Hull, Turner & Rodriguez

Sometimes it seems no one really wants the Republican gubernatorial nomination. The campaign has been meek, underfunded and led by political unknowns laboring under the shadow of likely Democratic nominee Deb Haaland whose fund-raising machine could quickly consign the Republican nominee to the showers.

The latest money reports for the June 2 primary again reveal the anemic state of the race. 

Former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull has proved to be what one insider calls "borderline inept" at raising money despite taking the front-runner role in two public polls. 

Hull raised only $71,000 in the April 7 to May 4 period and goes into the final critical days with a mere $227,000 in cash on hand. The Journal poll showing him with a lead of 30-21 over Doug Turner was released May 3, a day before the reporting period closed. Among his expenditures Hull reported paying Peakland Strategies of Lynchburg, VA, $47,000 for campaign consulting. 

A Senior Alligator (as we call our longtime reliable sources) says: 

Hull desperately needs more cash but his campaign appears helpless or oblivious. The candidate himself offered the excuse that donations will come to whoever wins the nomination, but the problem is the money will have a major role in determining who will win that nomination. He knows that, but appears unable to fix it, sending a chilling message on how he might govern. 

ABQ businessman Doug Turner is the most likely recipient of Hull's disappointing performance. He reported raising $200,000 in the period and had $281,000 cash on hand. That does not appear to include whatever he brought in from a May 6 Mar a Lago fund-raiser. Also, big oil has a PAC out there that could help Turner overtake Hull even more. Turner's recent contributions read like a who's who of the state oil biz. 

Turner sent back a lot of money he collected to the PR agency he founded, reporting over $200,000 in payments to Agenda for digital advertising.  

A Senior Alligator offers this: 

Turner faces his own problem with messaging. It is unclear. He cut a digital ad about the Epstein ranch investigation that seemed out of context. But the messaging overall is not bad. It is passable and if his money talks louder than Hull's, it is enough to get him in the winner's circle.  

Duke Rodriguez's residency controversy and others saw him hit the skids in the polling. Only 9 percent supported him in the Journal survey. He reported that he has now donated $1.5 million of personal money to his campaign. He reported $513,000 in cash on hand for the final stretch. So far he has spent $994,000. He spent $351,000 on TV airtime and production in the recent period and $168,000 on digital ads.  

At the start of the campaign the marijuana tycoon said he could donate up to $2 million of personal funds. That's a fair amount but so much damage has been done that the dynamics of the entire campaign may have to change to put him near victory.

It is the lack of dynamism that is the signature of the '26 GOP race. But it should not be too surprising. The party has been decimated by numerous defeats in recent years and is so torn asunder from internal battles that another November bloodbath looks more likely than improbable. That leaves Hull, Turner and Rodriguez to fight over the scraps in a party that has been deserted by big names and big money.

 THE SPEAKER FUND

Speaker Martinez

Gerrymandering has insured that the 70 member state House will very likely keep its majority of 45 Dems and 25 Republicans this cycle. But The Speaker Fund, led by Dem Speaker Javier Martinez, is ready for any unexpected battles. The Fund reports $233,000 in cash on hand and raising $111,000 this period. 

The  Western States Regional Council of Carpenters Legislative Improvement PAC gave $39,500. Carpenters and other trade unions here and elsewhere have been pushing for the large and controversial Project Jupiter proposed for Santa Teresa. It could employ up to 4,000 construction workers. The developers include mega software company Oracle. 

Speaker Martinez has a split caucus on his hands over the project. Some progressives are opposed because of environmental concerns,

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What a little money in the bank will do. Just ask Deb Haaland. 

In the latest campaign finance report covering April 7 through May 4 Haaland reported raising $869,000 and bringing her total for the campaign to just shy of $12 million. That's only about $1.5 million less than MLG spent on both her primary and general election efforts in 2022. 

That we're dealing with something historic in state politics is an understatement.  

With the cash raised from across the nation the front-running Democratic gubernatorial candidate is exercising total domination of the airwaves and digits.  

