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Sheriff says Vasquez had to be shamed into supporting police

Leave a Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Eddy County Sheriff Matthew Hutchinson is blasting U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez after the Democrat congressman’s delayed response to National Police Week, accusing Vasquez of treating law enforcement like an afterthought while officers in southern New Mexico face the daily consequences of crime, fentanyl, and the border crisis.

In a new opinion column titled “Our congressman won’t back the badge,” Hutchinson said Vasquez remained silent for the first two days of National Police Week, which ran May 10-16, before finally posting a message after being publicly called out by Republican congressional candidate Greg Cunningham.

“For two full days, our congressman said nothing,” Hutchinson wrote.

“It was not until Greg Cunningham, the Republican candidate for New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District, called out Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., publicly for his silence that Vasquez finally posted something acknowledging the week,” he continued. “Two days late. On top of that he has his replies turned off so nobody could respond.”

Hutchinson, who said he has served in law enforcement in southeastern New Mexico for 19 years, made clear that National Police Week is not just a political talking point for officers and their families.

“I have stood at funerals for officers killed in the line of duty. I have looked their families in the eye,” he wrote. “National Police Week is not something I need a politician to remind me about. But I do need to know that the person representing this district in Congress actually cares about the men and women who protect it.”

The sheriff argued Vasquez’s delayed post looked less like sincere support and more like political damage control.

“When your congressman has to be shamed into showing up during the one week a year dedicated to law enforcement, and then shuts down the conversation after he does, that is not support,” Hutchinson wrote. “That is damage control.”

Hutchinson said the episode fits a larger pattern from Vasquez.

“This is a pattern with Gabe Vasquez,” he wrote. “He called for defunding the police. His own words, on camera. He called the crisis at our southern border a ‘non-existent threat.’ He voted against funding the Department of Homeland Security.”

Vasquez has long faced criticism over past comments made during a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest, when he said, “It’s not just about defunding the police, it’s about defunding a system that privileges white people over everyone else.”

Those comments have followed Vasquez through multiple congressional campaigns, even as he has more recently tried to present himself as supportive of law enforcement.

Hutchinson pointed to the reality faced by officers in Eddy County, where deputies deal with the fallout from drug trafficking, smuggling, and border-related crime.

“Down here in Eddy County, my deputies do not get to show up two days late,” he wrote. “They do not get to turn off the conversation when it gets uncomfortable.”

“They are on the roads every night, pulling over vehicles loaded with fentanyl, chasing smugglers and dealing with the consequences of a border that Vasquez refused to secure,” Hutchinson added. “They answer every call. They do not wait to be called out first.”

The sheriff then announced his endorsement of Cunningham, a Marine veteran and former Albuquerque police detective who is running as the Republican nominee in New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District.

“That is why I am endorsing Greg Cunningham for Congress,” Hutchinson wrote.

Hutchinson described Cunningham as someone who understands law enforcement because he has lived it.

“Cunningham is a Marine who served in combat. He came home and became a detective with the Albuquerque Police Department. He has worked the cases, made the arrests and put himself in danger to protect his community,” Hutchinson wrote. “He did not need a career in politics to understand what law enforcement goes through. He has lived it.”

The National Republican Congressional Committee also seized on the op-ed, accusing Vasquez of betraying law enforcement.

“Defund the police Gabe Vasquez was just brutally called out by Eddy County Sheriff Matthew Hutchinson in a scathing op-ed,” the NRCC wrote in a release.

The committee said Hutchinson “took Vasquez to task for wanting to defund the police, constantly voting against border security measures, and remaining silent when it comes to supporting law enforcement.”

NRCC spokesman Reilly Richardson added, “Defund the police Gabe Vasquez’s abysmal record speaks for itself. Law enforcement leaders know Vasquez will never give them meaningful support, which is why they’re supporting Republican Greg Cunningham for Congress.”

Vasquez’s allies have argued he supports law enforcement funding, pointing to legislation such as the Invest to Protect Act, which is aimed at helping small and rural police departments recruit and retain officers.

But Hutchinson’s column shows that, for many law enforcement leaders in the district, Vasquez’s newer pro-police messaging does not erase his record or past comments.

“The officers across this district deserve better than a congressman who treats them like an afterthought,” Hutchinson wrote. “The families who pray every night that their loved ones come home safe deserve someone who does not need to be pressured into standing with them.”

For Vasquez, the criticism lands in one of the most politically sensitive areas of the 2nd Congressional District, where border security, public safety, and fentanyl remain top concerns.

And for Cunningham, Hutchinson’s endorsement gives his campaign a law enforcement validator from southeast New Mexico — one of the regions most directly affected by the policies Vasquez’s critics say have made communities less safe.

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Last known image emerges in mystery of missing NM officer tied to UAPs

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Newly reported details are shedding light on the disappearance of retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland, whose case has drawn national attention because of his military background and alleged connection to classified government programs involving unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP.

