repercussions that have resulted from it. For me and others, the question we rhetorically ask ourselves is, would Markwayne have crossed the aisle for Martin? Would he have crossed the MAGA stronghold for the sake of diplomacy? I suppose I assumed that those of us who have ardently supported Martin over the years would have been considered a better "friend" to him than Mullin. 

The photo of Heinrich with then-Sen. Mullin was generated by AI. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics. 

Supreme Court

The suspense hanging over the contest for the '26 GOP gubernatorial nomination abruptly ended Wednesday as the State Supreme Court let stand a lower court ruling allowing Duke Rodriguez to remain on the June 2 primary ballot.

Rodriguez took note of his victory in a celebratory news release detailing the legal wrangling of the last several months, capping it with this declaration: 

Now that the New Mexico Supreme Court has spoken, no questions remain. I, Duke Rodriguez, can legally run for governor. And I will continue my run for governor. 

Rodriguez attorney and former Dem state Sen. Jacob Candelaria added:

The lesson here is that if you come for the Duke, you better not miss.

Political analysts said the court battle may have helped Rodriguez, showcasing his combative side and determination. The downside: it keeps attention on his Arizona ties, which his foes are quick to exploit.

With two months before the primary, Rodriguez looks like the early front-runner as former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull and ABQ businessman Doug Turner continue to scramble to raise cash and increase their visibility.

Rodriguez's loss to Hull at the March GOP preprimary convention was a setback but not a serious one--it was a convention of activists. Among rank and file Republicans, many of them solidly pro-Trump, Rodriguez is viewed as the most Trump-like contender in the field.

He's also pledged to spend up to $2 million of his own money, which could shake up the race once his first media buys hit the airwaves. Hull and Turner, meanwhile, are each hoping to raise at least $500,000--a tall order given Rodriguez's deep pockets and name ID.

Duke Rodriguez

Yet even Rodriguez’s strengths come with an edge. 

Campaign insiders--and even some friendly Republicans--say his personality can be both captivating and combustible. His booming confidence connects with many grassroots conservatives, but his flashes of temper and fondness for hyperbole have others wondering whether his enthusiasm sometimes turns into volatility.  

His foes are expected to hammer him over past donations to Democrats that were revealed on the blog in February. We asked Republican veteran Jamie Estrada to comment on whether those donations will be Rodriguez's doom:

The donations did hurt him badly at the March preprimary but they are not a be-all, end-all moment in this election. They could hurt more than they did Republican Darren White when he ran for ABQ mayor last year. Unlike White, who also made considerable Dem donations, Rodriguez has Republican challengers. But a game-changing moment? Hardly. His image as a no-nonsense, self-made businessman remains his biggest advantage--and his opponents know it.

Add one more factor: Rodriguez is the only Hispanic in the GOP race, a distinction that helps as Republicans try to broaden their appeal.

And while the Supreme Court composed of five Democrats didn’t rule on whether Rodriguez could serve as governor, it did affirm he can run. That, for now, closes the legal chapter—but leaves voters to decide whether the Duke’s fighting spirit comes with the steadiness needed to lead the state.

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.  

Welcome to the first day of April where major news is being made in La Politica. Once again we have the scoop. . .

--Republican Guv hopeful Duke Rodriguez proclaims that if elected he will advocate for a constitutional amendment that would allow anyone living within 1000 miles of the state's borders to run for governor. He said the sole exception would be owners of cannabis dispensaries.  

--Sam Bregman says he will no longer wear his black cowboy hat to distinguish himself. "I am switching to a sombrero effective today," he declared. If that doesn't move the numbers then I'll switch to a Chicago Cubs baseball cap, the team my son Alex plays for."

--Also from the Bregman camp comes word that Alex will donate $20 million to a PAC supporting his father's bid for higher office. "Dad or his fund-raisers call every night interrupting my kids homework. I hope the check buys me some time," commented the wealthy baseball star. 

Governor candidate Deb Haaland, who has raised eyebrows for the expensive early campaign she is running, says she is cutting back. "We're getting the consultants out of the Ferraris and into ordinary Cadillac SUV's. They will also will be ineligible to receive any rebate checks that Sam Bregman plans on giving out if he becomes governor."

--Gov Lujan Grisham has major plans for her final months in office. After winning approval for free universal child care and college tuition, the Governor is now proposing that every New Mexican be given free state lottery tickets, free memberships at Costco, free Lotaburgers and free tours of the Zorro Ranch. Asked her plans for when she leaves office, she responded, "I will be opening a chain of Lilly Barrack jewelry stores--but they won't be free." 

--State Police have issued an Amber Alert for Lt. Gov. Howie Morales who has been missing for seven years. "We never give up hope for finding a lost New Mexican," said recently appointed Chief Harold Medina. 

--Billionaire Meg Whitman, who has been rumoured to be a possible candidate for the presidency of the University of New Mexico, says she is not interested in the position. "Instead I will be buying UNM. I have made an offer of $3.2 billion for the entire ABQ campus that includes all structures and facilities except the famous Duck Pond. That will be owned by developer Jim Long who will build condos there," announced Whitman.

Bullington

This just in: The New Mexico Legislature has passed a major "modernization" measure. Effective immediately lawmakers will meet all year long--either at the Roundhouse or Sandia Resort and Casino--whichever they find convenient; one third of any future surplus oil revenue will be dedicated to lawmakers' pensions; lobbyist JD Bullington will supervise all ethics-related investigations and all brands of liquor consumed during legislative sessions will be approved by a joint Senate-House Committee. The proposal, opposed in public opinion polling by an 88-12 margin, passed unanimously.

--ABQ Mayor Tim Keller will announce today that he will seek fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh terms to the office. "When I complete those terms I will be opening a political consulting firm with Alex Uballez who can't wait that long to replace me," commented the third term mayor.  

More breaking news. Santa Fe Mayor Michael Garcia has solved the city's obelisk problem at the downtown Plaza. A statue of a giant burrito (16 feet tall) will fill the long empty space. The statue will be modeled after the roast beef burrito at Tomasita's restaurant which will sponsor the display. Garcia said the big burrito will turn green during the Christmas holidays and go red on hot weather days. One city councilor who lobbied for a tamale statue cast the lone dissenting vote.  

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.