The possibility that Haaland will become the first female Native American elected as a governor is driving the fund-raising frenzy. Her donation report is spread over nearly 2,000 pages filed with the SOS. Her first report covering a longer period overwhelmed the software and forced a delayed release.

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Hull, Turner and Rodriguez

Gregg Hull is claiming that he now has the momentum in the chase for the GOP gubernatorial nomination and there are plenty of reasons to believe him.

Hull scored an easy win (57 percent) at the March GOP preprimary convention, has led his two opponents convincingly in two independent polls and over the weekend added an important straw poll win. 

The April 18-19 Emerson College survey had Hull at 21 percent, Duke Rodriguez at 10 and Doug Turner at 9. Sixty percent said they were undecided. 

The ABQ Journal poll conducted April 24-May 1 affirmed Hull's lead, giving the former three term Rio Rancho mayor 30 percent to Turner's 21 and Rodriguez's 9. Forty-percent said they were undecided.

Then over the weekend a straw poll was conducted among members of the politically conservative Legacy Church in ABQ at an event that featured questioning of the three hopefuls. Hull announced on the socials that he had walked away with 58 percent of the congregants backing him, Turner getting 25 percent and Rodriguez at 15. He said:

We had strong support in the straw poll at the end of the night—momentum is building.

Rev. Smotherman

The evangelical church is one of the largest and most successful in the state. It was built from scratch by the Reverend Steve Smotherman who is as devout in his conservatism as he is in his spiritual beliefs and is a proven force to be reckoned with in Republican politics. 

In July of 2022 we reported how he dealt a critical blow to the general election hopes of GOP Guv nominee Mark Ronchetti over the candidate's stance on abortion.

That Hull, who has not at all emphasized socially conservative issues nor embraced Donald Trump, performed so well in the Legacy poll is yet another shot across the bow of his rivals. 

Hull's bio says he was active in church youth ministries for 20 years. He would be the first governor since Democrat Bruce King in the 1990's without a college degree. Before politics Hull was a businessman/entrepreneur.

Hull, 59, has also picked up the endorsement of the Santa Fe New Mexican in the liberal north where there are fewer Republicans but it was another boost in helping persuade the many undecided voters to go his way. 

The Oklahoma native who came to the state 35 years ago is indeed on a roll except when it comes to crucial fund-raising. It has been anemic with Republican enthusiasm for the election in the cellar and donations hard to come by. Also holding up Hull is that massive 40 percent of undecided Republicans in the ABQ Journal survey.

ABEYTA ANALYSIS 

Nevertheless longtime Democratic analyst and lobbyist Sisto Abeyta says while roadblocks remain Hull is poised for a win:

As a former three term Mayor of Rio Rancho he has worked across the state with other public officials for years. He is the best known personally of the three candidates which is why his lack of money is not taking him out. His solid voter base in Rio Rancho combined with his history in GOP circles is making all the difference.  

Hull's website lists a variety of GOP endorsements from current and former city officials from around New Mexico.

Abeyta says Turner has turned in decent numbers but "may have started too late" and that the Rodriguez situation speaks for itself--his poor polling and a string of controversies has stopped him in his tracks, despite deploying personal money to outraise and outspend Turner and Hull. 

Abeyta believes the high number of undecided voters in the Journal survey not only reveals how widely unknown the contenders are but points to a low turnout for the June 2 election: 

A low turnout would work to Hull's benefit because that Rio Rancho base is ready to be tapped. They are not going away. 

Veteran Republican analyst and campaign expert Jamie Estrada says it appears Hull "is a few good TV spots from going over the top."

While Turner had a major fund-raiser at Trump's Mar a Lago estate last week (Trump was not in attendance) and is largely bankrolled by the oil and gas industry, Hull has not embraced either Trump or big oil. He is still expected to have enough cash to have media impact but cash flow remains a danger if Turner can apply pressure. 

If Hull is right about having seized the momentum Turner's polling will show it and negative campaigning in the low key primary could be the next chapter before a victor emerges Election Night. 

