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MLG melts down after GOP candidate scores courtroom win

14 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is lashing out after Republican gubernatorial candidate Duke Rodriguez scored an early courtroom victory against her administration’s socialist “universal child care” program, with a state judge ordering the governor’s administration to cease enforcement of several regulations tied to the program unless it can justify them in court.

The sharp rebuke came after Second Judicial District Judge Elaine Lujan issued an Alternative Writ of Mandamus ordering the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department to “immediately cease from any further enforcement” of multiple child care rules challenged in Rodriguez’s lawsuit, or otherwise appear in court and show cause why the state should not be compelled to comply.

Rodriguez had sued the administration arguing that Lujan Grisham unlawfully created the “universal child care” program without proper legislative authorization, without an appropriation to cover its costs, and without following lawful rulemaking procedures.

The court’s writ states that the challenged rules were allegedly enacted “without legislative authorization and without the necessary appropriation to cover the new financial obligations on the State budget imposed by the child care assistance benefit they created by rule.”

Rather than quietly address the ruling, Lujan Grisham erupted in a blistering public statement attacking Rodriguez personally and dismissing his candidacy.

“A third-tier Republican candidate for governor — who lives in Arizona — is using a frivolous lawsuit in a despicable attempt to mislead New Mexico families and generate headlines for a campaign that is going nowhere,” the governor said.

She insisted the child care program “is NOT being shut down” and claimed Rodriguez was “purposely sowing confusion and mistrust.”

But the governor’s response notably came after a district judge declined to dismiss the case outright and instead issued a writ directing her administration to halt enforcement of the challenged rules unless it can successfully defend them.

Rodriguez hailed the ruling as proof his lawsuit exposed serious legal flaws in the governor’s program.

“Today’s order represents a victory for the New Mexico Constitution, for government transparency, and for the people of New Mexico,” Rodriguez said. “The Governor can now choose whether to comply or defy the District Court.”

Rodriguez’s attorney, former Democrat state senator Jacob Candelaria, also mocked the administration’s prior confidence that the case would be thrown out.

“Governor Lujan Grisham’s legal prognosticators predicted the Court would dismiss this suit outright,” Candelaria said. “However, the Court did not simply hand the Governor the result she wanted.”

The dispute centers on Lujan Grisham’s much-publicized September 2025 announcement declaring New Mexico the first state in the nation to offer universal child care. Rodriguez and his co-petitioners argue the governor attempted to create that sweeping entitlement program through executive and administrative action rather than through a properly enacted statute.

The judge’s writ does not permanently strike down the program at this stage. Instead, it gives the administration the option to answer the petition and defend the rules in court, with a hearing scheduled for June 11, 2026.

Still, the ruling is a significant embarrassment for the governor, particularly given the unusually aggressive nature of her response.

Rodriguez seized on that reaction, arguing it shows the administration is panicking.

“I do understand how New Mexico state government works,” Rodriguez said. “The Governor can now do the right thing and start over, or she can continue to create chaos for families.”

The legal fight now threatens to become a flashpoint in the 2026 gubernatorial race, with Rodriguez positioning the case as evidence that Lujan Grisham and her allies have repeatedly overstepped legal boundaries in pursuit of progressive policy goals.

For now, one thing is clear: what the governor touted as a signature achievement of her administration is now under direct judicial scrutiny—and her furious response suggests the ruling hit a nerve.

MLG melts down after GOP candidate scores courtroom win Read More »

Trump DOJ scores massive takedown in historic New Mexico gang case

10 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

President Donald Trump’s administration announced the completion of what federal authorities are calling the largest racketeering prosecution in the history of New Mexico’s federal district, marking the culmination of a decade-long effort to dismantle one of the state’s most violent prison gangs.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, led by U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, revealed Monday that federal prosecutors have concluded their sweeping prosecution of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico following the latest round of sentencing hearings, bringing to a close a years-long operation targeting the gang’s leadership, members, and associates.

According to federal officials, the investigation and prosecution ultimately resulted in state and federal charges against 178 individuals tied to the gang.

