Ken Miyagishima

It will be a head-to head match-up between Deb Haaland and Sam Bregman for the 2026 Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima has bowed out of the Dem primary, announcing he will run for Governor as an independent. 

That's a plus for BernCo District Attorney Bregman who faces an uphill climb against the onetime Interior Secretary. Miyagishima and Bregman have both been vying for moderate Dem voters as well as independents who will be able to cast ballots for the first time this year in state primaries. Now Bregman has that field to himself. 

As he headed for the exits, Miyagishima said:  

Moving forward requires us to come together, regardless of party lines. By becoming an independent candidate, I aim to foster a political environment that embraces fresh ideas and encourages community involvement. “If New Mexico wants more hyper-partisan national politics, they have options, if they want a Governor for all the people all the time, I’m here.” 

Much of the women's vote in the female majority state Dem party is lined up behind Haaland. Bregman now avoids a split in the male vote that is partial to him.

Haaland, meanwhile, rolls out an endorsement from 88 year old actor and activist Jane Fonda who has been a leading critic of Trump and ICE and whose PAC is centered on climate change. That enhances Haaland's standing with her critical left wing.   

Jane Fonda

It's noteworthy because DA Bregman's announcement that he would arrest ICE agents if they violate citizen rights--accompanied by a TV buy--went over well with not only progressives but Hispanic moderates and others who have soured on Trump. 

Haaland continues to hold the pole position with four months to go but Bregman has had a good few weeks that got his ebbing momentum revving again and keeps the contest alive.

We can't recall a Dem governor primary more vital. That's not because of transformational changes that the candidates are embracing but because the chances of a Republican candidate have never seemed worse. 

The increasing Dem lean of the state combined with the unpopularity of Trump are making even the governorship--so often a swing position in state history--just another state office that is likely Democratic

While Miyagishima's withdrawal helps moderate Bregman in the Democratic primary, his independent candidacy would hurt the eventual Republican nominee. He needs 14,000 signatures to qualify for  the November ballot. Republicans can only hope he doesn't get them. The ball and chain around their ankle is already too heavy.    

CRIME DROP DEBATE

APD Interim Chief Barker

Our Jan. 29 blog noting the significant drop in ABQ crime in 2025 quoted police for the reasons behind the drop. That brought this:

Joe, I'm writing about this statement in your column: 

"More effective policing--not new laws--appears to be a key factor in the decline. APD says it has gotten better with technology and targeting and the homicide team has been increased. . .None of this plays into the playbook that more laws are essential to cleaning up crime." 

There's an inconvenient truth here--crime is declining across the country. A secular decline in all 50 states can't be the result of "better" police work, unless you believe all 50 states got markedly better at catching criminals at the same time. I think the more likely story is the decline in fentanyl potency, which is the result of the Chinese government cracking down on exporters who were sending the raw materials to Mexican cartels. Take a look at this article reporting how fentanyl overdoses saw dramatic declines in both the United States and Canada at exactly the same time. 

This is an inconvenient story for both Republicans and Democrats: It is inconvenient for Republicans because it tends to show that throwing people in jail doesn't have a meaningful effect on overall crime rates. This makes sense when you think about how most crime is petty property and violent crime that is driven by drug users, an explanation that you have repeatedly subscribed to on your blog. 

It is inconvenient for Democrats because it tends to show that the government can do little, if anything, to address drug addiction. It was Chinese bureaucrats, not increased access to behavioral health care and opioid antagonist medicine such as naloxone, that drove the decline in overdoses.  

JUNIOR GATOR  

A self-described "Junior Alligator" says one explanation for the decline in homicides in ABQ doesn't add up:

How does “more policing” prevent murders? Really shouldn’t APD say: “We have gotten better at making murder arrests?” Because unless APD can point to even one murder they stopped, this is a badly worded attempt at PR. 

Thanks, Junior Gator.

By the way, for newcomers here a "Senior Alligator" is our moniker for our most trusted sources for off the record info on all things pertaining to New Mexico politics. 

How we arrived at the name is a long story but those awarded the coveted title must meet several requirements. They must be a minimum age of 45, contributed at least three substantial and accurate exclusive contributions to the blog, and it is preferred that they have sought and lost elective office. (The losers of La Politica tend to learn more than the winners.)

