Another warning shot is fired across the bows of centrist Dem gubernatorial candidates Sam Bregman and Ken Miyagishima:

Democrats are more liberal now than they have been at any point in modern polling history. CNN's chief data analyst said that 59 percent of Democrats identified as liberal in a new Gallup/CBS News poll, the highest since pollsters began asking the question in 1976. 

At one time the "L" word was verboten among Dems like Hillary Clinton as the party courted the center buy not in the Trump era. That leaves Deb Haaland alone in the Dem Guv race appealing to the liberals while the self-proclaimed centrists try to figure out a path to victory. 

The first warning sign for Sam and Ken was the result of the ABQ mayoral race where the GOP candidate managed only 42 percent of the vote and where progressives united behind Mayor Keller after initial division.  

THE DUKE DISS 

On the GOP side Duke Rodriguez is throwing shade at BernCo DA Bregman and also at this chief rival for his party's nomination.

Rodriguez told a gubernatorial forum sponsored last week by the NM Society of Association Executives that Republicans should support Farmington area state Senator Steve Lanier, if they don't back him. That undercut Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull. Declared Rodriguez:

We have never elected a former mayor, current mayor, to the governor's office. That's a fact, and it's not going to happen. I'm sorry, kid, it's not going to happen in November either. I love Steve Lanier. He's a leader of our state party. If you don't vote for me, I'll tell you right now, vote for Steve. 

Rodriguez also asserted that Bregman is a dead duck in his race with Haaland as he cited one of her early campaign polls:

The DA is not going to be your candidate. The last poll showed Deb Haaland at 55%, he closed in at 19. Alright, it's not going to happen. Sam Bregman is 2.0 Jeff Apodaca, let's be honest. . .So you're going to have two candidates, and they're going to be distinctively different. 

Jeff Apodaca is a centrist Dem who ran unsuccessfully for the Dem party Guv nod against MLG in 2018. 

The difference between Rodriguez and Haaland would indeed be "distinctively different" but Rodriguez is not ready to point out those differences, keeping his eye on the primary. He told the executives that the former Sec. of Interior is "an activist who deserves the respect and credit of all she's done. She does." 

Rodriguez's views, circulated in an audio clip and transcript by Democratic operatives, echoes the current conventional wisdom but the primary election is not until June 2 so there is still time for the candidates to change the course of the race.

FIRST TEST

The first big test for the Dem Guv contenders comes at the March 7 Pre-Primary Convention. That's where delegates will rank the candidates for position on the primary ballot. A minimum of 20 percent of the delegate vote required to win an official position. A candidate who fails that threshold would have to submit additional petition signatures to get a spot--not to mention the severe political hit they would take over the failure.

Bernalillo County Dem Party Secretary Daniel Garcia outlines details for Democrats wanting to attend the pre-primary:

Think of the Pre-Primary as the doorway into the Democratic Party’s decision-making process. It’s how local Democrats help decide which candidates earn a place on the Democratic primary ballot. Long before TV ads or campaign signs, this process shapes the choices voters across New Mexico will later see. To participate, you must be a registered Democrat by January 15, 2026. Registration for the Pre-Primary opens on January 17.

The date for the GOP pre-primary is March 7 in Ruidoso.

MONDRAGON REMEMBERED (CONT.)  

One more remembrance of former Dem Lt. Governor Roberto Mondragon who died at 85 this month. It's a news report from back in the day sent by former Dem state Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino:  

A little known piece of U.S. political trivia is that Mondragón received one delegate vote for the presidential nomination at the 1972 Democratic National Convention in Miami Beach. However, his vote was mistakenly tallied for “Mao Tse-tung” because of a clerical error. Mao Tse-tung, got one vote, according to the official proceedings. Given the extreme liberalism of that gathering, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility, but in fact the vote for Mao was really a vote for New Mexico’s Lieutenant Governor Roberto Mondragón. In the chaos of that balloting (79 different people received votes, and the spectacle delayed George McGovern’s acceptance speech until 3 a.m.), the recording secretary misheard “Mondragón” as “Mao Tse-tung” and blithely moved on. 