SNM, which originated in the New Mexico prison system following the infamous 1980 prison riot, has long been regarded as one of the state’s most dangerous criminal organizations. Federal authorities described the gang as a violent racketeering enterprise operating both inside correctional facilities and throughout communities across New Mexico.

Prosecutors said SNM maintained its power through murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and witness intimidation, operating under a “blood in, blood out” philosophy that required prospective members to commit acts of violence to gain entry.

Using the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering statute, prosecutors pursued what officials said was one of the most complex criminal enterprise cases ever brought in the state.

The sheer scale of the operation was staggering.

Federal investigators indicted 156 individuals on federal charges involving 325 overt criminal acts spanning from 1980 through 2024. Authorities successfully charged and convicted gang members connected to 13 murders, including killings both inside and outside correctional facilities.

Among the most alarming revelations from the case was a disrupted 2015 plot to assassinate the then-secretary of the New Mexico Corrections Department and high-ranking members of the New Mexico State Police. Federal officials said the murder conspiracy was retaliation for the conviction of SNM associate Michael Paul Astorga in the killing of Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Deputy Jim McGrane.

The investigation itself relied on extensive undercover operations and intelligence gathering. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, agents conducted more than 110 undercover drug and firearm purchases, utilized dozens of confidential informants, and obtained court-authorized wiretaps to infiltrate the gang’s operations.

That effort exposed a sprawling criminal network trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine both inside prisons and throughout New Mexico communities.

A major enforcement action in September 2022 led to the seizure of $1.8 million in cash, 1.1 million fentanyl pills, and 160 pounds of methamphetamine, along with firearms and other contraband.

Twelve SNM members were sentenced to life in prison as part of the prosecution.

“This case required years of patience, discipline, and persistence from prosecutors, agents, and staff who stayed with it to the end,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “It was difficult work, but it was necessary work, and this office saw it through.”

Justin A. Garris likewise emphasized the magnitude of the case.

“It is impossible to overstate the enormity of this investigation,” Garris said. “For more than a decade, our team and partners stayed committed to dismantling violent crime and delivering justice for the victims and communities most impacted by this gang’s violence.”

The prosecution was led by the FBI Albuquerque Field Office’s Violent Gang Task Force, working alongside numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

The conclusion of the case represents a major law enforcement victory for the Trump administration’s Justice Department and federal partners, who say the operation has dealt a crippling blow to one of New Mexico’s most entrenched and violent criminal organizations.

While officials cautioned that gang activity remains an ongoing challenge, they argued the successful dismantling of SNM’s racketeering enterprise marks a historic step toward improving public safety in New Mexico.

Trump DOJ scores massive takedown in historic New Mexico gang case Read More »

Greg Cunningham lands major national backing in bid to flip CD-2

9 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District is drawing even more national Republican attention as GOP candidate Greg Cunningham has been tapped for a key National Republican Congressional Committee program aimed at helping flip vulnerable Democrat-held seats in 2026.

The National Republican Congressional Committee announced Monday that Cunningham has been added to its “MAGA Majority” program, a national initiative designed to support what the committee calls the next wave of “America First” congressional candidates in top battleground races across the country.

The designation places Cunningham among a select list of Republican candidates from competitive districts nationwide who are expected to receive early strategic support, increased visibility, and additional campaign resources from House Republicans as the party looks to expand its majority in Congress.

In announcing Cunningham’s inclusion, NRCC spokesman Reilly Richardson sharply contrasted the Republican challenger with incumbent Democrat Rep. Gabe Vasquez.

“As a Marine Corps veteran, former Albuquerque police officer, and lifelong New Mexican, Greg Cunningham is ready to defeat radical Democrat Gabe Vasquez and flip NM-02 red this November,” Richardson said in a statement. “Cunningham is the antithesis of Vasquez’s high tax, defund the police, open borders agenda and will finally give New Mexicans the representation they deserve.”

Cunningham wrote via X following the news, “So honored to be included by the 

@NRCC in this group of fantastic @GOP candidates who will grow our House majority in November! #NM02 is ready for conservative leadership and our campaign is building momentum by the day.” 

