New Mexico

NM governor’s race changes from ‘Leans Democrat’ to ‘Toss Up’

On Wednesday, it was revealed that New Mexico’s gubernatorial race has been shifted from a “Lean Democrat” to a “Toss Up,” according to those following the race.

This is a big deal for New Mexico, as Republicans have a good shot of reclaiming the governor’s mansion in November amid dissatisfaction with Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who has been involved in a myriad of scandals throughout her short but destructive tenure. 

Republicans have nominated former television weatherman Mark Ronchetti, while Libertarians have nominated businesswoman Karen Bedonie to challenge Lujan Grisham.

According to the most recent poll commissioned by the leftist New Mexico Political Report, Ronchetti only trails Lujan Grisham by three points, while Bedonie holds 9% of the vote share. 

An internal poll from the Ronchetti campaign shows the Republican beating Lujan Grisham by one point, making the race for the governorship a competitive one.

A Republican-affiliated group began running a television advertisement Wednesday highlighting the Governor’s misuse of taxpayer funds to buy $200/lb Wagyu beef steaks, booze, and other personal items. 

The Governor also previously settled with a former staffer for $150,000 after the man accused her of pouring water over his crotch and then grabbing his genitals. 

The best Democrats have against Ronchetti is that he is a “weatherman,” claiming he has “no experience.” 

Republicans are largely ignoring Democrats’ attacks, as they likely see a conservative being far better than a scandal-ridden political insider. 

Soros-backed candidates Toulouse Oliver, Torrez team up to fundraise

George Soros-funded Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, who is running for reelection, and Bernalillo County-area District Attorney Raúl Torrez, who is running for attorney general, are teaming up to fundraise off of claims that Republicans are “attacking” so-called “democracy” by asking questions about election fraud. 

In an email, Torrez, on behalf of the Toulouse Oliver campaign, attacked the Otero County Commission, which was dragged through court by the Secretary of State after it voted to not certify the results of the 2022 Primary Election. The lawsuit was immediately acted upon by the state Supreme Court, which ordered that the Commission must certify the results. The County reluctantly did on Friday.

Torrez claimed, “I applaud Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver’s quick action to bring this issue before the NM Supreme Court, who immediately ordered the commission to comply with their duty to certify these results. And this last Saturday, I traveled to the Otero County Administration Building myself to meet with voters, hear their concerns, and reiterate our shared commitment to upholding the rule of law in order to protect our voters and defend our democracy.” Note: The United States is a constitutional republic — not a “democracy”

Torrez did, indeed visit Alamogordo, where he is pictured talking with Democrats, including Otero County Democrat Party chair Jeff Swanson, who has branded Republicans as “seditious confederates.”

Swanson can be seen on the right taking a photograph.

He continued, “We absolutely must put a stop to these dangerous antics and brinkmanship that threaten and undermine our democratic process, and we must be willing to hold individuals accountable and send a clear message — we will not permit anyone, particularly elected officials who abuse their power, to threaten our election process.”

He then asked for a joint contribution to him and Toulouse Oliver, claiming the funds would help continue “protecting our democracy” by electing the far-left Democrats.

A new poll by Fox News shows that despite all the talk by Democrats of “protecting democracy,” Republicans actually lead in that category by one percentage point.
Toulouse Oliver faces off against Republican Audrey Trujillo, while Torrez will go up against Republican Jeremy Gay in the November 8 election. Currently, Trujillo and Gay only trail the two democrats by seven percent, respectively, in the latest New Mexico Political Report poll.

Poll shows GOP trailing Dems by single digits in AG, SOS races

On Tuesday, a leftist poll commissioned by the leftist New Mexico Political Report (NMPR), which is affiliated with the George Soros-funded ProgressNow New Mexico, revealed Republicans are in striking distance of clinching the attorney general and the secretary of state positions in November.

The poll, which is expected to have oversampled Libertarians, showed Democrat Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver was leading Republican challenger Audrey Trujillo by only seven points. Toulouse Oliver had 41% to Trujillo’s 34%, while nine percent were voting for Libertarian Mayna Myers, and 16% were undecided.

NMPR reported:

Toulouse Oliver has a large lead among women, 46 percent to 28 percent over Trujillo and 8 percent for Myers. Trujillo, meanwhile, slightly leads among men, 39 percent to 36 percent with 10 percent backing Myers.