The original Senior Alligator (circa 2003) was the late Andrew Leo Lopez of ABQ's South Valley. One year we thought he was so full of himself that we bet him $500 on the outcome of that year's race for Governor. 

We lost. 

Hey, that's why they're called Senior Alligators.  

This is it. . . The Home of New Mexico Politics.  

Rep. Andrea Romero (Moore, Journal)

Welcome back.

At the Roundhouse: ICE may not melt away here even as the bill banning local governments from contracting with the three ICE detention centers is on the fast track to the Governor. . .

Dem legislators are sending a strong message of disapproval--led by Santa Fe Rep. Andrea Romero--of the agency's conduct. The House passed the ICE ban on a 40-29 vote, despite ardent opposition from rural Republicans who say the resulting lost jobs would be a severe economic hit and also warned of possible Trump retaliation.

But will those jobs really be lost? Probably not.

The three centers in Torrance, Cibola, and Otero counties are privately managed so they could keep running via direct ICE-private contracts, which the bill doesn't touch. The New Mexico law is similar to those in California and Maryland where facilities adapted and which seems the likely outcome here. 

If Santa Fe was intent on closing the centers it could do what a new California proposal does--impose a 50% tax on profits made by corporations running ICE-funded detention centers.

While the impact may be more symbolic than substantial, the stirring and important debate over ICE and passage of HB9 may be the most-remembered event of the 30 day session. 

It could also be the most politically impactful in determining who will be the next Governor. Deb Haaland and Sam Bregman have been locked in a contest over who would best respond to the Trump administration on immigration. The issue continues to send demonstrators to the streets of ABQ and soon will be sending them to the June primary polls. 

AN APPLE A DAY

The state's doctor shortage, especially primary care physicians, is not just about malpractice laws or quality of life issues. The fact is compared to other states too many New Mexicans don't take care of themselves. and that creates more demand for doctor visits.

The state's elevated rates of poverty, obesity, drug addiction and related chronic conditions amplify the shortages beyond what's seen in healthier states. 

New Mexico ranks near the bottom nationally in obesity with a 32-35% adult rate and has a poverty rate at 18-20 percent. Opioid and fentanyl overdoses remain among the highest per capita, straining behavioral health services statewide.

All this health dysfunction drives heavy demand for primary care, addiction treatment, and specialists and compounds the impact of the doctor exodus.

Multiple state departments have been working on the obesity and drug issues but to muted effect. Is it time for lawmakers to double down on outreach programs, including more bilingual messaging on personal health? After all, it's still true that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away."

MISSING MD'S (CONT.)

More now on what keeps the doctors away--or maybe doesn't--depending on what statistics are being passed around. 

Reader Ron Nelson wrote here Thursday of the inability of the state to nail down just how may docs are practicing and in doing so mentioned the role of the NM Medical Board. A member of that Board since 2019 responded while opting for anonymity: 

Our roles are to license and discipline physicians and other health care providers. We have no responsibility to recruit or retain physicians. We license applicants that have met all the qualifications. We only collect data on licensees but not what they are doing in NM if anything. 

We are licensing a record numbers of providers. However, this is in large part a function of the increase in telemedicine and temporary/traveling providers. Often, these providers work for large companies and may have over 40 licenses to their name. They may not even know all of the places where they are licensed. And often it is a staff person filling out the applications.

Having a valid license here does not mean the provider practices here. Finding that out requires data about billing. If it is a cash only business, there will not be billing records. If there are billing records, they

are often traced to the company that employs the provider and one cannot be sure it is the provider himself providing care. We often encounter providers who have a license here but have never practiced in NM. They have the license just in case. And if they are telemedicine, they do not need to have a physical address in NM to be licensed. So using address changes is not reliable either. 

This is a challenge all states are facing. Workforce numbers are difficult to pin down with accuracy. So having high numbers of licensees and a scarcity of providers can both be true. And we have good reason to believe that both are true. What is curious is that the state does collect surveys asking what the licensee is doing and what their practice is like. But as your reader pointed out, the big computer hack to the Regulation and Licensing Department database a few years ago has caused much of that data to disappear. 

