New Mexico

New poll spells doom for Vasquez’s reelection hopes over this key issue

26 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

A new poll from the leftist Axios spells bad news for far-left open-borders Democrat Rep. Gabe Vasquez as he battles for his political life in the 2024 election against well-funded and popular GOP former Rep. Yvette Herrell for the Second Congressional District.

Immigration, inflation, and crime are top of mind for voters, according to the Axios poll, with a sharp increase in support for mass deportations and finishing the border barrier, especially among Hispanic and Latino voters.

“The percentage of Latinos who say they support building a border wall and deporting all undocumented immigrants has jumped by at least 10 points since 2021, according to the latest Axios-Ipsos Latino Poll in partnership with Noticias Telemundo,” wrote the outlet.

It also noted, “42% of Latino adults surveyed said they support building a wall or fence along the entire U.S.–Mexico border. That’s a 12-point jump from December 2021,” and “38% support sending all [illegal] immigrants in the U.S. back to their country of origin — up from 28% in 2021.”

Vasquez has for years opposed any and all efforts to protect the border with increased personnel, equipment, and the completion of a border barrier. Vasquez has called the border barrier “racist,” demanding we “tear it down,” as we previously reported.

Along with immigration, Vasquez voted against measures to help alleviate inflation, has fully endorsed the Biden regime’s inflation-boosting “Bidenomics,” has opposed meaningful legislation to reduce crime, and has long been a cop-basher, with rhetoric supporting defunding the police.

In response to the new shocking poll, the National Republican Congressional Committee’s spokeswoman, Delanie Bomar, wrote, “Gabe Vasquez is on the wrong side of the issue of immigration, crime, and inflation.”

“His extreme track record is coming back to bite him as voters look to Republicans to help clean up Vasquez and the Democrats’ messes,” she concluded.

Gabe Vasquez walks the tightrope on border security

Two women injured at UNM abortion facility in single day

33 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Wednesday, April 10, 2024, the University of New Mexico Center For Reproductive Health (UNMCRH), a freestanding abortion facility, was the site of two separate abortion-related medical emergencies documented by volunteers from Abortion Free New Mexico.

These incidents marked the eighth time such events have been recorded at this location since the initiation of the group’s daily prayer vigil, “No Sidewalk Without The Savior,” which began in April 2022.

The first emergency unfolded at approximately 2:30 PM, when emergency response teams, including a fire engine, two ambulances, and a police car, arrived at the scene. A woman was seen being transported out of the facility on a gurney to an ambulance.

A similar situation occurred again around 4:00 PM, with another woman requiring urgent medical attention. Both individuals were taken to a local emergency room, and the specifics of their conditions post-incident remain unclear.

The UNMCRH not only offers abortion services up to 24 weeks of pregnancy but is also involved in training resident physicians in abortion procedures through the Ryan Residency Training Program.

In response to these events, Tara Shaver, a spokeswoman for Abortion Free New Mexico, released a statement condemning the practice of abortion. 

She expressed to Life News, “Abortion at any stage of pregnancy is a brutal violent act. Precious unborn children pay the ultimate price with their lives but many times, as documented twice today, women sustain life-threatening injuries because abortions are incredibly invasive and unnatural. Many women seeking abortions are not fully aware of the risks and they are even less likely to be told, by the abortion industry, about the alternatives to abortion. The pro-abortion community doesn’t care about women’s health, they just demand unrestricted abortion regardless of the life-threatening consequences.”

Volunteers from Abortion Free New Mexico maintain a consistent presence at Albuquerque’s abortion facilities, advocating for the lives of unborn children and providing information on alternatives to abortion to women considering this option.

Despite woke eco-leftism, Green New Deal, NM one of the ‘least-green states’

9 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

According to a report from WalletHub, New Mexico is one of the “least-green states,” ranking low on many of the 25 metrics identified by the report.

The ranking comes despite the Land of Enchantment’s Democrat-dominated legislature and far-left governor ramming through so-called “climate change” legislation to kill the oil and gas industry. 

One such piece of legislation was 2019’s Green New Deal, called the “Energy Transition Act” to completely annihilate the fossil fuel industry by 2035. 

On a scale from one to 50th (one being the best and 50th being the worst), New Mexico scored poorly on multiple metrics. 

The state ranked 46th in air quality, 50th in soil quality, 45th in water quality, 33rd in energy consumption per capita, and 36th for gasoline consumption in gallons per capita.

According to the study, New Mexico ranked overall as the ninth least-green state. WalletHub dubbed California the most-green state, while West Virginia took last place. 

California, in part, took the top spot because of its “high prevalence of droughts” and measures to mitigate those. It also “has the fourth-lowest overall energy consumption per capita, and the sixth-lowest gasoline consumption.”