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Sen. Wirth

A proposal to ban all ICE detention facilities in the state is on the fast track for the upcoming legislative session with Dem leadership and the Governor not yet mentioning any possible repercussions from the Trump administration if such a measure is approved. 

Others outside the Roundhouse are warning that closing the ICE centers would draw national attention and could prompt the White House, always on the lookout for political payback, to give New Mexico some for flaunting its opposition to the hyper-controversial immigration agency.  

But Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, echoing arguments from outraged Democratic progressives and speaking for one of nine majority-minority states in the nation, is determined: 

Having ICE facilities in our state is something that the House has really taken leadership in. It’s been the Senate that’s been the challenge. Our (Dem Senate) caucus is going to fully support that bill, and it’s time. We need to stand up, and this is a place where we as a state can send a signal. The governor supports this. I think it’s important that we get it across the line. Given what we’ve seen just recently in Minnesota, enough is enough.

Recent reports note three ICE immigration detention facilities in New Mexico.​ Cibola County Correctional Center; Otero County Processing Center and the Torrance County Detention Facility.

The Centers employ hundreds of staff and are relied on in job-starved rural New Mexico. But the loss of other federal jobs and largess also worry observers if the state takes the bold move of confronting the administration over the facilities. 

Could there be retaliation at Sandia Labs where 500 hundred layoffs were already announced last year? Los Alamos Labs? Then there are the numerous federal grants that flow to the state and cities. Could an ICE shutdown trigger interruptions? There's already been many cuts in ABQ federal grants without any direct arguments with Washington. 

Statewide, $195.2 million in climate and energy funds were axed as part of $8 billion cuts to Democratic-led states, hitting all three NM congressional districts. Medicaid and food assistance reductions threaten rural hospitals and 90,000 residents' coverage. 

MLG and the legislature have not been very confrontational on federal policy during Trump 2.0 while other states that have been have suffered consequences. But Democrats are enraged over the aggressive tactics of ICE as seen in the Minnesota shooting and see the agency as a threat to individual freedom. That motivating principle has the ban on ICE detention centers being pushed to the top of the legislative pile. 

UNFETTERED IMMIGRATION 

While Democrats hail the more in-your-face opposition to the administration by their legislative leadership, this frustrated Republican vents that his party is so disorganized that an effective opposition is nowhere in sight: 

Are we going to see a headline that announces Trump moved Los Alamos and Sandia Labs to Ohio and Pennsylvania in 2026? That's a stretch but 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. But again, with a toothless NMGOP without out any real leadership who's going to stop the Dems? 

PAY THEM!

Cliff Rees

Legislative attorney Cliff Rees writes of the report here on this year's $202 daily per diem each legislator receives during the 30 day session that begins next Tuesday:

The lack of salary means some Legislators, like former State Senator Siah Correa Hemphill of Grant County, need to help support their families and simply cannot afford to serve in the Legislature without at least a part-time salary. The NM Constitution (Article IV, Section 10) should be amended so that legislative officeholders are paid what they earn. 

FYI, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics recently issued a May, 2024 study of NM Occupations calculating the annual mean wage for NM "Legislators" (which no doubt includes County Commissioners and City Councilors who perform legislative functions, but not our State Legislators) as $62,560 annually, an increase from $52,200 annually as of May, 2023. If NM County Commissioners and City Councilors can earn a part-time salary, and have done so since Statehood in 1912 (see Article X, Section 1 of the NM Constitution), why shouldn't our State Legislators be treated similarly? 

That's a good argument. Perhaps voters would go for if if it doesn't include having legislators meet on a full-time basis. 

COUNTLESS HOURS

Larry McDaniel of Silver City, chair of the the Political Committee at Conservation Voters New Mexico, works closely with lawmakers and has this take:

Joe, Your Tuesday post concerning compensation for state legislators is misleading. I guess if you stay at the Motel 6 in Hobbs and eat at McDonald's while on committee assignment you might make out OK on per diem money, but this misses the mark on the bigger issue. 