McCasland, 68, disappeared from his Albuquerque home on Feb. 27. His case quickly became the subject of online speculation because of his long military career, including work connected to highly sensitive defense programs. Some have suggested his disappearance could be linked to his knowledge of UAP-related information.

But newly surfaced records reported by Los Angeles Magazine and highlighted by NewsNation point to a more personal and tragic possibility: McCasland may have been struggling with physical decline, mental fog, and deep fears of abandonment before he vanished.

The Los Angeles Magazine report, based on police reports and documents obtained through a public records request, also included what may be the last verified image of McCasland before his disappearance. The Feb. 26 surveillance photo reportedly shows the silver-haired retired officer inside an REI store carrying items, including what appeared to be a first aid kit.

McCasland’s disappearance became even more somber after remains were later found in a national forest.

According to NewsNation, some of the information in the report supports the view that McCasland had been unraveling in the period before he vanished, following health concerns and significant family losses.

One unidentified woman who worked with McCasland told the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office that he seemed unusually withdrawn during a gathering the night before he disappeared. The two were reportedly involved in a civilian organization that worked with Kirtland Air Force Base.

“That is out of character for him. He’s so full of knowledge. I mean, it’s crazy scary how smart he is … and he was just very quiet,” the colleague said in a recorded interview.

McCasland’s wife, Susan McCasland Wilkerson, told investigators on Feb. 27 that her husband, who had previously been physically fit and mentally sharp, had recently been dealing with “physical and mental” issues and had been “experiencing what we’ve been calling ‘brain fog.’”

That same day, Wilkerson said McCasland seemed unusually “down” and “clingy.” At one point, according to the report, he told her, “I don’t want to on like this,” apparently meaning he did not want to go on like this.

Wilkerson also told police that her husband had become upset after an argument with a service technician at their home. Still, the couple had planned to go to the gym after she returned from a medical appointment.

“When she said goodbye to him it was normal and they kissed goodbye,” a police report summarizing her interview stated.

But when Wilkerson returned home, McCasland was gone. He had left behind his phone and other personal items. According to NewsNation, Wilkerson suggested to investigators that her husband may not have wanted to be found.

The newly reported records also describe a disturbing dream McCasland had shared with a friend.

In a separate police interview, a friend told investigators that McCasland had endured “significant personal losses” over the past year, including the death of his father and his mother’s move into a memory care facility.

“These events may have contributed to a growing fear of abandonment,” a police report stated. “This theme was reflected in a recent nightmare that he shared, in which he found himself in a room surrounded by friends who all turned their backs and walked away from him, leaving him alone.”

The McCasland case has become part of a broader online conversation about so-called “missing scientists” and defense-connected figures who have disappeared or died under violent, unusual, or mysterious circumstances. Because McCasland’s military career reportedly placed him near classified programs, some online observers have speculated about whether his disappearance was connected to government secrets.

Others have urged caution, noting that many such cases have ordinary explanations, even when they are deeply tragic.

For New Mexicans, the case is especially notable because of McCasland’s ties to Albuquerque, Kirtland Air Force Base, and the state’s unique role in national defense, aerospace, and classified research.

But the newly released details paint a picture less like a spy thriller and more like a heartbreaking personal crisis involving a respected retired officer who may have been privately struggling.

While questions remain, the records show that those closest to McCasland had noticed a change. Once described as “crazy scary” smart and full of knowledge, he had become quieter, more distant, and increasingly weighed down by health concerns and personal loss.

His disappearance remains a tragic New Mexico story now caught between public fascination, national security speculation, and the painful reality of a family searching for answers.

Last known image emerges in mystery of missing NM officer tied to UAPs Read More »

Trump FDA acts fast after screwworm cases hit NM and TX

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President Donald Trump’s Food and Drug Administration, run by Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas, has granted emergency use authorization for a generic over-the-counter tablet to treat New World screwworm in dogs and cats, marking the first generic animal drug authorized for use against the dangerous parasite.

The move comes as officials in New Mexico and Texas have confirmed at least seven domestic screwworm cases involving cattle, a dog, and a goat — the first confirmed U.S. cases in decades after the parasite was eradicated from the country in the 1960s, according to The Hill.

New World screwworm is not a typical nuisance pest. It is a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals. The larvae enter through open wounds and burrow into flesh, causing severe injuries and extreme suffering if the infestation is not discovered and treated quickly.

The parasite is especially feared by ranchers because of the damage it can cause to cattle and livestock operations. But it can also affect pets, wildlife, and, in rare cases, humans.

Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas

With New Mexico now among the states where cases have been confirmed, the Trump administration’s FDA action gives pet owners and veterinarians another tool as federal and state officials work to contain the threat.

The FDA authorized nitenpyram tablets for emergency use in dogs and cats. The generic drug comes in two strengths and is administered based on the animal’s weight. According to the FDA, the treatment acts quickly, killing most larvae within hours of the first dose.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the authorization will help pet owners respond faster and strengthen the broader containment effort.