In a debate last week the candidates continued to play soft shoe with each other, rarely contrasting their positions. With Hull claiming he now has a head of steam, that approach could quickly go by the wayside.  

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics. 

Let’s catch up on more of that very early polling of the statewide races from the ABQ Journal and look for clues for the election outcome as well as future state policy. 

Most obviously, the race for the Democratic lieutenant governor nomination has essentially become non-competitive. 

Featuring outgoing Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver and ABQ state Senator Harold Pope, the well-known Toulouse Oliver, a former Bernalillo County Clerk, out polled Pope by a wide 54 to 10 with 36 percent undecided. 

The race will be much closer than that but with her being over 50 percent and with Pope not having resources to launch a significant media buy, it appears MTO will be the Lieutenant Governor nominee for the state's majority party. She will likely be teamed with Deb Haaland, who continues to hold a large lead over Sam Bregman. Together they would comprise the first female major party ticket in state history. 

Late Wednesday Pope announced he is airing two 15 second TV spots statewide. The campaign did not say how much was spent on the buy. 

The Lieutenant Governor position is a resurrection of Toulouse Oliver's often thwarted higher political hopes. But should she and Haaland win election in November, it is highly uncertain whether she would be dealt in on the action. Most of the time talk of doing so fizzles.

What to watch on the campaign trail is the developing post-primary political relationship between the pair. MTO has policy chops and Haaland has political skills. So the #1 might not see the #2 as a threat and thus not as reluctant to bring her into the fold. But the history of the state's second bananas is not encouraging.  

LAND OFFICE SCRAMBLE 

Sanchez, McQueen and Moya

In the race for the Democratic nomination for state land commissioner, a very powerful constitutional position in land rich New Mexico, the politically savvy Juan Sanchez takes the lead.

The former political aide to Sen. Heinrich scored 21% with Santa Fe area state Rep. Matthew McQueen and rancher and onetime federal AG employee Jonas Moya each getting 11 percent. 

A massive 57 percent of likely Dem primary voters were undecided. That shows how none of the hopefuls have statewide ID and also emphasizes that this April 17-24 poll is very early indeed. (And there won't be another.)

McQueen bests Sanchez in the résumé area with a bevy of degrees and lengthy experience as an attorney dealing with land issues. He also was the author of a bill that raised the royalty rate on state lands for oil companies from 20% to 25%--a significant accomplishment. Sanchez notes that his family has ranching ties and that he had a role with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a Natural Resource Specialist.

The race to succeed term-limited Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard will break down in part on ethnic lines. With no big TV buys expected, many voters can be expected to vote the last name when they cast ballots. 

Sanchez and Moya could split enough of the vote for McQueen to win, but Moya has hardly any money so he may not be the hindrance Sanchez fears. If none of the candidates gets on TV, we could have a very tight race Election Night. 

None of the Dem candidates and unopposed Republican Michael Perry of Roswell should have a problem running the often complicated office, if elected. None of them are duds and the land office has a strong permanent staff. That's good because the office continues to collect billions in revenue from the state's biggest and perhaps longest oil boom.

BREGMAN-HAALAND TONIGHT 

That joint appearance taped Saturday evening between Deb Haaland and Sam Bregman will be broadcast tonight on PBS station KNME at 7 pm. (Channel 5.) We posted an incorrect time yesterday. The candidate exchange sponsored by the progressive groups Dukes Up will also be streamed via the PBS app and the NMPBS YouTube channel.

 CAPTIONING MLB

Our caption contest featuring that pic over there of MLG in her custom jockey outfit at the Kentucky Derby brought in the chuckles. It also brough in our winner of a $50 lunch for two at the Barelas Coffee House. Let’s check out the highlights.

Talk about a picture telling a thousand words. But what are the words to describe our fun-loving Governor fully embracing her diminutive stature and showing off a custom made jockey uniform at this past weekend's Kentucky Derby?