WalletHub appears to mark high electric vehicle use, solar panels, and other so-called “climate change” efforts into its calculations. Because of these and the extremist eco-leftist laws passed in New Mexico, the state still ranks low on the WalletHub metrics.

Alleged crook Stapleton, accomplice face judge in graft scheme case

5 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Sheryl Williams Stapleton, a former New Mexico state legislator and Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) official, alongside Joseph Johnson of Virginia, entered pleas of not guilty to multiple felony charges relating to the misappropriation of federal funds earmarked for vocational education. The charges were heard in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque, marking Stapleton’s initial court appearance since her state indictment in 2021.

Dressed formally, Stapleton, aged 66, faced 29 federal counts, including serious allegations of defrauding the United States, alongside charges of bribery, fraud, and money laundering. Her plea was entered by her legal representative, Ahmad Assed, as she affirmed her understanding of the charges to U.S. Magistrate Judge John Robbenhaar.

Shortly after Stapleton’s plea, Joseph Johnson, 72, of Chantilly, Virginia, also pleaded not guilty to 28 similar felony charges. Both defendants were released on their own recognizance, with specific conditions including the surrender of their passports and restrictions on possessing firearms and acquiring new credit lines without federal pretrial services’ approval.

The indictment, issued by a federal grand jury on March 26, accuses both Stapleton and Johnson of engaging in bribery, mail fraud, money laundering, and conspiracies to defraud the United States and commit money laundering. Additionally, Stapleton faces a charge of fraud for allegedly providing false information to the Internal Revenue Service regarding her 2015 tax return.

Central to the allegations is Johnson’s company, Robotics Management Learning Systems LLC, based in Washington, D.C., which is implicated in both state and federal investigations. The federal indictment highlights a significant sum of $3,251,550 paid by APS to Robotics between 2013 and 2021, with a majority derived from federal funds intended for career-technical education programs. It is alleged that Stapleton misappropriated over a third of these funds for personal benefit through around 233 checks totaling $1,152,506.

Stapleton, who had a longstanding political career representing House District 19 in Albuquerque since 1994, resigned shortly after legal actions commenced in July 2021. Her case continues to unfold both at the federal and state levels, with her state court case still pending and a hearing scheduled for late April.

NM Dems lose their minds after AZ court upholds pro-life law

21 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Tuesday, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld the state’s longtime pro-life law, which effectively prohibited abortions in the state.

“The decision — which could shutter abortion clinics in the state — effectively undoes a lower court’s ruling that stated that a more recent 15-week ban from March 2022 superseded the 1864 law,” one report noted.

The state’s pro-abortion Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs claimed the decision marked “a dark day” in her remarks at a press conference, despite babies’ lives being saved after the ruling.

Following the landmark decision, New Mexico Democrats wailed on X, formerly Twitter, about the decision.

Democrat Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez of the Third Congressional District called the ruling “disgraceful,” calling women who travel to New Mexico to abort their babies “healthcare refugees” in a severely unhinged post. 

Democrat Sen. Martin Heinrich blasted the decision, claiming the decision will “strain access in states like New Mexico.” Previously, Heinrich admitted that New Mexico taxpayers are footing the bill for abortion tourism.

Rep. Melanie Stansbury of the First District, a radical Democrat, used the decision to try and convince voters to support the far-left, abortion-up-to-birth Democrats, writing, “Across this country, we’re seeing our right to reproductive healthcare attacked and taken away. When we put Republicans in power this is what we get. In November vote for your rights, vote for Democrats.”

Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham wrote, “Today’s extreme decision to reinstate a 160-year-old ban on legal abortion is a draconian step backward that puts the health of countless Arizona women at risk. New Mexico continues to provide access to abortion and other reproductive health services,” in a melodramatic post.

Gabe Vasquez, who represents the Second District, a far-left Democrat, has so far not released a statement, although he is fervently pro-abortion up-to-birth and endorsed by radical abortion groups.

The New Mexico Democrat Party wrote in a post, “Today, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld an antiquated abortion ban … because Trump overturned Roe v. Wade – just one day after he looked into the camera & bragged that he is ‘proudly the person responsible’ for overturning Roe.”

The Democrats went on to attack Republican U.S. Senate nominee Nella Domenici.

Herrell goes scorched-earth on open-borders Vasquez

19 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Far-left Democrat Rep. Gabe Vasquez voted multiple times against a slew of bills that would help alleviate the border crisis happening in New Mexico’s Second Congressional District. He even voted against the bipartisan “Laken Riley Act” to mandate that immigration authorities detain non-citizens charged with crimes.

Now, in New Mexico, border agents have conceded Mt. Cristo Rey in Santa Teresa to the Cartel, as we reported this week.