All of the board members are volunteers and we spend many many hundreds of hours a year collectively trying to sort this and other issues out. 

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Even when crime raged at historic levels the legislature was getting nowhere with a tough on crime agenda. 

Now with 2025 stats showing homicide and overall crime down significantly in the state's largest city that agenda--epitomized by the repeated failure of the pre-trial detention bill--appears fated to stall again.  

Any casual news consumer can tell that crime is nowhere near as omnipresent as a couple of years ago--so much so that the narrative "that crime may be down but people don't feel it" may finally be unwinding. 

That certainly seemed to be the case at the December '25 ABQ mayoral run-off when Mayor Keller decisively won a third consecutive term despite being pummeled in TV ads that highlighted the "750 murders" that occurred under his watch.

The final ABQ homicide tally for '25 shows 65 slayings, a far cry from the record 121 in 2022 and more reflective of the average over the past ten years. 

It is not only homicides that have peaked. As Downtown News reports. . .

Across the city in 2025, just about every category of crime was down. APD reports that property crimes (auto theft, auto burglary, residential burglary, commercial burglary, shoplifting) were down 23 percent through November in the aggregate, while violent crimes excluding homicide (aggravated assault, sex crimes, robbery) were down 12 percent.   

The decline in the murder rate provides a sigh of relief signaling that the lengthy and vicious crime spike was not here to stay--and national trends confirm that. 

Other crimes that also shot up in the pandemic era are now settling at historic levels--still too high--but more normalized for the NM public to digest and deal with. 

More effective policing--not new laws--appears to be a key factor in the decline. 

APD says it has gotten better with technology and targeting and the homicide team has been increased. MLG's controversial deployment of the National Guard to the city last year may also have helped by relieving pressure on the cops. 

None of this plays into the playbook that more laws are essential to cleaning up crime. What it does point to is the need for constantly improving the effectiveness and innovation of local police departments which are amply funded. That's where legislators and the LFC may want to focus as the state finally and gladly closes what was a brutal chapter in crime history. 

MISSING MD'S

Reader Ron Nelson takes on the confusion over the doctor shortage in the state as noted on the Tuesday blog:

Joe, it astonishes me that this state cannot account for the number of physicians it has practicing and that we are not looking at our medical board for more accuracy. 

All licensing agencies are to submit to the governor an annual report that breaks down the numbers by county. I believe where the confusion lies with the many traveling doctors and nurses. They get a license good for a couple of years then move to other assignments after their contract expires. That active license sits in the data base for more than a year or so as “active.” 

Then there are doctors who get hired by our health systems then decide to leave but continue to renew their licenses even though they don’t live here. Both the nursing board and medical board have a rule that if you move you’re supposed to file a change of address. Some do, some don't. I believe the glitch is in the program where it can’t cross reference an address to an active license to see if the individual is in state. 

DISGRUNTLED DEM 

A disgruntled Dem reader writes:

Joe, the progressive wing of the Democrats has led and failed this state. Too soft on juvenile crime, no progress on the failed education system as well as a failed CYFD. Now after seven years MLG saw the light and set forth an Executive Order to stop kid’s from sleeping in CYFD offices. What took so long? We as Democrats have failed our children. No amount of "free" will fix a failing system. I only hope the next administration, Democrat or Republican, see the years of failure and truly take steps to right the ship. 

As always, we welcome your comments, criticisms and the venting of existential angst. 

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New Mexico's long stagnation isn't being helped by the Trump administration crackdown on immigration. 

US Census population estimates for the year ending July 1, 2025 released Tuesday show a decline in state population from 2,126,774 in July 2024 to 2,125,497 in July 2025.

That's only 0.06 percent decline but only four other states saw population declines for the period.

Trump's immigration policies sharply reduced net international migration across the nation--the factor that had previously offset New Mexico's structural losses. The Census attributes this to actions like border closures and deportation surges. 

Taking a longer view, the Land of Enchantment sported a 2020 population of 2,118,446. The state has added only 7,051 residents since--a mere increase of 0.33 percent or basically a flat line on the chart.

Long standing socioeconomic issues combined with a largely rural environment that has been in a secular decline here and nationally have hammered the state. 