Toulouse Oliver also leads among Hispanic or Latino voters, 60 percent of whom said they support the Democrat compared to 20 percent for Trujillo and 7 percent for Myers. Among white voters, 45 percent back Trujillo, 31 percent Toulouse Oliver and 9 percent Myers. Among other ethnicities, 27 percent back Toulouse Oliver, 21 percent back Myers and 20 percent back Trujillo.

In the attorney general’s race, Democrat Raúl Torrez leads Republican Jeremy Gay by seven points as well. Torrez got 44% while Gay got 37%. 

According to NMPR:

Similarly, the Democrat Torrez leads in the Attorney General’s race among women 53 percent to Gay’s 28 percent, while Gay leads among men, 46 percent to 35 percent.

Torrez has a large lead among Hispanic or Latino voters, with 65 percent saying they would vote for him, compared to 22 percent for Gay. Among white voters, 48 percent support Gay and 32 percent support Torrez. When it comes to other ethnicities, 37 percent back Torrez and 28 percent support Gay.

642 New Mexicans were polled between June 13 and 14. The poll, conducted by Public Policy Polling (an A- rating on FiveThirtyEight that skews 0.9% toward Democrats) had a margin of error of 3.9 percent.

Leftist poll shows MLG is in big trouble as conservatives pick apart her record

According to a poll commissioned by the leftist New Mexico Political Report (NMPR), which is affiliated with the George Soros-funded ProgressNow New Mexico, Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is in serious trouble.

The poll shows Lujan Grisham barely leading with 45%. Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Ronchetti trails with 42%, while 9% said they are voting for Libertarian Karen Bedonie. Bedonie was formerly running for governor as a Republican but switched her party affiliation. She won the Libertarian primary against write-in candidate Ginger Grider. 

According to NMPR, the poll is within the margin of error for Lujan Grisham — showing dangerous territory for the vulnerable Democrat. It was done by Public Policy Polling, which is rated an A- on FiveThirtyEight and skews Democrat by 0.9 percentage points.

“Lujan Grisham holds a large lead among those who voted for Biden in 2020, 86 percent to 6 percent, with 4 percent saying they would vote for Bedonie. Ronchetti, meanwhile, leads among Trump voters 88 percent to 8 percent for Bedonie and 1 percent for Lujan Grisham,” wrote NMPR.

A recent internal poll from the Ronchetti campaign showed that Lujan Grisham is trailing him by one point, but it did not specify if respondents voting for Bedonie were factored in.

The seat is one that is in the pick-up column for Republicans. The Republican Governors Association (RGA)-affiliated “Get Families Back to Work” group has already booked hundreds of thousands in television airtime targeting Lujan Grisham on multiple scandals, including the misuse of her discretionary fund to buy luxury $200/lb Wagyu beef steaks, alcohol (which is prohibited), and other unscrupulous goods, such as dry cleaning and products for her pet.

The Albuquerque Journal reported that the RGA was spending around $179,000 so far this cycle in New Mexico.

Democrat legislator branded a ‘bigot’ over racially charged tweet

Far-left Democrat state Rep. Liz Thomson (D-Bernalillo), who is known for her radical and hate-filled statements, made a flurry of recent tweets bashing conservatives who did not support Obama, claiming it was because of the former president’s skin color.

On Saturday, Thomson shared a tweet that read, “What did Obama do that made Republicans hate him so much?” The lawmaker opined, “He was black.”

That resulted in many on social media calling her out for her bigoted statement, with one person calling her a “racist” and a “bigot.”

State Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) wrote in reply, “So by her (@lizthomsonnm) logic, if she doesn’t like, support, endorse, and vote for the Republican Lt Gov candidate, Ant Thornton (@The_NextLG), then she’s racist?” referring to the GOP lt. gov. nominee, who is Black. 

Thornton chimed in, “I’m so looking forward to receiving your vote in November!”

In another Tweet questioning why any gay people would be conservative, Thomson wrote, “I never understood being a Log Cabin Republican,” referring to the group made up of gay and lesbian conservatives.

Also over the weekend, Thomson shared scores of anti-Trump, anti-GOP tweets while also sharing conspiracy theories blaming inflation on rich people — not the true cause, which is due to Joe Biden’s economic policies. 