“Friday, I wrote to you about the infuriating story of illegal immigrants waltzing into our children’s schools,” wrote Republican former Congresswoman Yvette Herrell, who is running against Vasquez, regarding a recent story about illegal immigrants camping out in Santa Teresa Middle School to evade authorities. She went on to talk about the Mt. Cristo Rey development.

“Invasions serve one purpose: to conquer,” Herrell continued. “Not only do we not have control of our southern border – we are now losing our territory to illegal immigrants over Joe Biden’s and Gabe Vasquez’s open border and pro-illegal immigration policies.”

She added, “Our national security and sovereignty are being threatened, our children are not safe, drugs and human trafficking are spilling into our country, and Americans are being killed. There is nothing more important than securing our border, arresting and deporting illegal immigrants, and stopping this invasion now!”

“Gabe Vasquez should be held accountable for treason for actively encouraging this, but we need to start by defeating him in November,” concluded Herrell.

The border issue is set to be a key issue in November, with the invasion at the southern border creating a humanitarian crisis, with drugs like deadly fentanyl, human trafficking, weapon smuggling, and even pedophiles seeping across the border, as we previously reported. Vasquez, who is vehemently against border security, has refused to back efforts to stem the flow of illegal immigration. 

Lujan Grisham’s eco-leftist crusade pushes extreme mandate forward

39 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

New Mexico continues its crusade against gas vehicles in the attempt to force electric vehicles (EVs) on its roads, as state regulators recently dismissed a bid to pause the enactment of new regulations aimed at increasing EV availability despite ongoing legal disputes. 

With a 4-1 vote, the state’s leftist Environmental Improvement Board decided against the New Mexico Automotive Dealers Association’s request to halt the implementation of these EV mandates amidst the association’s legal challenge in the state Court of Appeals.

Far-left Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has pushed the shift towards electric vehicles to perpetuate the “climate change” theory. This approach has led to severe vehicle emission standards and mandates for zero-emission vehicle inventories.

However, this move has raised concerns among local auto dealers and figures like Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren. They argue that such mandates will disproportionately affect rural areas, where EV charging stations are scarce. Affordability also remains a significant concern, particularly for consumers in economically challenged regions like the Navajo Nation.

Not everyone is on board with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s EV agenda. Critics, including Republicans in the state legislature, have labeled it as unrealistic. They point out the vast distances many New Mexicans need to travel in the country’s fifth-largest yet thinly populated state, raising questions about the practicality of relying solely on electric vehicles.

Under the new rules set to take effect in 2026, 43 percent of all new passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks delivered to New Mexico dealerships by manufacturers must be zero-emission. This requirement escalates to 80 percent for passenger cars by 2032.

Carlos Garcia of Garcia Automotive Group highlighted the challenges in the EV market, referencing major manufacturers like Toyota and Ford reducing their EV production forecasts. He expressed concerns about the broader social and economic ramifications of the EV mandates on New Mexicans, beyond just the automotive industry.

The Rio Grande Foundation wrote on its website, Errors of Enchantment, “In a move that was hardly surprising, New Mexico’s unelected Environmental Improvement Board and the even more radical (also unelected) ABQ/Bernalillo County Air Quality Board chose to move forward with the EV mandates they adopted back in November. Those mandates are for 43% of new vehicles sold in New Mexico to be electric starting in the summer of 2026 (just over 2 years from now).”

“Those mandates are widely seen as unattainable by auto industry insiders and car dealers alike as interest in EV’s wanes among consumers. But, Gov. Lujan Grisham and her cadre of radical environmentalists and left-wing advocates remain dedicated to pushing forward no matter what it costs consumers, taxpayers, or how many job losses are inflicted on auto dealers. According to the most recent information available EV sales in New Mexico now account for 4.82 percent of all vehicles sold in the state. That means a nearly ten-fold increase in EV sales must occur over the next two years,” the group wrote. 

See how Domenici’s fundraising haul stacks up against Heinrich’s

19 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

The fundraising race is heating up in New Mexico as incumbent Sen. Martin Heinrich and Republican challenger Nella Domenici gear up for the upcoming election. 

Domenici’s campaign has hit the ground running, raising over $1.25 million in the first quarter of the year. The campaign reported contributions from more than 1,100 supporters.

On the other side, Heinrich’s campaign has not fallen behind, bringing in over $1.5 million during the same timeframe. With $3.5 million in cash reserves at the end of 2023, Heinrich’s financial position appears strong, though the full details are yet to be disclosed in the Federal Election Commission filings.

Launching her campaign earlier this year, Domenici, the daughter of the revered late Sen. Pete V. Domenici, has positioned herself as a proponent of innovative solutions in border security, natural resource utilization, and education reform.

The Republican Party sees Domenici’s candidacy as a key opportunity to reclaim a stronghold in New Mexico, a state currently dominated by Democrats at both the congressional and statewide levels. 