An economic boom led by technology took hold this century in the urban centers of the surrounding states of Colorado, Texas and Arizona, providing the greener pastures for the state's younger demographic to flee.

The states comparable urban center--Bernalillo and Sandoval counties--fell far behind. 

Bernalillo County (Albuquerque) already showed the largest recent numeric loss at about 800–900 residents in the 2023–2024 window and continues to run slightly negative with final numbers to be released soon. 

The flat population trend has left New Mexico with a working age group increasingly reliant for economic sustenance on secure government employment, lower wage jobs and assistance programs like Medicaid and SNAP.

Politically, the state has grown more progressive during the Great Stagnation, a development of interest since the older voting population is one of the few demographics growing here. Often such voters act conservatively but there are no signs of that with Republicans holding no statewide offices. 

Rather than conservatism the state has developed a more entrenched status quo. 

Older voters are more insulated from economic turmoil and naturally many don't prioritize public education. Combine them with progressive voters whose agenda is more socially oriented than economic--e.g. climate, Trump and environment--and there is a general satisfaction with the status quo, albeit often a grumpy one. This makes systemic change (CYFD,  public ed, police effectiveness, econ development) a greater challenge, and that continues to be reflected in the stagnant population numbers. 

CRACKING ICE

On the subject of immigration crackdowns, Dem Guv nominee and BernCo DA Sam Bregman is taking advantage of the positive Dem reaction he has received for announcing a crackdown of his own--on any ICE agents that he believes are employing unconstitutional actions in the county. Bregman comes with this TV ad that says he has "put ICE on notice": 

As DA, my job is to uphold the law. But what ICE is doing is breaking the law. I'm Sam Bregman, and as Bernalillo County District Attorney, I've officially put ICE on notice. If you're part of ICE and you break our laws, you will be prosecuted. You're going to prosecute them? If they're committing felonies, I absolutely will prosecute them. And Donald, you know what it's like to be prosecuted for a crime. 

Candidate Deb Haaland has been making numerous mentions of ICE in her appearances of late, telling protestors in downtown ABQ this past Saturday:

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The frenzy over reforming medical malpractice in New Mexico may be fizzling amid confusing data and political reality. Let's take the second matter first. 

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland is at this point the candidate most likely to succeed MLG in just 11 months. Her chief rival Sam Bregman has the second best shot. Republicans remain highly unlikely of winning. (Polymarket has a GOP win possibility at a mere 18 percent.)

Neither Bregman or Haaland is saying much of anything about Med Mal as Roundhouse shorthand calls it. That's in the face of reams of newsprint trying mightily to force the issue to the top of the legislative agenda. 

This is not going unnoticed at the Capitol. Why should opponents bend if the next Governor is bound to be more favorable to their position? No senators are up for election this year. And why get rankled by a possible special session from the lame duck Governor that would be pre-destined for a train-wreck?

Haaland vigorously attacks Trump's Medicaid polices and does support the medical compact to make it easier for out of state doctors to practice here, adding: 

Address the doctor shortage by joining interstate medical compacts, expanding residency programs to rural areas, and bolstering student loan repayment and housing incentives.

That's it for now with Haaland's website saying a "full plan is coming soon." 

Meanwhile Bregman, like Haaland, is for the doctor compact. But he made his bones as one of the state's top trial attorneys, making his views possibly biased. Still, he downplays reform and in fact defends the current system:

Malpractice reform is not the single silver bullet to correct a myriad of factors that contribute to the main issue New Mexicans face, which is limited access to primary care and other specialty providers when they need them. Malpractice litigation often results in individual providers and systems enhancing their safety protocols, e.g. operating room procedures and prescription practices. Providers need immediate relief from premium burden. State tax income credits will ease that challenge.

Bregman's conclusion that reform is "not the single silver bullet" to fix the doctor shortage is becoming the conventional wisdom and that  slows major Med Mal momentum. 

His view was confirmed in a doctor survey released by the LFC that cites punitive damages as a chief reason for doctors leaving but also crime, education and quality of life factors.

So there are the views of the major Guv contenders whose job is to read what Democratic primary voters are thinking about healthcare. Their read of the room does not have medical malpractice standing out.