The FDA’s action “puts an affordable, fast-acting treatment in the hands of pet owners, strengthens our containment strategy, and helps stop this destructive parasite from spreading further in the United States,” Kennedy said in a statement.

The treatment is intended for dogs and cats that weigh at least two pounds and are at least four weeks old.

Pet owners are instructed to give a second dose six hours after the first. However, the FDA cautioned that the tablets do not prevent reinfestation. A veterinarian may still need to remove remaining living or dead larvae from the animal.

Federal officials have said the risk to most pets across the country remains low. However, animals that have been in affected areas are considered more vulnerable.

That warning is especially relevant in New Mexico, where ranching, livestock, working dogs, and rural outdoor life are part of everyday life for many families. The confirmed cases in New Mexico and Texas raise concerns not only for pet owners, but also for ranchers and livestock producers already watching the spread closely.

The New World screwworm’s return to the United States is a serious development for agriculture. Before it was eradicated domestically in the 1960s, the pest caused devastating losses to the livestock industry. Its reappearance has prompted renewed concern from federal officials, veterinarians, and animal health experts.

For New Mexico ranchers and rural communities, quick identification and treatment will be key. Open wounds on animals should be monitored carefully, particularly in areas where screwworm has been detected. Any signs of unusual larvae, worsening wounds, or severe animal distress should be reported to a veterinarian immediately.

The Trump FDA’s emergency authorization does not immediately end the screwworm threat, but it does provide a faster, more affordable option for treating infected pets while containment efforts continue.

For now, federal officials are urging vigilance — particularly in affected areas — as the U.S. works to stop the destructive parasite from spreading further.

Trump FDA acts fast after screwworm cases hit NM and TX Read More »

Stansbury wants cash to fight the same trick Dems used in NM

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Far-left Democrat U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury is fundraising off “gerrymandering” while ignoring one glaring fact: her own party used total control of Santa Fe to redraw New Mexico’s congressional map in a way that helped Democrats wipe out Republican representation in the state’s U.S. House delegation.

In a fundraising email sent by “Team Melanie,” Stansbury’s campaign framed the national fight for Congress as an urgent battle against Republican corruption.

“FIRST: The Supreme Court allowed Republicans to gerrymander our rights away,” the email claimed.

“THEN: Donald Trump’s own IRS gave him a $1.8 billion slush fund for his cronies,” it continued.

“NOW: WE HAVE TO STOP THE CORRUPTION AND SAVE THIS COUNTRY,” the campaign wrote in all caps.

The email then asked supporters to help raise thousands of dollars to “fight gerrymandering” and flip control of the U.S. House.

“We need to raise another $6,527 by the end of May to close our budget gap and fight gerrymandering by investing in races that will flip the House,” the campaign wrote, asking for contributions of $10, $25, $50, $100, $250, or more.

But Stansbury’s outrage over gerrymandering is loaded with irony.

New Mexico’s current congressional map was drawn by the state’s Democrat-controlled Legislature and signed by Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham after the 2020 Census. The new boundaries dramatically reshaped the state’s three congressional districts, especially the southern Second Congressional District, which had long been the state’s most Republican-leaning seat.

Rather than preserving a clear southern New Mexico district, Democrats cracked conservative communities and stretched the district north and west, pulling in more Democrat-friendly areas in an obvious attempt to make the seat more competitive for the left.

The result was exactly what Republicans warned would happen: New Mexico went from having at least one Republican voice in Congress to an all-Democrat U.S. House delegation.

That did not stop Stansbury’s campaign from acting as if gerrymandering is something only Republicans do.

“After gutting the Voting Rights Act and redistricting across the country, every seat is now so important to taking back the House majority,” the email stated. “The corruption Republicans have festered has to end.”

The Voting Rights Act line is especially revealing.

Democrats routinely invoke the Voting Rights Act as if it is a neutral shield for democracy. But in modern redistricting fights, the law has often been used to pressure states into drawing districts with race as a central factor — effectively sorting voters into political districts based partly on skin color or ethnic background.

Conservatives have long argued that this approach is itself discriminatory. Instead of treating voters as individuals with equal rights, race-conscious districting can reduce citizens to racial categories and assume how they will vote based on identity.

That is not equality. That is racial bean-counting dressed up as civil rights.

Stansbury’s campaign did not explain any of that complexity. Instead, it used the Voting Rights Act as a scare line while demanding donations to help Democrats “fight gerrymandering.”

The campaign then made the real goal clear: “make sure Republicans stay OUT of Congress.”

That line may be the most honest part of the entire email.

In New Mexico, Democrats already worked to do exactly that. The state’s congressional map helped Democrats flip the Second Congressional District in 2022, when Gabe Vasquez narrowly defeated Republican Yvette Herrell. Democrats later held the seat again, giving New Mexico a 3-0 Democrat congressional delegation.

So when Stansbury’s campaign warns about “gerrymandering,” conservative New Mexicans may reasonably ask: where was that concern when her own party redrew New Mexico’s map to weaken Republican voters?