We haven't had a caption contest in ages but this cries out for one (and some fun). Best caption wins lunch for two at the Barelas Coffee Hosue ($50 value) So get those emails to us at newsguy@yahoo.com. 

Some starters: 

Of course I'm ready to race. I already treid the whip on the backside of Duke Rodriguez and it worked wonders.  

No, I have not been training on horses grazing at the Epstein ranch but thanks for asking. 

Move the State Fairgrounds to Kentucky? Hmm. There's an idea. 

The Governor's office says office says MLG's trip to Kentucky was not made at public expense. 

DISSING DEB 

We ran reader letters last week supportive of Deb Haaland's Dem Governor candidacy and--not unexpectedly--her critics wanted equal time. ABQ attorney Armand Huertaz leads off the Deb dissing:

 Joe, Since we did a section of “glazing” Haaland, let’s talk about how terrible she will be. In Congress, no one can name one substantive policy she delivered. Ever. But that was just the appetizer. She was a failed and disastrous Secretary of the Interior. 

Don’t take my word for it—ask the indigenous rights groups that blasted her for squandering her historic opportunity to improve the lives of our native brothers and sisters. She did nothing to address the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous people. The one time she tried to bring a “win” to the tribes, she ended up getting rebuked by the Navajo Nation for tramping over their sovereignty by forcing down the Chaco Canyon leasing ban. This directly impacted the livelihood of over 5,000 Navajo allotees who relied on mineral royalties. Rather than help her people, she helped her white progressive, extreme, environmental, radical buddies. She is so out of touch. 

The one guarantee she brings is inevitably more hideous windmills to our gorgeous skylines (and fewer birds because they will all be dead). Last, but not least, let’s not forget her nepotism with her daughter Somah and all her ethics issues that stemmed from that. Because scandals on the 4th floor just go hand in hand in this state, I suppose that will fit right in. But she only has two DWI’s ain’t bad—but those are rookie numbers here in NM. Her tenure will be awful. But Democrats do have a funny way of failing upwards. 

Longtime activist Brian Fejer writes: 

I hope we can someday get to the point where throwing millions of dollars at campaigns gives those candidates no advantage. True, the candidate with the most advertising does not always win, but it happens too often. It is sickening to know those millions are going into the pockets of advertising companies for producing garbage flyers, tv ads, and spam texts when that money could actually be doing some good somewhere. When I see the same obnoxious ad six times an hour I write that candidate off my list if he/she was not already off. I’ll vote for whoever is not Deb Haaland in November! 

John Strong writes:

Hi Joe, I wanted to thank you for calling out the Haaland campaign over her refusal to have a real debate as you define it. How are we to assess these candidates without it? Regarding Haaland, I find it odd that a campaign that has a one word slogan “Fierce” , shows nothing but fear about debates. 

TV BANNED 

That one and only TV debate between Democratic governor hopefuls Deb Haaland and Sam Bregman that really wasn't a debate is drawing more fire. 

The assignment desk at KOB TV reacted to our post about the little coverage the debate received in the free media, especially on television. They report there is a reason for that; they were not allowed in the room Saturday where the Duke's Up sponsored debate was held:

Joe, I tried to get a camera into the event and was told “no cameras” allowed by organizers other than their own. So “very little media coverage” comes from not letting us use our actual tools to cover said event. Organizers are unclear on the concept, I guess. 

The cameras of local PBS were permitted at the event and the station produced the broadcast (but not the debate) that will be aired Thursday at 7PM.

DUKE'S TAX CUT

GOP Guv candidate Duke Rodriguez has made repeal of the state's gross receipts tax on retail sales a cornerstone of his campaign. A reader who says he is with a group called the NM Dept. of Public Excellence disagrees:

Hi Joe, Long time reader, first time caller. Your coverage of the NM gubernatorial campaigns has been excellent. I've been keeping an eye on the Duke Rodriguez campaign for the same reason you have - his ability to self-fund could make him a sleeper in this race. However, his biggest idea - eliminating a huge swath of NM's tax base to somehow kickstart economic growth like we've never seen before. I dove into the numbers of what this mean in a blog post, which I've shared a snippet of below. Thanks again for your great work. You can read the full article here.