THE DATA DISASTER 

Then there's the data debate--and what a hot mess it is for a 30 day session with lawmakers facing one of the most complicated decisions of their careers:

The debate over how many physicians work in New Mexico, and how many doctors the state has lost or gained, is muddied by a lack of conclusive and sometimes conflicting data. . .New Mexico Medical Board data shows the number of licensed physicians has jumped more than 113% since 2019; yet a private national physician advocacy nonprofit contends the state lost 248 physicians during that same time. Since 2011, the state has relied on a UNM Health Sciences Center annual report to track physician and other medical data numbers, but a cyberattack that hit state regulatory files has resulted in no updated counts since 2021.

The UNM Health Sciences data disaster may be resolved in 2027--just in time for the next governor and legislature. Until then, just what is the truth remains elusive and not emboldening for either side.

Politics is timing and in the case of malpractice reform, the advocates may started too late in MLG's tenure and made too much of a bet that the issue would galvanize the public and place them squarely in their corner. 

It turns out big money lawyers fighting big money hospitals as the cost of living increasingly dominates everyday lives is a hard sell. But don't listen to us. Deb and Sam will tell you that.

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BernCo District Attorney Sam Bregman scored some badly needed points with Dem primary voters when he came out swinging as he declared he "may prosecute" ICE for any "unconstitutional enforcement actions" in Bernalillo County. We know he scored because soon after Deb Haaland, the front-runner for the nomination, came with her own anti-ICE declaration.

But as a DA Bregman had the upper hand. He could actually do something to thwart the widely criticized ICE activity while Haaland could condemn it but do little but support pending legislation to rein ICE in. 

(CNN Bregman interview here.) 

As a first significant foray by centrist Bregman into progressive Dem territory--the heart of Haaland's support--this was a success. Another fatal shooting of a protestor by ICE agents on Friday in Minneapolis will only add to the import of the issue in the June primary. 

While Bregman again was tagged as "Showboat Sam" by his critics who asserted his threats were idle, his action received widespread praise on the socials and could serve to remind Haaland and other high-profile Democrats that their base voters are not satisfied with bromides and generalities when it comes to ICE. 

The urgency of immigration enforcement has also been on display at the Roundhouse as the House Consumer Affairs Committee approved 4 to 2 a measure to shut down the state's three ICE detention facilities. The anti-ICE intensity was driven home when Dems scoffed at the Alamogordo state rep whose district includes an ICE detention center that employs 300 and as he pleaded for those jobs to be spared. 

It wasn't that the committee Democrats did not care about those jobs. But it was eclipsed by the more urgent threat of ICE (and its actions elsewhere) that is felt so viscerally by so many of their constituents in this majority-minority state.

Today at the capital "hundreds of demonstrators if not more are expected to take to Santa Fe's streets for the Immigrant and Workers Day of Action. The march and rally comes amid growing pushback over Donald Trump's aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration."

This is indeed a baseline issue for state Democrats. As Bregman demonstrated there is little room for Dems seeking office this year to warm to ICE or ignore it. Those who take a leading opposition role stand to be rewarded.

HEATED ICE DEBATE

The heated immigration debate continues with our Jan.14 blog quoting an anonymous GOP reader tearing apart his own party and generating Dem push back. 

In reaction to the Dem proposal to ban ICE facilities here that Republican wrote: 

. . .This kind of virtue signaling is juvenile and provides an incredible opportunity for the NMGOP, if there actually was one. The Democrats have become the official party of illegal immigration. If the NMGOP had its stuff together, they could defeat Democrats across the board just on this issue. The only groups in favor of unfettered and unquestioned illegal immigration are far left white liberals, criminal illegal aliens and the cartels. In 2024 Hispanics moved toward Trump (especially Hispanic men who have to compete with illegals in the job market) because they're not in favor of it, either. 

In response Dem reader Barry Simon carried the Dem banner:

Let's start with this: "The Democrats have become the official party of illegal immigration." Really? Any proof sited? Meanwhile, what have the Republicans become in the shadow of the Trump Administration? Politicians with no backbone? Followers not leaders? Supporters of the president's authoritarian tendencies? Tariff lovers? Cheerleaders for illegally invading other countries? Justifiers of a citizen's murder by an ICE agent? Denier's of inflation? I could go on. 

