U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, a far-left Democrat, is learning what happens when a Democrat fails to immediately fall in line behind the party’s newest progressive standard-bearer.
According to a Santa Fe New Mexican report by Daniel J. Chacón, Heinrich drew backlash from left-wing Democrats after he posted a congratulatory message Wednesday celebrating several Democratic primary winners — but noticeably left out Deb Haaland, who had just trounced Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.
Haaland, Joe Biden’s former Interior secretary and a national progressive favorite, won the Democratic nomination in a blowout and is now set to face Republican Gregg Hull, the former three-term mayor of Rio Rancho, in November. The Associated Press reported that Haaland and Hull will face off in the general election after Tuesday’s primary results.
But before Democrats could even fully pivot to November, the party’s activist wing began eating its own.
Manny Crespin, a Democratic National Committee committeeman and former vice chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico, blasted Heinrich over the omission.
“Your true colors are shining right through, Senator Martin Heinrich!” Crespin wrote in response, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
“At a moment when Democrats should be lifting one another up and uniting after a primary, Senator Martin Heinrich remains noticeably silent in recognizing many of these Democratic victories and campaigns. This is not by accident. His silence is purposeful and intentionally undermining,” Crespin wrote. “For someone not originally from New Mexico, you would hope there would be a deeper understanding of our culture and our values.”
Others also noticed Haaland’s absence from Heinrich’s message.
“And Deb?!” Sherry Eichorn commented on Facebook, according to the report.
“No Deb Haaland?” Brandon Scott Jensen asked.
Some commenters, however, appeared pleased Heinrich had not rushed to praise Haaland.
“Glad to see you didn’t endorse Haaland! Vote [Republican Gregg] Hull for governor!!!” Jon Hovis wrote.
“For the first time, I agree with you leaving Haaland [off] your list,” Juan Garcia added.
The backlash underscores a growing tension inside New Mexico’s Democratic Party: after Haaland crushed Bregman, the progressive left appears to expect immediate public loyalty from every major Democrat — even those who may have had reservations about her candidacy or stayed neutral during the primary.
Heinrich attempted to clean up the situation the next day by posting a photo with Haaland and saying he was proud to endorse her.
But that only triggered another round of criticism from Crespin, who mocked Heinrich for waiting until after Haaland had already won.
“Senator, respectfully … endorsing someone after they already won is not leadership. That is showing up after the parade ended and trying to claim you helped organize it,” Crespin wrote, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican. “New Mexicans are smart. They notice who takes risks early and who waits until it is politically safe to stand in the photo afterward. But hey, congratulations on the safest endorsement in modern New Mexico political history. Truly profile-in-courage material.”
A Heinrich spokesperson denied that the timing had anything to do with the online backlash, telling the Santa Fe New Mexican the “timing was coordinated at a staff level and had nothing to do with any social media posts.”
“Senator Heinrich’s endorsement of Deb Haaland is based on their work together, her experience, and his commitment to work alongside her in delivering for New Mexico,” the spokesperson said.
Heinrich’s eventual endorsement praised Haaland personally and politically. Native News Online reported that Heinrich said, “I’ve worked with Deb a long time, and I can tell you this: Deb is incredibly kind, leads with compassion, and cares deeply about New Mexico and the people who call it home.” He also said Haaland had the experience needed to “fight back against Donald Trump.”
Still, the damage was already done among some on the left. To them, Heinrich’s post-primary endorsement was not enough. He had not bowed quickly enough.
For conservatives, the episode is revealing. Heinrich is no Republican. He is a liberal Democrat who has long aligned with the party’s environmental, gun control, and anti-Trump agenda. But in the modern New Mexico Democratic Party, even a reliably left-wing senator can face instant backlash if he is perceived as insufficiently enthusiastic about the progressive favorite.
The Santa Fe New Mexican’s report also noted that Hull appeared on the outlet’s Around the Roundhouse podcast after winning the Republican nomination. Hull described his early days in New Mexico, including a stint delivering newspapers for the Santa Fe New Mexican. He recalled that on the morning his first child was born in August 1987, he and his wife completed the paper route before going to the hospital.
“The next morning — she wasn’t with me that time,” Hull said, “but the next morning, I was throwing the paper route again.”
While Democrats are policing each other’s loyalty to Haaland, Hull is now preparing for a general election race focused on whether New Mexico continues one-party Democratic control or changes direction in November.
The Heinrich flare-up may fade quickly, but it offers a preview of the pressure campaign ahead: New Mexico Democrats are expected to rally behind Haaland, and anyone who hesitates may find the progressive left waiting.
“Kind”, “compassionate”, “cares” 🙄. We don’t need that in failed NM – we need intelligence (Haaland is a mental midwit & I even know Dims who say so) & leadership.
NAILED IT!
You so NAILED IT!
New Mexico is on the lower rungs of the educational ladder and the way it votes shows it.
Deb may be kind and maybe that’s needed. But a brain is also of value. I’m not sure she’s strong in that area.
Is it possible that even Heinrich knows how totally unqualified and incompetent she is?? After all, he was in Congress when she was Sect’y of Interior.
Halfwit Haaland will further destroy NM on her own! I am not defending her but
Hiney-lick doesn’t like competition nor does he like someone he cant manipulate or bribe! He and Benny-boy Loserjan probably tried when she was in DC. With these 3 clowns in office NM will be doomed.
Voting democrat at the state and national level is just plain wrong! The system is rigged for them to win every time.
The people who live north of I-40 are dedicating themselves to progressive communists like Haaland. She was extremely incompetent as interior secretary. She should be working at the Bureau of Indian Affairs, not in the affairs of the rest of the state.
And nothing Heinrich has done has actually benefitted the people of New Mexico, either. He’s a do-nothing senator, who only gets elected because he’s a democrat in a stupidly democrat state.
New Mexico must turn itself around and stop electing people who consistently keep that fine state at #50 (last) in nearly every single national category.
After living here for 43 years, I still cannot comprehend why anyone would vote for a Democrat. Although I did vote for Bingamin once, long ago. The failed leadership and ideas of that party are evident in the economic, educational, and crime in our state.
Haaland is a fitting leader for NM. We are the state that continually rates first in the worst categories and among the last in the best categories in virtually every national assessment. Just saw a graphic today that lists us among the leaders in taxes levied per capita and read another article that lists our young people as the most drug-addled in the country.
This state has voted Democrat for decades and now has doubled down and has rejected even moderate Democrats in favor of ultra-left progressive candidates.
You can fix stupid so it’s appropriate to select those in that category to lead further into dystopia.
I so agree with you & you just can’t fix stupid. And Haaland is dumb as a rock.
I watched her during a couple committee meetings in DC when she was a so-called Secretary of the Interior. She sold out and did things against the Tribal lands, and she could not answer any questions, always said she need to ask her “team” for answers. If she is elected she will be a “Puppet” governor doing what the far left socialist/communsts Democrats tell her to what to do and what bills to sign! God have mercy on us all…