Thomson is the chairwoman of the House Health and Human Services Committee, despite her rabidly hateful tweets, some even comparing police officers to the KKK. She also claimed conservatives should be branded with a scarlet “S” for “seditionist.”

‘Political newbie’: MLG gets desperate as Ronchetti takes polling lead

On Saturday, scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s team sent out a panicked email ruthlessly bashing Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Ronchetti with personal attacks and falsehoods.

The campaign claims Ronchetti, who is a political moderate, is a “far-right extremist who wants to bring MAGA values to New Mexico,” despite Ronchetti distancing himself from President Donald Trump.

Her team then went on to claim his policy positions are radical, brandishing him as “wishy-washy on climate science” and as someone who “wants to stall environmental action.” 

The Lujan Grisham campaign then hit him with a personal attack that also doubles as an attack on political outsiders running for office, writing, “And, he’s a political newbie with no public service experience – just like Donald Trump.”

She did not, however, lob this attack on people like U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), or other politicians in her own party who never held elected office before running.

“We need your help to show the GOP that New Mexico is NOT up for grabs,” the campaign wrote, referencing a KOB 4 poll showing Ronchetti trailing Lujan Grisham by a mere four points.

But most startling, this week, the Ronchetti campaign released an internal poll claiming it was leading the embattled governor by one point with 46% to Lujan Grisham’s 45%. According to the numbers released, the poll has a margin of error of four percentage points. 

Lujan Grisham also began attacking Ronchetti on television, using a Democrat ex-police chief to claim the GOP nominee, who is a former television weatherman, doesn’t know how to fight crime. Crime rates have hit their highest peaks in New Mexico under Lujan Grisham, especially in Democrat-run Albuquerque, where homicides have hit historic highs.

Libertarian gubernatorial nominee Karen Bedonie, a former Republican, is also in contention for the governorship.

After threats of jail time, removal, Otero County certifies primary election results

On Friday, the Otero County Commission met in the capacity of the county’s Canvass Board to certify the results of the 2022 Primary Election. The emergency meeting announced Thursday afternoon happened after Democrat New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver took the commissioners to the state Supreme Court to compel them to certify, which it did.

Toulouse Oliver also sent a criminal referral to New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas, who would pursue legal action against the commissioners resulting in felony charges and potential removal from office.

During the meeting, Commissioner Vickie Marquardt, the chairwoman of the Commission, said the state was forcing the commissioners to be “rubber-stamping this” certification or else she and the others would be jailed.

“I will be of no use if I am in jail,” said Marquardt, stating how the state law gives County Commissions no power to object to election results even if there are issues found.

“I just want the election to be a trustworthy election,” Marquardt said.

Marquardt urged citizens to “reach out to the Legislature” to get the law changed.

Commissioner Gerald Matherly, who preciously had concerns regarding people voting from specific addresses, noted how Otero County Clerk Robyn Holmes helped him work through his concerns. He noted how since there were “no proven black and white facts” to prove fraud, there was no real recourse against the state.

Holmes insisted the County Clerk’s Office “crossed every I and dotted every t.”

Commissioner Couy Griffin, the only dissenting vote to the canvass who attended via telephone since he was in Washington, D.C., said, “All we wanted to do was to look inside the machines,” adding, “we wanted to hand-count the ballots.”

Griffin was in court today to be sentenced for his participation in the rally at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, where Griffin led a crowd in prayer. He was convicted of trespassing, which resulted in 14 days in jail (time served), a $3,000 fine, 60 hours of community service, and a year of supervised release, according to CBS News.

“We really need to wake up to the overreach of the state government,” Griffin added. “If this is as far as our audit goes … it’s enough to prove how scared they are at the top.”

Marquardt reaffirmed that she could do “a lot more good in our seat[s]” fighting for the ranchers of the county and other issues than if Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham would be allowed to replace the commissioners with her hand-picked replacements.

“We honestly don’t have a choice,” Marquardt said.

The final vote was 2-1, with Marquardt and Matherly voting to approve the canvass of the election while Griffin voted against certification. Watch the recording of the meeting here:

Following the certification meeting, Toulouse Oliver released the following statement:

“I am relieved that the Otero County Commission finally did the right thing and followed their duty under New Mexico law to certify the free and fair results of the 2022 Primary Election. The voters of Otero County and the candidates who duly won their primaries can now rest assured that their voices have been heard and the General Election can proceed as planned.”