The only groups in favor of unfettered and unquestioned illegal immigration are far left white liberals, criminal illegal aliens and the cartels. 

The only groups in favor of cutting healthcare for millions of Americans are all those supporters of Republicans who are already wealthy, still greedy, power seeking contributors to Trump's ballroom desecration of the White House and rich enough to afford private health care. 

In 2024 Hispanics moved toward Trump (especially Hispanic men who have to compete with illegals in the job market)... 

Either this person doesn't read the news or has their head buried deeply in the sand, but those same Hispanic men are moving away from Trump and the Republican party because of the economy and how it affects being able to put food on the table and pay their monthly expenses, including increased health insurance premiums all thanks to Trump's economic policies, fully supported by the Republican party. 

But the most egregious part of this person's posting is its "us against them" message, the very attitude that has gotten us into the current political mess. Instead of calling Democrats "far left white liberals" who are "the official party of illegal immigration," maybe working together to solve our country's problems might be the better path to finding a compromise that helps all Americans live a better life.

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Rep. Vasquez

We've wondered when national pundits would begin to see what we've been seeing and switch the southern congressional race from a "toss up" to a "lean Democratic" race. Well, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report has now done just that, dropping the toss up title for the seat held by two term Dem Rep. Gabe Vasquez and giving it that lean Dem rating. 

That's significant because the new ranking is likely to impact fund-raising for the eventual GOP nominee. It could also influence the national Republican committees on whether they should again put millions into the GOP candidate's campaign as they did with Yvette Herrell.

The re-ranking of the district drew this reaction from a GOP consultant:

It's a shame because Vasquez is still weak. He could be beaten but we went with Herrell for the second time in '24 and her 10,000 vote loss led to this. Half the votes in the district now come from the ABQ and Las Cruces areas so it's not surprising. That vote combined with the national environment moves the district away from us. 

Trump carried the district by just two points in '24 and is not on the ballot this year. That could reduce GOP turnout and enthusiasm in the conservative regions of the sprawling district, another reason for Cook to do what they did. 

THE CANDIDATES 

The GOP hopefuls running for the southern seat in the June primary include: 

Greg Cunningham, a former Marine Corps combat veteran and retired Albuquerque police detective. He ran unsuccessfully for the New Mexico House in District 29 in 2022 and 2024.

Jose Orozco, an Albuquerque resident and former federal contractor with the Drug Enforcement Administration. He previously ran unsuccessfully as the GOP nominee for state House District 12 in 2012 and briefly challenged in a 2016 state Senate primary.

Radio talk show host Eddy Aragon, who earlier announced a candidacy, now tells us he is not running.

TURNER COMES IN

ABQ PR executive Doug Turner is going to take a second bite out of the apple and try again to become his party's gubernatorial nominee after running unsuccessfully in 2010. 

Turner, 57, who told us over the holidays he was mulling over a run, has registered his campaign with the secretary of state. A political operative in Sandoval County reports to our Alligators that he is seeking petition signatures for Turner's candidacy. 

Those signatures, 2,351 of them from GOP voters, are due February 3 so Turner, co-founder of Agenda Global, can qualify for ballot placement at the party's March pre-primary convention. 

Turner worked as a campaign director for the Gary Johnson governor campaign in 1994 but Johnson has already endorsed Duke Rodriguez for this year's nomination.  

In addition to Turner and Rodriguez, GOP state Sen. Steve Lanier and Jim Ellison have announced candidacies for the GOP nod.

NOT JUST ONE 

While the interstate compact to allow out-of-state doctors to more easily see New Mexico patients is on the fast track for approval at the Roundhouse, Fred Nathan of Think New Mexico points out that other health care worker compacts are having a much tougher time:

Last year, the House unanimously passed seven major compacts for health care workers, but they all died in the Senate Judiciary Committee. These compacts are the quickest way to open up access to more health care providers, because they make it much easier for doctors and other health care providers to become licensed to care for New Mexico patients. . . The Senate is still opposed to passing the other compacts this session, even though New Mexico has dire shortages of EMTs, dentists, psychologists, counselors, physician assistants, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists and audiologists. Colorado is in all ten of these compacts, as is a growing number of other states.