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.

It's getting personal. 

For months Sam Bregman and Deb Haaland have approached each other gingerly, delivering soft jabs but with the gloves snugly over their fists. Now the gloves are coming off as Bregman grows increasingly frustrated with the course of the campaign and front-runner Haaland's multi-million dollar machine goes on war footing for the final month. 

Haaland's camp is openly calling Bregman a liar while Bregman, in a rare intraparty rebuke, rules out endorsing Haaland should she defeat him at the June 2 Dem governor primary. 

The two had a joint appearance over the weekend where they fielded questions and seemed to get along. But in a campaign email afterward Haaland's camp tore into the BernCo DA:

While my MAGA-funded Democratic opponent spent his time on stage attacking me with lies and misinformation, I focused on how I am going to deliver for New Mexicans. I'm in this fight to make life easier for New Mexican families and the future brighter for our kids. 

Haaland's campaign did not say what "lies" Bregman told. What is clear is that Haaland is not going to play nice and sit on her double-digit polling lead.

In a little noticed TV interview Bregman came with his own eyebrow raiser, announcing he will not endorse Haaland if she beats him June 2. That is a highly unusual declaration in a state Democratic party that doesn't often see that degree of animosity. He declared:

I can no longer support Deb Haaland for governor after what she did by posting my family members homes on her website. That is such a epic failure of judgment on her part that I don't believe she has the judgment to lead this great state in the future so I will not support her for governor because she was willing for a cheap political trick to jeopardize the safety of my family. that's a failure in  judgment. 

Q--Even though it is public information and bad actors could find that information if they want?

No. It is not all public information. . .And what she did disclose is one or two clicks away. I'm the District Attorney. I deal with a lot of people that would love to cause me or my family harm. . . She knows what I do for a living and she still had the audacity to put that up on her website? My 88 year old mother's home? My daughter with her husband and my two grandchildren? That shows a failure in judgment that is unacceptable and I do not think that individual should be the next governor 

The disclosure of the addresses of the Bregman family homes was seen as a rookie error by the Haaland campaign but they did not apologize saying no real harm was done. Her backers say Bregman's reaction is grandstanding .

What appears to be a growing personal antipathy between progressive Haaland and moderate Dem Bregman is raising hopes among Republicans that the friction will carry over into the general election. But this is politics and peacemaking is often a conclusion to the war. Will Bregman and Haaland make a post-election peace? Perhaps. But for the rest of the campaign it's war. 

ISLAND HOPPING

Read into this what you will, but Bregman's chief spokeswoman has left the country for a lengthy  vacation just as the most intense chapter of the campaign begins to unfold. Really. PR veteran Joanie Griffin is outta here. In a note to the media, she says:

I am leaving for the Galapagos Islands and Macchu Pichu and will return at noon on May 21st. I have with me a Starlink Mini - so I will have wifi and be available via email and phone. That said, I will be in the water and hiking each day - so I may not be as readily available as usual. . . Don't hesitate to reach out while I'm out - that's why I got the mini satellite dish. 

And we thought it would be Haaland heading to the hills (or islands) in the middle of the campaign. That would be one way to avoid saying anything foolish that could endanger her big polling lead. Maybe Joanie can brief her on the best swimming and hiking spots in the Galapagos.

VOTING STARTS TODAY

The first votes of Primary '26 will be cast today at County Clerks Offices. Bernalillo County Clerk Michelle Kavanaugh reports:

Early Voting will take place in two phases. From May 5 through May 15, Early Voting and Same Day Registration (SDR) will be available at the Clerk’s Annex, 1500 Lomas Blvd. NW, in Albuquerque, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

From May 16 through May 30, Early Voting and SDR will expand to 21 locations across Bernalillo County. Most locations will be open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Find all clerk voting locations here. 

Also today, voters who requested to be on the county clerks' absentee voting list will be mailed ballots. 