SOS Toulouse Oliver raising campaign cash off of lawsuit against Otero County

On Wednesday, following a lawsuit filed in the New Mexico Supreme Court to force Otero County to certify the 2022 Primary Election despite concerns, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver appeared on multiple left-wing cable news channels to attempt to make an example out of the County.

She even threatened the possibility of a criminal referral to the state Attorney General demanding prosecution and removal of the three Republican county commissioners who did not certify the election. The Court ruled the same day that the County Commission must certify the election.

On Thursday, however, Toulouse Oliver showed a likely hidden agenda in the media stunt. She sent out an email to her campaign supporters asking for money following her lawsuit against Otero County.

She wrote in the email, “This week, all three Otero County Commissioners refused to certify the results of our Primary Election because they don’t ‘feel in their heart’ that the results are correct.

“If these votes aren’t certified, all votes in the county would be thrown out. They would disenfranchise every single voter in Otero – a county that went 62% to Trump – because they don’t feel the voting machines are accurate.”

She then added, “Not on my watch…. I’m suing the Otero County Commissioners to demand they follow the law and certify the election.”

Toulouse Oliver then asked for money from supporters since she claims she’s “fight[ing] against the conspiracy theories and lawlessness trying to dismantle our democracy.”

“I like to think that the county commissioners who have sworn an oath to the Constitution will do the right thing. But I’m concerned that this idea could set a precedent and spread not only in NM, but across the country,” she added.

However, in state statute, the commissioners are not mandated to certify the results if they find a discrepancy. The Otero County Commission is meeting on Friday at 4:00 p.m. to discuss the canvassing of the election.

SOS Toulouse Oliver wants to remove Otero Commissioners, throw them in jail

On Wednesday, far-left Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver appeared on at least two programs on CNN and MSNBC to discuss her legal actions taken against the Otero County Commission, which refused to certify the June 7, 2022, Primary Election.

While speaking with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, Toulouse Oliver disclosed that she will be making a referral to the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office recommending the removal and prosecution of the three members who unanimously voted against certification.

Toulouse Oliver said, “We’re going to be making that referral shortly, and quite frankly, criminal prosecution is on the list, as well as removal from office for these commissioners who are violating the law.” 

Although the three commissioners did not list a specific instance of potential fraud, they did claim that they had concerns regarding voters being incorrectly registered and potential issues with Dominion tabulator machines.

On Wednesday, the state Supreme Court ordered them to certify the election results by Friday. It is unlikely that will happen since the Commission’s chairwoman, Vickie Marquardt, said she would be in Santa Fe at a meeting, while Commissioner Gerald Matherly would be out of town, and Commissioner Couy Griffin has already left the state for Washington, D.C. to attend sentencing hearings of fellow January 6 defendants.

State Supreme Court orders Otero County must certify primary election

On Wednesday, the New Mexico Supreme Court ordered a writ of mandamus against the Otero County Commission, forcing the Commission’s hand to certify the Jun 7, 2022, primary election results.

The Santa Fe New Mexican’s Daniel Chacón wrote on Twitter, “The state Supreme Court today issued a writ of mandamus against the Otero County Commission for certification of 2022 primary election returns.”

The Court ordered that the commission must “meet to approve the report of the canvass of the returns and declare the results.” The writ is below:

This came after the three-member board refused to certify the election, citing unspecified concerns regarding the use of Dominion tabulator machines. This prompted Democrat Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver to file a lawsuit in the high court.

She wrote in the lawsuit that refusal to certify “jeopardizes the general election ballot for all candidates.” 

A press release from Toulouse Oliver’s office announcing the lawsuit noted in addition to the lawsuit to compel the Otero County Commission’s compliance with the state elections code “[b]ecause of these violations of their oaths, the Secretary of State’s Office is also preparing a criminal referral to the New Mexico Attorney General related to these willful violations of the Election Code by county officers and their willful failure or refusal to perform their duties under the Election Code.”

If the county commissioners buck the high court’s order, it could begin a criminal referral to Attorney General Hector Balderas’ office.

Following the decision, election integrity expert David Clements wrote, “The decision amounts to a fundamental lack of due process. The Supreme Court did not address the Dominion Voting Systems’ noncompliance with the election code, and are doing nothing more than providing a rubber stamp on forced use of a machine designed to facilitate fraud. An order to certify an illegal election is no order at all.”

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