Larry McDaniel

I know what a financial hardship it is for some to serve in the legislature. Besides the annual 30 or 60 day sessions there are countless hours devoted to constituent needs that are completely uncompensated. In many cases asking our legislators to be volunteers means that only those with means can afford to devote the time and effort to serve in the legislature. 

How many nurses or school teachers do we have in the NM Legislature? How many social workers that deal with day to day effects of generational poverty that impact the lives of so many New Mexicans are serving as volunteers in Santa Fe? 

New Mexico is the only state in the country that does not pay legislators a salary. I tip my hat to those  that give so much of their time already, but we, as voters, would be well served to have a legislature that was truly representative of all New Mexicans, and only by reasonable compensation can we expect to achieve that goal.  

ABQ Dem State Sen. Moe Maestas makes a point about the $202 daily per diem lawmakers get when in session. 

That takes into account the hotel rooms and meals for legislators but it doesn't account for lost income at a job or a business. 

Maestas adds that legislators are limited to a single reimbursed round trip to Santa Fe per legislative session, rather than mileage for each individual day they drive back and forth. In a first draft we had them getting the 72.5 cents per mile for each time they traveled to and from the session. 

Legislators do get the $202 per diem plus mileage reimbursement for each interim committee meeting they attend. Some lawmakers make attending them a habit, if only for a short time, and pocket the per diem each time they do.

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New Mexicans traditionally don't have much sympathy for legislators who complain about not getting a salary even as it has now blossomed into study sessions over having a full-time paid legislature. While salaries are unlikely to ever win voter approval, it's not as though the lawmakers are forced to panhandle in the medians of Santa Fe. 

The 112 solons attending the 30 day legislative session starting January 20 will, according to the legislature, receive $202 per day (per diem) for their trouble.

That 30 day per diem of $202.00 amounts to $6,060 for the month and there are deals to be had to stretch that. For example, this from the sister property of the La Fonda Hotel: 

Take advantage of Piñon Court’s prime location one block from the Roundhouse during this year’s legislative session. We invite you to enjoy our special rate of $122/night that includes complimentary breakfast and parking. Experience beautifully renovated guest rooms and indulge in our new Bistro & Lounge. 

With taxes, that Piñon Court room totals about $140 per night, leaving $62 of per diem for other expenses including meals (other than that free breakfast.) That's enough for a good lunch and/or dinner (Tomasita's is about $25) but still leaves room for capitol lobbyists to treat legislators with more expensive tastes--like Johnny Walker Blue. 

While some in the political class may feel deprived the working classes who support them think things are just fine the way they are. 

FENTANYL VACCINE?

The NM Coalition to End Homelessness is estimating that 3,000 people are living on the streets of ABQ, a number that has been steadily increasing. This item then has special meaning:

A vaccine that blocks the effects of fentanyl--including overdose--will enter human trials in the coming months, perhaps leading the way to the first-ever proactive treatment for opioid use disorder. The initial trials will focus on assessing the safety of the vaccine, which was initially developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Defense.

DUKE DOINGS 

There's been several additions to the GOP gubernatorial field Since Duke Rodriguez announced but former NM Republican Governor Gary Johnson ('95-01) tells radio talk master TJ Trout that Rodriguez, who he appointed as Secretary of the Human Services Department, remains his choice but adds that he "likes all" the candidates running.

Rodriguez drops this column that asks "Who Destroyed New Mexico's Healthcare System? His answer: 

If Gov. Susana Martinez is expected to wear the scarlet letter for decisions made years ago, then fairness demands the same scrutiny be applied to the sitting governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, and the policies enacted under her leadership.

Martinez has not yet endorsed any of the GOP Guv hopefuls running in the June 2 primary. 

Is that a great cartoon of Duke trying to balance his Arizona and New Mexico residences, or what? Thanks  to veteran newsman (and political cartoonist) Peter St. Cyr.  

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Bregman and Haaland

As we take the first look of the year at the '26 Dem Guv chase we find Sam Bregman still seeking to shake up his race with Deb Haaland while she continues her run out the clock strategy, saying little but staying busy doing it. 