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She began with a nostalgic video and proceeded to deliver a vanilla speech that leaned heavily into the major success of her seven years at the helm of state government---the adoption of universal child care. 

Transcript here. Video here (starts at 1:46).

The chatty and often casual address from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was dotted with gubernatorial ad libs and received a mostly mild reception from the 112 lawmakers. 

The lame-duck executive kept things friendly, not pressing her luck by presenting any major challenges or criticisms in this, her final legislative session. 

As for the elephants in the room, the chaotic Trump presidency and the threat of ICE that has shaken so many of her constituents in her majority-minority state, they were mostly kept in their cages. There was no call to arms or even a lament over Trump, perhaps wisely given his reputation for retaliation but seen by progressives as missing the moment.

The aforementioned video had MLG mixing it up with three former Republican Governors--Garrey Carruthers, Gary Johnson and Susana Martinez. Former Dem Gov. Toney Anaya chimed in to the chummy session by phone as all present celebrated themselves and their respective eras.  

The state's baby boomer Governor, 66, was intent on going out on a warm and fuzzy note, often invoking the good old days of bipartisanship and friendship even as today's citizens grapple with one of the most polarized political environments in the nation's history. 

Her appearance with the three former GOP governors served to emphasize how New Mexican politics today is dealing with a nearly extinct GOP. 

'26 State of State

"Bipartisanship" for this Governor is really uniting the factions in her own party that holds an overwhelming majority in the legislature, all the state executive offices and the entire congressional delegation. 

The Republicans have been shunned. Their partially radicalized national agenda has contaminated them here so the Governor's appeal to bring them in from the cold fell flat in the chamber. 

It has been MLG's division with her progressive wing that has given her the most headaches of late after conservative Dems were erased in primary elections during her tenure. Her get tough on crime bills repeatedly going up in flames is a prime example. Yet Republican legislators said on opening day they now have an "unlkely ally" in the Governor on crime. But what they and she don't have is the votes. 

Tuesday afternoon she again championed juvenile code reform and pre-trial detention measures and was greeted with mostly silence on the Dem side. That had the Governor quipping that she would move on to a subject that the lawmakers might like more--healthcare. 

She presented quite a robust package including the hot button of medical malpractice reform, building a $600 million new UNM School of Medicine, approving interstate medical compacts and eliminating the gross receipts tax on medical services. The positive reception that met her mention of malpractice reform drew more applause than one might expect and keeps the topic front in center at the 30 day session.

Like childcare, her record on healthcare will be remembered favorably. Her reminder of her commitment to Medicaid, affordable health insurance and reproductive rights were a speech highlight that had Dems applauding heartily. 

SWAN SONG FINALE 

MLG's legislative swan song was delivered against a backdrop of her losing majority support in the Democratic state after two commanding statewide victories in '18 and '22. But it has not been a drastic drop with a 45 percent approval rating in the September '24 ABQ Journal survey. Her attention to traditional Dem issues has kept her in good stead with much of her party. 

In closing she pushed back against the state's low self-esteem that posits New Mexico as a backwater failure. She pointed to her own set of statistics that show improvement in the state's standings, including a reduction in child poverty. 

The Governor's more genial approach to the legislature in her final State-of-the-State in lieu of her often demanding rhetoric struck the right note for a goodbye. The state now begins a transition to a new administration to be elected in eight months. In La Politica, it's always a story of "to be continued. . ."

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Sen. Wirth & Speaker Martinez

There's already some good news from the Roundhouse even as the first day of the 30 day legislative session is gaveled to order. After productive bargaining between the Governor, legislators, trial lawyers and doctors, the interstate compact that aim to ease the state doctor shortage by allowing out of state licensed physicians to see patients here--mostly through telehealth--are a done deal and will get early approval, report legislative leaders. 

That's the easy part. The high hurdle is substantial medical malpractice reform which is likely to fall short in the short session.  

The intense debate has been fruitful and has made clear that reasons for the doctor shortage are multi-facted. Some capitol Wall-Leaners believe the best approach may be an omnibus health bill that includes malpractice, tax relief, student loan forgiveness, higher Medicaid reimbursements and doctor recruitment. 

Similar to the negotiations over the compacts, ideally the bill could be worked on in the interim with a special session later in the year.  