Stansbury’s campaign also made a sweeping claim about President Donald Trump, alleging that “Donald Trump’s own IRS gave him a $1.8 billion slush fund for his cronies.”

That line leaves out major context.

The fund in question was the nearly $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” which was announced by the Department of Justice as part of a settlement structure tied to Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns. Critics have attacked the proposal and raised concerns that it could benefit Trump allies, but Stansbury’s email collapsed a disputed legal fight into a panic-button donor pitch.

That is not the full story.

The fund was not simply “Trump’s own IRS” handing out cash to “cronies.” It was part of a contested legal and administrative matter involving the Justice Department, the IRS lawsuit, and continuing court scrutiny. Reporting has also noted that the administration later represented in court that it was not moving forward with the fund, even as litigation and questions continued.

But context was not the point of Stansbury’s email.

The point was cash.

The campaign’s message was simple: Republicans are corrupt, Republicans are gerrymandering, Trump has a slush fund, and donors must give money immediately.

But New Mexicans have already seen Democrats use the very tactics Stansbury now claims to oppose.

They saw Democrats control the redistricting process. They saw the Legislature ignore pleas from Republicans and rural communities. They saw conservative southern New Mexico cracked apart. And they saw the political result: a congressional map that helped Democrats capture every U.S. House seat in the state.

The courts ultimately allowed New Mexico’s map to stand, but that does not erase the political reality. Democrats designed the map. Democrats benefited from the map. Democrats now control all three congressional seats.

Now Stansbury wants to fundraise by pretending Republicans are the only ones playing politics with district lines. Actually, the redistricting fight happened after Democrat-dominated states like Illinois, New Mexico, Massachusetts, and so many others for years have been gerrymandering for political gain.

For New Mexico conservatives, the hypocrisy is hard to miss.

Democrats in Santa Fe gerrymandered New Mexico’s congressional map. Democrats benefited from it. Democrats now hold every congressional seat in the state.

Then Stansbury blasted out a fundraising email claiming Democrats need money to stop gerrymandering and keep Republicans out of Congress.

New Mexicans have seen this act before.

Stansbury wants cash to fight the same trick Dems used in NM Read More »

Haaland uses national TV hit to bash Trump, defend Biden

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Far-left Democrat Deb Haaland used a friendly national television appearance on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe” this week to promote her new memoir, tout her Biden administration record, and frame her campaign for governor as a direct fight against President Donald Trump.

Haaland, who recently won the Democratic nomination for New Mexico governor, appeared on the program to discuss her book, “A Voice Like Mine,” while the hosts repeatedly highlighted her biography and potential to make history again if elected governor.

The segment opened by noting that Haaland was one of the first Native American women elected to Congress and later became the first Native American to serve in a presidential cabinet when Joe Biden selected her as secretary of the interior.

Haaland leaned heavily into that theme, saying the title of her book came from her first congressional campaign.

“My media consultant, she said, we were all on a call one day and she just said, well, Congress has never heard a voice like yours,” Haaland said. “And I was like, yeah.”

She added that the phrase became a campaign slogan: “Congress has never heard a voice like mine.”

Haaland told the program that “representation matters,” pointing to her work on missing and murdered Indigenous people and federal Indian boarding schools.

But the interview quickly shifted from biography to politics, where Haaland gave voters plenty to notice.

Asked about running as a former Biden administration official after Democrats have faced anger over how Biden’s presidency ended, Haaland defended the record.

“I have a long record of accomplishment serving with President Biden as the secretary of the interior,” Haaland said.

She specifically touted placing “millions of acres of land into conservation” and claimed the Biden administration “stood up a clean energy transition for our entire country.”

“We have a strong record of accomplishment and nothing can take away from that,” Haaland said. “We did those. We did that work.”

For conservatives, that line may be one of the most revealing in the interview. Haaland is not distancing herself from Biden. She is running directly on the Biden-Haaland record, including the administration’s aggressive land and energy agenda.

Haaland also pointed to her time running the Department of the Interior, saying her executive experience separates her from other candidates.

“I have the experience of leading a department of 70,000 career staff and an $18 billion annual budget,” she said. “I did that for four consecutive years.”

Then came the anti-Trump pitch.

Haaland said that “right now leadership is important in our country” and declared that “governor is the first line of defense against the worst policies coming out of the Trump administration.”

When asked how she would deal with the Trump administration if elected governor, Haaland immediately listed deportations, Medicaid, and food stamps.

“It’s not just deportations, it’s cutting of Medicaid and SNAP benefits,” she said, claiming those policies “could close five rural hospitals in my state.”

She then blamed Trump for rising costs.

“Trump is making things more expensive,” Haaland said, citing gas prices “over four and a half dollars a gallon.”

Then she escalated the attack.

“Trump is making people in my state sicker, poorer and hungrier,” Haaland said.

Haaland said New Mexico would need to “push back against this administration” and “sue the administration for the things that they are obligated to our state for.”

“I know how the federal government works and I’m going to work hard to make sure that New Mexicans are protected against these worst policies that are coming out of the White House,” she added.