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Hull, Turner and Rodriguez

The establishment candidate is establishing himself. 

So it goes in the muddled race for the '26 GOP gubernatorial nomination as former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull takes 30 percent of the vote in the ABQ Journal poll with Doug Turner at 21 percent and Duke Rodriguez at 9 percent. 

An unusually large 40 percent of GOP voters remain undecided with less than a month to go before the June 2 primary and less than two weeks before widespread early in-person voting.

The survey was conducted April 24-May 1, a period when the fiery Rodriguez was taking on MLG and scoring headlines over a legal skirmish he is in over her universal childcare program.

But the cannabis tycoon has not caught fire. His candidacy got into quicksand fast with challenges over his legal residency, his large past donations to Democratic candidates and an aggressive but often abrasive personality that needed to be cooled with a large TV buy. Instead the campaign opted for billboards, full-page newspaper ads and digital. 

Rodriguez has outraised his rivals via his personal donations and spent more than them. His failure to move the numbers is a serious blow and forces him to spend even more or decide that the race is out of reach and stop the money spigot. 

Is the race winnable for him? Analyst Greg Payne: 

That's at least a $1 million or more question. With these polling numbers that's what he would have to spend in the final weeks--and it is still high risk.  

Payne and other observers say Rodriguez’s first TV ad on crime does not present him in the best possible fashion.

Only Turner had a major TV campaign as the poll began, a six figure buy featuring a soft bio spot of the ABQ businessman. That helped boost him into second, showing how Republican voters are highly persuadable. 

Turner's twenty percent puts him in striking distance. His challenge remains fundraising and perhaps a harder edge to his message. More oil money should come and he is doing a fundraiser at Mar a Lago this week. 

BATTLE OF UNKNOWNS 

(click to enlarge)

None of candidates is known statewide.

Hull is the tortoise, plodding along and slowly gaining. His thirty percent is now only three percent away from a theoretical win in the three way race. 

The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 4.3 percent. The newspaper is not expected to conduct any other primary polling. 

Hull was the overwhelming pick of party regulars at the pre-primary convention where he won 57 percent of the delegates. He has been elected mayor of Rio Rancho three times. That gives him a political base his foes don't have. His widely-praised service there is the cornerstone of his candidacy. 

Hull's fund-raising, however, has been anemic. Reversing that will now be critical if he is to stop Turner from stalling him in his tracks (or a rearmed Duke). 

Hull's 38 percent margin in the ABQ metro--better than two to one over Turner and Rodriguez--is important. It will probably see the highest primary turnout of any of the state's regions. 

The lack of energy in the Republican primary reflects the party's condition as it endures one of its most difficult stretches in history. With Democrats heavily favored to retain the governorship, the GOP nomination has been dismissed as not worth a bucket of spit. But someone has to win. 

Will victory go to the inoffensive and tortoise-like Hull who has now led in the two public polls? Or the amiable Turner who has made a critical move or the assertive Rodriguez who looms in the shadows?

THE DEM "DEBATE"  

An event billed as the sole "debate" between Dem governor hopefuls Deb Haaland and Sam Bregman fell flat Saturday night with very little media coverage and no significant developments.

Sponsored by the progressive group Dukes Up, the event featured questions for the candidates from advocacy groups rooted in the left wing of the Democratic party that heavily favors Haaland. 

The event will be broadcast on PBS (KNME) Thursday night at 7 p.m. 

The station did not produce the debate but said on one of their broadcasts that this blog has "misrepresented" the event. That is incorrect. We reported that the debate did not meet the generally accepted definition of a "real" political debate. That is factually correct. Such a debate features questions posed by journalists and is moderated by journalists. The Dukes Up event was not that.  

Haaland has turned down "real" debates offered by KOB-TV, KOAT-TV and KRQE-TV. Her campaign has insisted that the Dukes Up event constitutes a debate that is equivalent to those offers. It is not. The one-sided questions asked at the Saturday occasion was proof of that.

