Vasquez and Cunningham

What’s with Greg Cunningham’s obsession with border security and crime? Doesn’t he know those issues have fallen down the list of voter concerns as an economic tidal wave heads towards the state in the form of inflation? Won’t the economy (and Trump) be the deciding factors in his Second Congressional District race with Dem US Rep. Gabe Vasquez? In Dona Ana and Bernalillo counties where over half the vote will come from it’s still the economy that beats out the crime beat.

Somehow Cunningham has to find a way to erode the 46 to 43 early polling lead held by Vasquez. Crime is actually the surface issue. Underneath is the Republican effort to again point out that Vasquez is in general a weak character who has waffled on crime and is actually a liberal trying to pose as a moderate. 

That remains a soft spot for Vasquez who is seeking his third term after winning the seat 52 to 48 over Yvette Herrell in ‘24. By now he could have been expected to have nailed down the Democratic leaning district and not be subjected to a full-throated Republican challenge. But it is true that Vasquez is trying to play the role of a reformed liberal. It is that tinge of inauthenticity that has kept the seat in play for the GOP—at least on paper. Until Vasquez finds a way to shed it, he may have to put up with close contests.

BULLSHIT!

What’s a good Catholic boy like Ben Ray Lujan doing using the term “bullshit“ in his first campaign TV ad for his ‘26 campaign? Sure it’s an attention getting device. But Sen. Lujan is one candidate who doesn’t need much attention. His Republican MAGA opponent Larry Marker struggled to make the general election ballot, running as a write-in candidate in the June primary and who now has no significant party financial backing. Maybe Ben Ray should be offering up a Novena of thanks  for such a weak opponent and save the slang for the Senate gym. 

COMING UP SHORT

What’s the deal with Gregg Hull debuting his media campaign with a 15 second TV spot? We know Hull, the Republican governor nominee, is financially challenged but no spot is almost as good as the rapid fire 15 seconds in which he recounts his service as Rio Rancho Mayor. By the time he gets done saying Rio Rancho the spot is over. It seems Gregg needs more time on the phones raising money as well as more time on his TV ads. 

THREE AMIGOS

Then there were three. What’s up with state Reps. Andrea Romero and Joshua Hernandez and now Senate Finance Committee chairman George Munoz? They all fell off the ethics ladder almost at the same time. And that’s just in time for voters to think about paying lawmakers a salary for the first time in state history, which will be presented to them on the November ballot. The lawmakers’ bad acting was accompanied by bad timing. The question is will there be more before the election?

THE BIG STALL

What’s with the big stall by Deb Haaland when it comes to doing a TV debate with Gregg Hull? KOB-TV must have jumped the gun when they said that such a debate was already scheduled for October 8 but then the Haaland campaign said that’s not the case. Haaland has already rejected face-to-face debates with Hull on KOAT and KRQE so KOB is the only one left. Best to get on with it or does the cat really have Deb’s tongue?

This is the Home of New Mexico politics.