Despite Joe Biden securing the state in the last presidential election, Republicans are hopeful to flip the seat being held by the far-left Democrat who is out-of-touch with the voters.

Heinrich, who secured his position in a three-way race in 2018 with 54% of the vote, faces a re-election battle in a Senate where Democrats have a razor-thin majority. 

With the November elections approaching, both campaigns are ramping up their efforts to win over New Mexico voters. Domenici recently met with victims of the Hermit’s Peak Calf Canyon fire on the disaster’s two-year anniversary, where those affected continue to wait for relief. 

“It’s a disappointment of the federal government, the New Mexico state government, and I’m hugely disappointed in our state leaders,” Domenici told KOAT 7. “No one should be treated this way it doesn’t have to take this long.”

Heinrich moved his family to Silver Spring, Maryland, over a decade ago after running a campaign for U.S. Senate, claiming he hadn’t “gone Washington,” as reported by the Albuquerque Journal. The Journal’s article on Heinrich’s exodus from New Mexico for Mayland has mysteriously disappeared from the publication’s website. However, it is archived at this link forever.

‘It’s theirs now’: Border agents concede N.M. mountain to Cartel control

54 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

A video posted by reliable Fox News reporter Matt Finn shows illegal immigrants ravaging a mountain in Sunland Park, New Mexico, while Border Patrol agents apparently won’t defend it, calling the mountain the Cartel’s.

Finn wrote in the video post, “Unbelievable. A Border Patrol agent in Sunland Park, NM just told us a mountain in the United States is ‘not ours’ anymore. ‘It’s theirs.’ Referring to Cartels.  We literally spent five minutes on Mt. Cristo Rey and a group of illegals breezed by.”

Mt. Cristo Rey is adorned by a 29-foot-tall statue of Jesus, which was erected in 1940 after the vision of Fr. Lourdes Costa “ who in 1933 after looking out the back window of his residence in the community of Smeltertown, envisioned erecting a monument at the summit of this glorious mountain.” 

Since the purchase of the mountain and the building of the Jesus statue, Mt. Cristo Rey has become a holy place for Catholics for generations.

But the criminal illegal immigration seeping across the border by way of the mountain has led to vandalism and desecration. Vandalism and gang-related graffiti have scourged the holy place.

Ruben Escandon Jr., vice president and spokesman for the Mount Cristo Rey Restoration Committee, told KFOX 14, “I continuously question why they were not going to put up a fence on the Southside directly behind the monument and their answer was the terrain was too treacherous.”

“The price tag to fix damages and restore Mt. Cristo Rey is between $15,000 to $20,000, according to Escandon. The restoration committee depends heavily on donations, which are often collected during the annual pilgrimages done in October,” the outlet reported.

The illegal immigration scourge, which amped up again after Joe Biden was inaugurated in 2021, has gotten to its worst peak in the history of the country. States like Texas have done their part to stem the flow into their state, but with the robust actions in Texas, illegal immigrants are now flowing through New Mexico, with Border Patrol apparently not able to stem the illegal flow on Mt. Cristo Rey.

NM House Republicans elect new leader, whip

8 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Friday, the New Mexico House of Representatives Republicans met to elect a new minority leader and minority whip.

The vacancies in the leadership positions were not unexpected. Former Rep. Ryan Lane (R-Aztec) made a voluntary decision to resign his leadership position and his seat, paving the way for new leadership. Lane’s House seat was filled by former FBI agent Bill Hall, also of Aztec.

Rep. Jim Townsend (R-Artesia), who previously served as whip, also stepped down from the leadership role as he is running for the New Mexico Senate. This smooth leadership transition demonstrates the party’s commitment to maintaining stability and continuity.

GOP House Minority Leader Rod Montoya (left) and GOP House Minority Whip Alan Martinez (right).

House Republicans selected Rep. Rod Montoya of Farmington as leader, while Rep. Alan Martinez of Bernalillo as whip.

Montoya has served in the House since 2015 and sits on the House Appropriations Committee. Previously, Montoya served as minority whip. Before coming to the Legislature, Montoya worked for GOP former Lt. Gov. John Sanchez, who served under Gov. Susana Martinez.

Rep. Martinez, who is a freshman lawmaker elected in 2022, previously worked for the State of New Mexico’s Department of Veterans Services. 

The one leadership role in the House GOP that will not change is that of Republican Caucus Chair Gail Armstrong of Magdalena, who will continue in that position. Armstrong has served in the Legislature since 2017, succeeding former Speaker of the House Don Tripp. 

Currently, Republicans hold 25 of the chamber’s 70 seats but hope to flip many Democrat-held seats in the upcoming November election.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 … 194

Stay Updated

Scroll to Top