If PBS and KNME want to have a positive impact on the campaign dialogue they should stop misrepresenting the Dukes Up event as a real debate. Instead they should join the other TV outlets in offering Bregman and Haaland a debating opportunity presided over by a complement of their station's able journalists. There's still time. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.

Rep. Gail Armstrong

Political and academic circles were abuzz with speculation in February that billionaire businesswoman Meg Whitman was interested in becoming the next president of the University of New Mexico. We broke the story of her apparent interest on our February 4 blog but it was left unconfirmed. Now it has been confirmed quite publicly and vocally by state House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong. She says UNM missed an "extraordinary opportunity" when they passed over Whitman for the presidency.

The Regents named five finalists in April to replace outgoing president Garnett Stokes but Whitman, who settled in ABQ in early 2025 when her husband, Griffith Harsh, was named chairman of the UNM neurosurgery department, did not make the list. 

Whitman, a Republican turned Dem who once ran for California Governor, has personal wealth put at $3.6 billion by Forbes which ranked her as the 1,100 richest person on the planet. 

But being a billionaire these days isn't exactly a gateway to popularity especially among progressives who are influential in university communities. That Whitman had an MBA from Harvard but not a Ph.D was also an issue, indicates Armstrong. 

When Whitman, 69, penned a newspaper op-ed commenting on the state economy the buzz over her and UNM leaped several decibels. That's an angle Leader Armstrong drew on in praising Whitman and declaring that UNM missed out when they passed her over. 

Excerpts:

Meg Whitman, one of the most accomplished executives in modern American business and public service, sought the presidency of University of New Mexico. A former Fortune 50 CEO and U.S. ambassador, she was eliminated before reaching the final round of interviews, denied even the opportunity to present her vision to the broader university community. . .

Whitman. . . transformed eBay from a startup into a global enterprise, demonstrating an ability to scale organizations, manage complexity, and compete at the highest levels. At Hewlett-Packard, she led one of the most significant corporate restructurings in recent history. . . In public service, she represented the United States as ambassador to Kenya. .  These are not academic exercises. They are real-world demonstrations of leadership under pressure, exactly the kind of experience that large, complex institutions require. 

Meg Whitman

Critics may point out that she does not come from a traditional higher education background. That is true. But. . . many of the most effective university presidents have come from outside academia, bringing. . . a results-oriented mindset that legacy systems often lack. Leading a modern research university is not only about academic credentials, managing a multi-billion dollar enterprise (and) driving innovation. Our state continues to struggle near the bottom in education outcomes. . . Too often, we default to familiar choices rather than pursuing bold, forward-looking leadership. 

What could a Whitman presidency have meant for UNM? It would have meant proven executive leadership at the highest level, someone who understands how to build organizations, attract top talent, and deliver results. It would have meant immediate national and international visibility, elevating UNM’s profile and competitiveness. . .

Institutions that are unwilling to pursue top-tier leadership should not be surprised when they struggle to achieve top-tier outcomes. The University of New Mexico is too important to settle for incrementalism. It should be a driver of innovation, economic growth, and opportunity. . .UNM deserved a bold choice. Instead, the Regents allowed an extraordinary opportunity to pass them by. 

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The president once boasted of New Mexico "Hispanics love me!" And for a time he did quite well with that critical voting block. Today? Not so much.

The respectable six point Trump loss in Blue New Mexico in '24 is starting to seem like a distant memory. Polling today shows that Hispanic voters who were largely responsible for bringing Trump's numbers up here are now headed in the opposite direction.

Trump’s overall approval among Hispanic adults has fallen 16 percentage points since March 2025, and his support has declined by 9 percentage points among men. The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that many key groups — including Hispanic adults, younger adults and men — are increasingly dissatisfied with his presidency. Hispanic Americans have grown increasingly discontented with Trump over the past year. About one-quarter of Hispanic adults approve of how he’s handling the presidency in the new poll, down from about 4 in 10 in March 2025. 

In the April Emerson College poll Trump's New Mexico approval rating was 36.5 percent and his disapproval 55.8 percent. 

