Gambling peaked in New Mexico several years ago and there's no sign that it's about to take off again. That's clear from the decision of the NM Racing Commission to forego awarding a license for a sixth racino. The best place to have put it would have been on the east side to capture the Texas traffic, but getting enough horses is an issue. A casino without horse racing might fare better but that's not allowed. Meantime, Native American casino gambling profits are still there but relatively flat for this decade.

President Trump is in El Paso today, scene of a mass shooting that claimed the lives of 22. It's a visit that will be heavily covered in the NM southern congressional district where Republicans hope to oust Dem Rep. Xochtil Torres Small next year. She continues to thread the needle in this complex district that has plenty of liberals and conservatives. She appears strong going into her re-elect but still. . .

Las Cruces liberals have another reason to ponder a primary challenge of Torres Small:

Reps. Ben Ray Lujan and Deb Haaland voted for the bill commonly called the Charleston Loophole which would expand the time for background checks (for gun sales) from three days to 10. Representative Xochitl Torres Small was one of seven house Democrats to vote against it.

Previously Torres Small voted against increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and has not called for impeachment proceedings against the president as have a majority of Dem House members. That latter issue has stirred Mad Hildebrandt who was defeated by Torres Small in the '18 Dem primary. She criticized Torres Small on her Facebook page. Is that the prequel to another primary challenge?

Dem presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg swept into Santa Fe over the weekend to pick up some campaign cash. Insiders say the openly gay contender's fundraisers at two private homes drew Santa Fe's large gay community. Also, two noted politicos were spotted meeting with Mayor Pete--Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber and MLG.

In an exceptionally violent month, ABQ's ongoing crime problem isn't going unnoticed. Take a look at this eyebrow raiser:

Uruguay's Foreign Ministry urged citizens who travel to the U.S. to take "extreme precautions." Uruguay specifically warned against traveling to Albuquerque, Baltimore and Detroit, which it claimed have been ranked among the most dangerous cities in the world.

At least Trump isn't tweeting about us--at least not yet.

MORE PERMIAN NOTES

Readers continue to chime in on our special report this week from the Permian Basin oil boom in SE NM. From DC a Senior Alligator writes:

Joe, A tip of the cap to your most excellent dispatch from Eddy County. It's been too long since I've been in Carlsbad, but  Hyatt and  Hilton building there was the perfect detail to capture the boom. 

The late, great Lea County state Senator Billy McKibben--a true country wit--observed that after God created Eddy and Lea counties He looked back and said, "My, that's awful ugly." So, He put oil and the Ogalala aquifer under the surface.

John Strong writes:

Thanks for writing such a good in-depth article. It would be nice for you to do an in depth piece like this once in a while on other topics! Well done.

Thanks, John. A number of readers made similar comments. Any suggestions out there on what we might tackle next time?

THE BOTTOM LINES

In a recent blog we had Senator Mary Kay Papen serving as President Pro Tem for "nearly ten years." She was elected to the post in 2013 and will mark 7 years in the post at the next session.

If Papen is re-elected next year she would turn 92 in the final year of her term, but she would not be the longest serving senator in history as we blogged. That would be Sen. John Pinto who died this year at 94. However, Papen would be the oldest female senator in state history. In fact, she may already hold that title.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2019