The comments offer a clear preview of Haaland’s general election strategy: nationalize the race around Trump, defend the Biden administration, and portray herself as the governor who would fight Washington Republicans.

The interview also included comments likely to raise eyebrows among conservatives concerned about land use, energy, and private property. Haaland described New Mexico and the broader United States through the lens of ancestral land, saying, “The United States was all Indian land at one time and it is our ancestral homeland.”

“And so we care deeply about the land, the water, our natural resources,” she said.

That worldview tracks closely with Haaland’s record at Interior, where she pushed conservation, clean energy, and federal land policies that many Western energy producers, ranchers, and rural communities have criticized as hostile to traditional land use.

Haaland also promoted the Biden administration’s green energy agenda, saying it produced “12 offshore wind projects and 50 solar projects in the southwest alone.”

The appearance was largely friendly, with hosts praising Haaland’s story and history-making political career. One host called her story “incredible,” while another highlighted her “thirty fifth generation New Mexican” background.

But for New Mexico conservatives, the substance was more important than the soft-focus framing.

Haaland used the national platform to embrace the Biden record, push a climate-heavy federal résumé, attack Trump over immigration and spending fights, and promise to use the governor’s office as a weapon against the current administration.

If elected, Haaland made clear she would not be a check on the far-left policies coming from national Democrats. She would be one of their most eager state-level enforcers.

Haaland uses national TV hit to bash Trump, defend Biden Read More »

MLG’s national media lovefest comes with one wild admission

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Lame-duck Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham received a glowing national-media sendoff this week from WBUR, Boston’s NPR affiliate, which framed the far-left Democrat as one of the party’s most “effective leaders” while giving her nearly an hour to brag about her administration’s big-government agenda.

The segment, titled “How New Mexico’s governor got big things done,” opened by praising Lujan Grisham’s “robust list of progressive achievements,” including New Mexico’s taxpayer-funded “universal” child care program — a program that remains under litigation — not to mention ex-Lujan Grisham officials are bashing, as we previously reported.

Host Meghna Chakrabarti noted that New Mexico became the first state in the country to offer universal “free” child care and asked Lujan Grisham how she paid for it.

The answer, of course, was oil and gas.

WBUR acknowledged that New Mexico’s massive oil and gas revenues helped bankroll the program, even as Lujan Grisham used the interview to make clear that, if she had her way, fossil fuels would disappear completely.

“If I had a magic wand, nowhere in the world would we be using or burning fossil fuels,” Lujan Grisham said.

For conservative New Mexicans, that may be the most revealing line of the entire interview. The governor is more than happy to spend billions produced by the oil and gas industry, but she openly admits her ideal world would eliminate the very energy source funding her signature government programs.

Lujan Grisham also described universal child care not as a limited government benefit, but as a permanent government-guaranteed “right.”

In a clip from her State of the State address played by WBUR, Lujan Grisham declared, “New Mexico, in fact, is the first state in America to make childcare a right, not an aspiration, not a goal, a right.”

When asked why she used that language, the governor compared child care to foundational ideals.

“Like the pursuit of liberty and happiness … [universal childcare] is what citizens can expect in the state of New Mexico,” she said.

She added that enshrining the policy changes the political fight “forever.”

“That changes the trajectory and the debate for politicians then forever,” Lujan Grisham said.

In other words, the governor’s goal was not simply to create a program. It was to make it politically difficult for future lawmakers or governors to reverse course, even if the program becomes unaffordable or fails to meet demand.

That point is especially relevant as even supporters of universal child care have begun warning that New Mexico’s rollout is running into major problems, including provider shortages, lack of infant-care capacity, and long-term funding concerns.

Still, WBUR treated the program as a national Democrat model, giving Lujan Grisham a platform to argue that other Democrats should follow New Mexico’s lead.

Lujan Grisham also took credit for the program’s expansion, saying, “I’ll take a little more credit here … because you’re not a good governor unless you can do that.”

The governor claimed the state’s permanent funds have grown dramatically during her tenure, saying oil-and-gas-backed funds were around $22 billion to $23 billion when she became governor and are now “just under $70 billion.”

She also said New Mexico created a child care trust fund using another stream of oil and gas revenue, claiming it began with $300 million and is now at $11 billion.

That creates the central contradiction: Lujan Grisham’s “progressive” legacy depends heavily on an industry she simultaneously wants to transition away from — or, in her own “magic wand” world, abolish outright.

The governor did give oil and gas what she called a “shout-out,” saying the industry has sometimes been more cooperative on regulation than Democrat lawmakers.

“They have been more in line with accountability and funding our regulators than some of our Democratic lawmakers have been,” she said.

But that praise did not last long. Lujan Grisham quickly returned to her “climate change” agenda, arguing that New Mexico needs to go further in decarbonizing transportation, agriculture, and other sectors.

“You have to do transportation. We have to do ag. We have to be at net zero,” she said, adding that every state needs “a pathway to net negative.”