Trump’s restrictive immigration policies are cited as a cause for his decline among Hispanics. Only about one-quarter of them nationally approve of his handling of immigration, down from 36% at the beginning of his term. 

Younger Hispanics--a group with he made gains with in 2024--have defected. Only 18% of them approve of his performance on immigration, compared with 40% of Americans overall. 

The sagging economy among middle and lower income families is also a problem. 

Just one-quarter of Hispanic adults approve of how Trump is handling that issue, and about 2 in 10 say they approve of his approach to the cost of living. Few Hispanic adults, about 2 in 10, describe the nation’s economy as “good.” 

What this means for our election is clear. An unpopular president would be a drag on the Republicans from the top of the ticket down to the state legislative races.  

That's another reason the Democratic gubernatorial primary is so critical. The primary winner's odds of prevailing in the November are much higher with an unpopular Trump at the helm.

As for the GOP Guv nominee, they'll have to somehow balance their party affiliation with an out of favor president. If that's too difficult, they can hope for a minor miracle that sees the president's approval rating improve over the summer.

READERS ON HAALAND

Our report and analysis of the massive cash haul by Dem Guv candidate Deb Haaland--over $11 million so far--brought reaction from her supporters. Larry McDaniel of Silver City writes: 

Joe, I have to take issue with what appears to be a broad stroke assertion that progressive Democrats are somehow anti-Business or anti-development. As far as I'm concerned that’s an oversimplification and generally not true. The issue is whether the business entity or development project is a sustainable endeavor. Data centers, with their deleterious impact on power and water usage, and their impact on local utilities and consumer pricing are a great example of where we part ways with the development at all costs crowd. The efforts by the oil and gas industry to delay the implementation of renewable energy transition is another example. On the other hand, infill development that increases affordable housing and sustainable efforts to diversify the economy in rural areas where I live, are well supported by progressives. When Deb Haaland is Governor we’ll invest in sustainable economic development across New Mexico. A rising tide does lift all boats. 

Reader Mike Connealy writes: 

The best way to understand Deb Haaland's appeal is to listen to her speak as we did at a recent campaign appearance in Albuquerque. She speaks energetically with intelligence and compassion. She radiates the competence and moral clarity which is so lacking in what comes out of Washington these days. Her life story of overcoming challenges to get where she is today is one which people can relate to, and what makes her a perfect fit for the job of governing New Mexico.

ABOUT THOSE DEBATES

Sam Bregman is relentless in his insistence that Deb Haaland debate him. She has resisted. Bregman wasn't always so intent on debating. When he ran for Bernalillo County District Attorney in 2024, our May 21 entry included this:

A MUM SAM

In Primary '24 the Bernalillo County Dem race for District Attorney continues to top the bill. The latest is an ironic complaint from contender Damon Martinez that his usually loquacious opponent, appointed Dem DA Sam Bregman, doesn't want to talk:

Bregman ducked opportunities to debate me so that voters can decide for themselves who will best represent them in the District Attorney’s office. What is my opponent afraid of? Is he afraid to defend his record? Is he afraid to talk to voters about his plan to address the issues we face in Bernalillo County? Is he afraid to face the very people he wants to represent as District Attorney. The fact that we have to ask these questions is all the answer we need. For me, this is a question of accountability. Bernalillo County deserves an experienced prosecutor who will be accountable to the community. I’m the experienced, accountable public servant our community deserves. 

When Sam stops talking you know it's a quiet campaign.

In 2026 the worm has turned. Bregman is the one facing a reluctant debating partner. There is a May event featuring Bregman and Haaland that will have elements of a debate but she has refused to debate Bregman in any live televised debates offered by the ABQ commercial TV stations or other forums.

But Haaland wasn't always camera shy. In 2018 when she sought the Dem nomination for the ABQ congressional seat against five opponents she took part in TV debates as well as a general election debate. Video of that is here.

When it comes to La Politica and debating, candidates shift directions as often as our spring winds.  

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