MLG, anticipating trouble for malpractice reform, has already signaled a possible special but insiders warn of any session where she bangs heads to try to strike a deal especially in her final year as Governor. Agreement beforehand and a short special would be the most optimistic if not realistic scenario but hope is always in the air at the start of a session. 

THE POSTER BOY 

It appears Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman and Las Cruces attorney Joseph Cervantes will once again be made the poster boy for any failed malpractice or crime bills. It's a role he doesn't relish but neither does he reject it. 

Unlike another powerful Dem Senate icon--Sen. Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith whose rural-based conservatism was a minority view and who was primaried out of office in 2020--Cervantes' views represent a substantial--perhaps a majority of Democratic voters--who are genuinely torn on malpractice reform and selective crime proposals. 

If and when the wind blows strong enough, opposition will yield on a bill. A case in point is the medical compact for doctors, early versions of which Cervantes viewed with skepticism but are now about to become law with his support.

The other session headliner is the difference in funding proposals for MLG's universal child care program. Having the wealthy get free daycare for their kids isn't sitting well with lawmakers and they seem inclined to put a ceiling on the funding. But the vast majority of children would remain eligible for free child care.

MLG has won the war on this. Universal child care--or very close to it--may be remembered as her landmark achievement--whether she prevails or not in this funding skirmish. 

MOVE OVER CRIME 

GOP Leader Armstrong

All crime all the time has had its day and then some and now has company. House GOP Leader Gail Armstrong and her colleagues are going to have to consider that. . . 

Crime rates here and elsewhere have dropped considerably the past few years, albeit from historically high levels. Healthcare, housing affordability and household budgets now have larger seats at the table.

House Speaker Javier Martinez has already signaled that the get tough on juvenile crime bills are again not going to make it up to the Governor. He prefers to reform CYFD because so many of the kids in juvenile justice have prior CYFD contact, making agency reform essential for root-cause solutions. 

Martinez tells us he remains supportive of Rep. Eleanor Sanchez's proposed constitutional amendment to create an independent commission to run the long-troubled agency and finally get a handle on repeated failures there. Such an amendment would bypass the Governor and go to the voters after legislative approval.

MLG has appointed attorney Dawn Walters to head the independent child welfare watchdog office established by the legislature last year. This position is attached to the attorney general's office and will investigate complaints for children in custody and families dealing with CYFD. 

Walters, while getting solid reviews from the committee that recommended her, is still a gubernatorial appointee and a CYFD insider who already heads the CYFD Office of Advocacy. The attorney general is a political position. CYFD reformers want more separation.

STILL TOUGH 

(Moore; Journal)

MLG will still tout a tougher approach on crime as she did in her surprising post-mayoral election criticism of freshly re-elected Mayor Tim Keller. That brings this from reader Alan Schwartz: 

According to MLG, "New Mexico’s criminal justice system too often allows serious offenders back on the streets within days or even hours of an arrest." The criminal division of the 2nd Judicial District court has twelve judges who hear all felony cases. A review of the twelve current occupants of those positions reveals that nine were appointed by MLG. Ten of those attended the same local liberal UNM law school. Not clear how Mayor Keller is supposed to deal with that. 

STATE OF THE STATE  

As for the constitutional reason for the 30 day session--the crafting of a state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1--it appears mostly routine. That's cause for relief and minor celebration because it shows the state's financial position is solid and that the oil boom in the SE, while mildly receding, continues delivering outsized contributions to the General Fund. 

MLG will deliver the traditional state of the state address early this afternoon (widely available on social media). 

Joe Monahan

Overall there is cause for New Mexicans to feel better about their lot. After years of struggle there has been a remarkable change in the narrative over the childhood crisis in education and care--major reasons behind our generational poverty and other extreme social ills that hamper advancement. 

The amount of funding being put into these efforts is astounding; the continued commitment to reforming CYFD--despite setbacks--is invigorating. The problem now is not money or willpower but effectively administering all the new programs--a problem much preferable to the apathy and inaction of the past. 

From our perch we are finally beginning to see the outline of a different and more robust New Mexico in the years ahead, one when the next generation collects the harvest from the many seeds planted by the people of today. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.