She also said New Mexico is “not where we ought to be” on climate and “must do more.”

The governor defended her failed Clear Horizons-style agenda, which would have pushed sweeping greenhouse gas targets into law, after the plan failed in the Legislature with bipartisan opposition.

Lujan Grisham said she believes a simpler bill putting the state on a carbon-neutral path by 2050 could pass.

“I have no doubt you’ll see that work again in the next legislative session,” she said.

That may be a warning for New Mexico’s energy workers, royalty owners, taxpayers, and communities that depend on the oil and gas economy: even as Lujan Grisham prepares to leave office, the anti-energy agenda she championed is not going away.

The interview also veered into national Democrat politics, where Lujan Grisham admitted her party has a problem connecting with voters on everyday issues.

“When the Democratic agenda doesn’t seem to get the particulars … that leaves voters out,” she said.

She specifically acknowledged that more Hispanic voters, particularly Hispanic men, moved in a conservative direction in 2024. This comes just days after addressing the Democratic National Committee, where she stated the Democrats don’t need men to win elections.

Lujan Grisham blamed part of her own narrower 2022 reelection margin on COVID restrictions, saying New Mexicans are “fiercely independent” and care about “freedom” and “rights.”

That admission is notable given the governor’s record of sweeping COVID-era mandates, business restrictions, and her later failed attempt to suspend gun carry rights in Albuquerque through a public health order.

At one point, she said Democrats “have to stop” with platitudes when voters do not feel safe or financially secure in their daily lives.

“Until people are safe in their neighborhoods and communities, until they feel like they’re not living paycheck to paycheck, Democrats have to stop, I think, with these platitudes,” she said.

But moments later, the governor returned to familiar left-wing talking points, claiming Democrat governors need more federal help and attacking President Donald Trump over immigration enforcement.

She accused the federal government of “deporting the innocent refugee asylum seekers and their families who are immigrants looking for the American dream.”

The WBUR host also asked whether Lujan Grisham has future political ambitions.

The governor did not rule it out.

“I’m not done trying to make a difference,” she said.

For WBUR, the interview was a celebration of Lujan Grisham’s progressive résumé. For conservatives in New Mexico, it was something else: a revealing look at a governor who boasts about using oil money to grow government, calls child care a constitutional-style right, dreams of a world without fossil fuels, admits Democrats lost ground with Hispanic men, and still thinks New Mexico should be a national model.

If this is the Democrat blueprint, New Mexicans should pay close attention.

MLG’s national media lovefest comes with one wild admission Read More »

MLG’s office accidentally makes the case against anti-ICE law

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A letter from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office is raising new questions about the legal footing of New Mexico’s anti-ICE House Bill 9 after the governor’s own staff appeared to acknowledge that immigration enforcement is under federal jurisdiction.

In a response to a constituent who contacted the governor’s office about ICE operations, the Office of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham wrote that “jurisdiction over immigration enforcement rests with federal agencies,” adding that this reality limits “state and local law enforcement’s ability to intervene.”

That statement is now drawing attention because it appears to echo one of the central arguments made by critics of HB 9: immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, and New Mexico’s attempt to restrict local cooperation with federal immigration authorities may be on shaky legal ground.

The letter, addressed to a New Mexican concerned about ICE operations, reads in part, “It is essential to recognize that jurisdiction over immigration enforcement rests with federal agencies, limiting state and local law enforcement’s ability to intervene.”

The governor’s office then directed complaints about alleged misconduct to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General.

The response was posted publicly on Facebook by Lana Kozikowski, who wrote that she contacted the governor’s office in an attempt to receive an explanation for why Lujan Grisham signed HB 9, the Democrat-backed “Immigrant Safety Act.” The law targets local government cooperation with federal immigration authorities, including DHS facilities and existing agreements between DHS and local law enforcement agencies.

Kozikowski argued the governor’s office response showed the administration already knew the state was entering federal territory.

“She knew HB 9 and SB 264 amendments would be unlawful but passed them anyway,” Kozikowski wrote.

Screenshot of the Facebook post regarding HB9 and Lujan Grisham’s office’s response.

The post quickly drew hundreds of reactions and comments from New Mexicans who saw the same contradiction. One commenter wrote, “They know the law is illegal and unenforceable, but they want to cause division and create chaos so they can play victims.” Another wrote, “Excellent, you got it in writing!”

The letter does not explicitly say HB 9 is illegal. But it does appear to concede the basic principle now at the center of the growing legal and political fight: immigration enforcement belongs to the federal government.

That matters because HB 9 has already triggered fierce opposition from counties and communities that rely on federal immigration detention contracts, including Otero County. Critics have warned the law threatens jobs, local revenue, public safety, and long-standing cooperation between local entities and federal authorities.

The U.S. Department of Justice has also sued New Mexico over HB 9 and Albuquerque’s related anti-ICE ordinance, arguing the state and city are interfering with federal immigration enforcement. Federal officials contend that state and local governments cannot obstruct federal operations by cutting off facilities, contracts, or cooperation needed to carry out immigration law.

