Sam Bregman got a shot of momentum when the campaign of Deb Haaland stumbled after posting information about the locations of four homes owned by the BernCo District Attorney. Now he's trying to keep it going with his harshest attack yet on the front-runner for the '26 Democratic gubernatorial nomination. 

Bregman's new TV ad throws the proverbial kitchen sink at Haaland, featuring a series of mostly women voters posing negative questions of her: 

Why is Deb Haaland attacking Sam Bregman? Because she doesn't have detailed plans to run on? Or is it because Deb Haaland doesn't want you to know that she flew on Jeffrey Epstein's charter jet? Or that Deb Haaland failed to act on sexual abuse at a school she managed at Interior. Maybe that's why she won't even debate Sam. I'm Sam Bregman. The people deserve more than attack ads. Deb, let's debate. 

Haaland was the first Native American Secretary of Interior and this is Bregman's first volley over her tenure as a Biden cabinet secretary. 

The allegation that she "failed to act"on sexual abuse at a school refers to allegations of mismanagement and cover ups regarding misconduct at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. 

It is Bregman's attempt to chip away at what Haaland considers one of her major accomplishments at Interior--the establishment of a Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to investigate historical abuses.

Bregman's ramped up attacks on Haaland come with absentee ballots set to be mailed in less than two weeks--May 5--and with polling that has showed him lagging Haaland. His landslide defeat at the Dem party preprimary convention also slowed him. 

Bregman has turned out to be more a threat than the Haaland camp expected, raising enough money to compete for attention, hiring top gun consultants and putting to use his experience as a veteran campaigner who has lost most of his previous races. 

Gone for the most part in Bregman's ads is the black cowboy hat he constantly sported in his early appearances. Bregman, 63, a noted trial lawyer before becoming DA, now appears more sober and lawyerly as he faces the toughest case of his lengthy career. 

DOW'S WIN

In Republican action, state Rep. Rebecca Dow was placed back on the June primary ballot by the NM Supreme Court Tuesday. The Dems were poised to take the rural southern District 38 seat after she was kicked off. Now the Republicans are set to keep it in their column. The Democrats have only a write-in candidate. 

Watching the mega-celebration on social media of Dow's court win was a bit odd, but given the state of New Mexico Republicans holding on to the little you have is a reason to party. As for Dow, she is a valuable member of the small minority House caucus and provides thoughtful opposition to the Dems. The court fight tested her mettle. 

 DUKE DOINGS

Duke Rodriguez has roused state Democrats. They come with this hit on the GOP governor candidate's lawsuit over the state's universal child care program:

Arizona’s Duke Rodriguez Tries to Take Away Universal Childcare RPNM gubernatorial field maintains GOP’s universal opposition to universal childcare 

Arizona’s Duke Rodriguez recently filed a lawsuit to take away universal childcare from New Mexicans. This blatant attention grab from the “Duke of Scottsdale" Rodriguez, who is known to voters for being from Arizona, being sued by other Republicans, and an embarrassing loss at RPNM’s pre-primary convention, comes just weeks before voting starts in the primary election.  

Rodriguez has won several lawsuits challenging his New Mexico residency and continues to court both Republicans and independents who for the first time this year are allowed to vote in party primaries.

His appeal to Hispanics leaps from the page and may be one reason the Democrats are taking time to attack him even before the primary is over. Rodriguez says:

 The Democrats have taken the Hispanic vote for granted for decades. Not anymore. I'm running — and winning--on common sense, conservative values that New Mexico families actually believe in.

Rodriguez may not have lived her consistently in recent years but he grew up in Silver City and his Hispanic heritage is critical to his electoral success. No Anglo has been elected Governor since Gary Johnson won re-election in 1998. Johnson has endorsed Rodriguez.

The "Duke of Scottsdale," the nickname awarded him by New Mexican columnist Milan Simonich, must still survive expected attacks from Doug Turner and Greg Hull over his residency, his ethics as well as his numerous campaign contributions to Democrats. Will those attacks immediately collapse his candidacy or will the Duke become the king of the GOP? 

Stay tuned to this space. . . 

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