Bregman is regularly pressuring her for debates but so far that's like swinging at the wind. 

He also picked up a third tribal endorsement--Ohkay Owingeh--in a bid to portray her as weak and ripe for an upset.

The progressive Dem dominance seen in the December win of ABQ Mayor Keller shows how long the odds are for centrist Sam. As one of our Senior Alligators puts it: 

Democrats don't want to run to the middle and independents who are now allowed to cast ballots in primaries are not trained to do so.

So what's a BernCo DA to do? A couple of things. First raise a lot more money and use it to get up on TV and stay up. The aim being to exceed expectations at the Dem Party's March pre-primary nominating convention and resetting the table for the June 2 primary. But where to get the green fuel? Well, there is this:

Third baseman Alex Bregman and the Chicago Cubs agreed to a five-year, $175 million contract sources told ESPN Saturday, as the three-time All-Star joins the club one year after its failed pursuit of him in free agency. Bregman, 31, opted out of a $40 million player option with the Boston Red Sox to hit free agency again after his first foray as a free agent last year. 

If Bregman's son Alex and friends got involved in a PAC for Pop Sam could they attract big dollars and big baseball names? If so, it could help level the playing field with Haaland who at last report led Bregman two to one in cash on hand.

Although his campaign would not be allowed to direct the messaging of any PAC, it could potentially put Bregman on nearly equal financial footing with Haaland and force her to stop her clock watching and maybe even debate.

Oh, one other thing. Lose the black hat and horse--before it's too late.  

KEN LAGS

Former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima--the third candidate in the Dem field--is becoming an afterthought. He can't raise sufficient money, can't get his nominating signatures done early and is splitting Dems and indys with Bregman. Maybe he should switch horses and run for the Dem Lt. Governor nod against SOS Maggie Toulouse  Olvier? His chances might not be half as bad as they are now. 

MONDRAGON MEMORIES

Old timers who remember him continue to reflect on the death of former Lt. Gov. Roberto Mondragon who died at 85 lat week. He served two terms as lieutenant governor in the 1970's in addition to many other accomplishments. One of those with memories is longtime Dem player Jon Hendry of Santa Fe:  

Joe, Roberto was responsible (inadvertently) for the start of former US Sen. Tom Udall's congressional career. When Roberto won 10% of the vote running for Governor in '94 as a Green Party candidate, he secured an official ballot line for that party for 4 years. 

When then-Rep. Bill Richardson resigned in 1997 to become UN Ambassador, the Dem Central Committee named Eric Serna as thir candidate for the special election--even though he was not the preferred candidate of progressives in the heavy Dem district. That didn’t sit well so we bolted and backed Green Party candidate Carol Miller. Bill Redman was the lucky Republican who took advantage of the split and won. He got 43%; Dem Serna 40% and Green Carol Miller 17%. 

But the world returned to normal in 1998 in the Dem primary when Tom Udall soundly defeated Serna and went on to win the general election against Redmond, starting his long and illustrious career. 

I got to know Mondragon later in his career as a musician and he was indeed a great guy. 

A pub­lic memorial ser­vice for Mondragon will be held Jan. 27 at Santa Fe's Cathed­ral Basilica of St. Fran­cis of Assisi. The time of the service is pending. 

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Ellison

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

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

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

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

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

MONAHAN'S TAKE 

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

ROBERTO MONDRAGON 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reporting from ABQ, I'm Joe Monahan. 

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

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

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

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

A consultant to Peña adds: 

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

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

Councilor Peña

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

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

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

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

DIVISION TO COME? 

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

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

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

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

OUR FAUX PAS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BREWERY BEAT 

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

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

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

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Interim Chief Cecily Barker

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DUKE'S DILEMMA 

Duke Rodriguez

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

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

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

From a Legal Beagle: 

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

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

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

Turner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The full canvass is here. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BY THE DISTRICT 

Click to enlarge

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

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

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

WEBBER'S GOODBYE

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

MERRY CHRISTMAS

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

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

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

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

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, New Mexico. 

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