The governor’s office letter now gives critics another talking point: even Lujan Grisham’s own staff acknowledged that immigration enforcement is federally controlled.

For people against open-borders, the issue is straightforward. If the governor’s office admits that immigration enforcement is a federal matter, why did Lujan Grisham sign a law aimed at disrupting local partnerships with federal immigration authorities?

HB 9 supporters have portrayed the law as a protection for immigrant communities — despite it doing the opposite. Opponents argue it is an anti-ICE political stunt that puts New Mexico in conflict with federal law while threatening local economies and public safety.

The contradiction was not lost on commenters responding to the Facebook post. One wrote, “Am I the only one seeing the blatant hypocrisy?” Another argued the administration was trying to “make it illegal for federal agencies to enforce the law” while telling people to report violations to the same federal government.

The governor’s office may have intended the letter as a routine constituent response. Instead, it has become a new wrinkle in the HB 9 fight — one that appears to undermine the administration’s own position.

At minimum, the response raises an obvious question: if Lujan Grisham’s office recognizes that immigration enforcement rests with federal agencies, why is New Mexico trying to block the local infrastructure and agreements that help those federal agencies do their jobs?

MLG’s office accidentally makes the case against anti-ICE law Read More »

Left turns on Heinrich after he waits to kiss the Haaland ring

26 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

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.

Left turns on Heinrich after he waits to kiss the Haaland ring Read More »

ABQ Jewish community shaken after violent synagogue attack

13 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

An Albuquerque man is facing multiple charges after police say he smashed windows at two Jewish institutions in the city, causing major damage and heightening concerns over antisemitism in New Mexico.

According to reporting from the Santa Fe New Mexican, 25-year-old Rex Crofton was arrested in connection with the vandalism at Congregation Albert Synagogue. A criminal complaint filed Wednesday in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court charges Crofton with desecration of a church, two counts of criminal damage to property, and a hate crime sentencing enhancement.

Police were called to Congregation Albert on Tuesday evening after witnesses reported a man smashing windows near the entrance before leaving the scene. Witnesses told police the damage totaled around $40,000, according to the complaint.

KOAT reported that an employee called police around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, as the synagogue was wrapping up its workday.

“We were getting ready to wind down our day when an individual approached our building and smashed some of the panels on our front door and then left,” Senior Rabbi Celia Surget told KOAT.

Surget asked that the exterior of the synagogue and the boarded-up doors not be shown, emphasizing that the congregation is more than the damage done to its building.

“Our community is more than just what happened to our front doors. It’s about the people who make it. It’s about the exchanges that happen here,” Surget said.

Police later arrested Crofton after reviewing license plate-reading camera footage in the area that linked his vehicle to the incident, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.

KOAT reported that police say Crofton was seen on security cameras about 10 minutes later doing the same thing at the Jewish Community Center on Wyoming Boulevard.

Ron Winger of the JCC said the suspect was unable to get inside the building.

“He banged on the first set of doors. Those doors opened. He then banged on the second set of doors. He did not get in the facility,” Winger told KOAT.

Winger said the JCC’s security protocols worked, including procedures to protect children who were present for camp.

“We have camp going on and we took care of the kids. They were evacuated as our protocol calls for, but we didn’t have any interruption in service,” Winger said.

By Wednesday morning, JCC members noticed an increased law enforcement presence. One member, identified by KOAT as Robert, said he saw a police car when he arrived for an early workout.

“I worked out this morning; there was a police car saying that. I was wondering why when I went in, I thought, that’s kind of odd,” he said.

Asked what he believed motivated the damage, Robert was blunt.

“They’re Jewish. Plain and simple. Antisemitism, without a doubt,” he said.

A judge approved an extreme risk protection order against Crofton on Thursday, allowing authorities to confiscate his firearms. According to the police petition cited by the Santa Fe New Mexican, relatives described Crofton as suffering from bipolar disorder or schizophrenia and said he had begun expressing “extreme antisemitic views” about a year ago.

Crofton was scheduled to be arraigned Friday.

The Jewish Community Relations Coalition of New Mexico said it activated its security network program after the incident, alerting community leaders and helping coordinate a heightened response.

“Tuesday’s attacks reinforced the urgent need for additional security resources, training, and support to help Jewish organizations across New Mexico meet the growing security challenges they face,” Juan Dircie, the organization’s director, said.

The Friends of Israel Project, a New Mexico-based organization, also issued a forceful statement condemning the vandalism.

“This is truly heartbreaking,” the group wrote. “Seeing a synagogue and Jewish Community Center vandalized right here in New Mexico brings back the chilling echoes of Kristallnacht. The night synagogues were smashed and Jewish communities were attacked across Germany. That was only the beginning.”

The group said Jewish New Mexicans should never be made to feel unsafe in their own communities.

“Our Jewish neighbors should never have to feel unsafe in their own community. As a New Mexico-based organization, this hits close to home. We refuse to stay silent while Jew hatred targets our neighbors,” the statement continued.

“To our local Jewish community: you are not alone. We see you, we stand with you, and we will continue fighting antisemitism with everything we have through education, truth, and real relationship-building until our communities are truly safe.”

The FBI has also been contacted about the case. KOAT reported that FBI representatives said only that they are actively investigating the incident.

For Albuquerque’s Jewish community, the damage was more than broken glass. It was a reminder that antisemitism is not confined to national headlines or college campuses — it is showing up at synagogues and community centers in New Mexico.

As the criminal case proceeds, Jewish leaders and allies are calling for vigilance, accountability, and a clear public stand against antisemitic hate.

ABQ Jewish community shaken after violent synagogue attack Read More »

Far-Left wins show who really runs NM Dems

35 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

New Mexico Democrats are not moving to the center. They are doubling down on the far left.

That was the unmistakable takeaway from Tuesday’s primary election results, and even the left-leaning outlet New Mexico In Depth is now acknowledging it.

In a post-primary analysis titled “Democrats are in a progressive mood,” New Mexico In Depth wrote that the political mood in a state where Democrats control every statewide office and hold commanding majorities in the Legislature “did not shift toward the center” on primary night. The outlet pointed to both the governor’s race and legislative primaries as proof that Democrat voters are embracing the progressive wing of the party.

At the top of the ticket, former Biden Interior Secretary Deb Haaland crushed Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman in the Democrat gubernatorial primary by a margin that surprised political observers. Veteran New Mexico pollster Brian Sanderoff noted during the Albuquerque Journal’s election night webcast that Haaland was even winning in traditionally more conservative Democrat areas.

“…even in Chaves County and Curry County, places where the Democrats are even conservative, Deb Haaland is ahead. She’s ahead in Roswell and she’s ahead in San Juan County,” Sanderoff said, according to New Mexico In Depth. “…how is it that Sam Bregman is even losing the most conservative counties in the state?”

Sanderoff said Haaland’s victory was not shocking, but the scale of it was.

The result confirms what conservatives have warned for years: the Democrat Party of New Mexico is no longer being driven by moderates or “commonsense” Democrats. It is increasingly dominated by the activist left.

New Mexico In Depth noted that more than 217,000 voters participated in the Democrat gubernatorial primary — nearly twice the roughly 120,000 who voted in the Republican gubernatorial primary. The outlet also reported that, as of 5 p.m. Election Day, almost 25,000 independent voters had participated in the Democrat primary.

For Republicans, that turnout gap is a warning sign heading into November. For conservatives, it is also a reminder that New Mexico’s growing far-left political machine is organized, motivated, and still largely unchecked in Santa Fe.

The legislative results were just as revealing.

New Mexico In Depth wrote that progressives “batted away well-funded centrist challengers,” won open seats, and in one high-profile case ousted a more moderate Democrat incumbent: Rep. Marian Matthews of Albuquerque.

Matthews lost her House District 27 Democrat primary to Abby Foster, a progressive challenger backed by the left. New Mexico In Depth described the race as the exception to the night’s general rule that incumbents are difficult to defeat, noting that progressives had targeted Matthews for the second election cycle in a row.

That result matters because Matthews was one of the few Democrats who occasionally presented herself as a “big tent” voice inside the party. Her defeat sends a clear message: even Democrats who merely appear too moderate are now vulnerable to the activist wing.

Other results reinforced the same trend.

In House District 69, progressive incumbent Michelle Abeyta defeated former Rep. Harry Garcia 68% to 32%, ending Garcia’s attempt to reclaim the seat after losing to Abeyta in 2024. In House District 70, progressive incumbent Anita Gonzales defeated former Rep. Ambrose Castellano 62% to 38%. Castellano had also been viewed as one of the more practical Democrats during his time in the Legislature.

In House District 41, Yolanda Jaramillo defeated Debbie Rodella 55% to 45% in another open-seat race. Rodella had previously served in the House from 1993 to 2018 before being ousted by progressive Rep. Susan Herrera. Jaramillo’s win kept that northern New Mexico seat in the hands of the newer progressive wing.

New Mexico In Depth also noted that progressive Democrats now control both chambers of the Legislature and that this control has been built over the past decade through primary races.

That is the real story for conservatives heading into November.

This election is not just about Haaland versus Republican nominee Gregg Hull. It is about whether New Mexico continues down a path of one-party progressive control — higher spending, anti-energy policies, weak-on-crime legislation, attacks on gun rights, abortion extremism, and more government control — or whether voters finally demand balance.

Hull won the Republican gubernatorial primary with 47% in a three-way race, a result New Mexico In Depth described as strong and one that suggested he likely would have won handily in a two-person contest.

But Republicans now face a difficult environment. Democrats are energized, progressives are ascendant, and the so-called moderate wing of the Democrat Party is losing ground.

For conservatives, the lesson is simple: New Mexico Democrats are not moderating. They are moving further left — and even their own media allies are admitting it.

Far-Left wins show who really runs NM Dems Read More »

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