The announcement is the latest sign that national Republicans increasingly view New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District as a prime pickup opportunity in 2026.

The district, which spans much of southern New Mexico, has become one of the most competitive congressional seats in the state. Although it was redrawn by Democrats in the Legislature in 2021 in a controversial gerrymander, the district remains highly contested. President Donald Trump carried the district in 2024 even while it remained in Democrat hands at the congressional level.

Cunningham has quickly emerged as a favorite among national Republicans. In recent weeks, he secured endorsements from President Trump and the full Republican House leadership team, signaling broad GOP alignment behind his candidacy early in the cycle.

The NRCC’s MAGA Majority program is specifically intended to elevate candidates in districts where Republicans believe Democrats are vulnerable. According to the committee, the initiative is designed to capitalize on the fact that more than a dozen House Democrats currently represent districts won by Trump.

The Cunningham announcement comes as Republicans continue ramping up attacks on Vasquez over his voting record and positioning on law enforcement.

In a separate statement issued this week, the NRCC accused Vasquez of hypocrisy after he publicly thanked Secret Service agents and law enforcement officers who responded to a recent security incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

“Dishonest Gabe Vasquez claims to appreciate law enforcement, but New Mexicans know the truth,” Richardson said. “Whether he’s voting to block Department of Homeland Security funding or trying to defund the police, Vasquez is, was, and always will be anti-cop.”

Still, the growing involvement of national Republicans suggests the race is rapidly becoming one of the GOP’s top offensive targets of the cycle.

With Cunningham now backed by President Trump, House GOP leadership, and the NRCC’s national candidate program, the 2nd District is increasingly being treated as one of the premier battlegrounds in the country.

For Republicans, the message is clear: NM-02 is in their sights, and they believe Gabe Vasquez is one of the most vulnerable Democrats in Congress.

Greg Cunningham lands major national backing in bid to flip CD-2 Read More »

Activists say quiet part out loud about NM’s anti-ICE agenda

23 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

A new article from far-left outlet Truthout is openly confirming what many suspected all along: New Mexico’s so-called “Immigrant Safety Act” was designed to obstruct federal immigration enforcement, cripple ICE detention capacity, and serve as a model for other blue states seeking to undermine deportation operations.

In the piece, titled “New Mexico Becomes the Latest State to End Cooperation With ICE Under New Law,” activists and legal architects behind the legislation admit that the law’s purpose is to interfere with President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda by cutting off detention space needed for removals.

Sophia Genovese, an attorney who worked on both the New Jersey and New Mexico campaigns, told Truthout plainly: “Ending local and state cooperation with ICE is an important way of throwing sand in the gears of the Trump administration’s mass deportation machine.”

She added the clearest admission of all: “There cannot be mass deportations without detention.”

That statement confirms the law was never merely about public safety or local control. It was crafted specifically to obstruct deportations by reducing ICE’s access to detention facilities in New Mexico.

Truthout’s reporting further shows New Mexico’s legislation is being celebrated nationally as a template for similar anti-ICE laws across the country.

“We see a tremendous upswelling of this type of legislation being proposed in different states across the country,” said Rebecca Sheff of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, who helped draft the law.

Sheff said the current political climate is “a time to make the most of the political willingness to take bold action,” making clear activists see New Mexico as a launching pad for broader national efforts.

Truthout reports that comparable “Dignity, Not Detention” laws are already in place in California, New Jersey, Washington, Illinois, Colorado, and Maryland, while organizers in New York are actively pushing similar legislation. New Mexico is now being held up as the newest success story in that campaign.

The article also makes clear that New Mexico’s law is intended to force ICE out of existing detention contracts in counties like Torrance and Cibola.

“These agreements will no longer be legal,” Truthout states, noting the law requires public entities to terminate those contracts as soon as permitted.

That means New Mexico counties will lose detention-related jobs, revenue, and economic activity tied to those contracts—all while ICE simply shifts detainees elsewhere.

Rather than ending detention, the law pushes illegal immigrants into facilities in neighboring states such as Texas, where ICE maintains other detention infrastructure, including facilities like Camp East Montana. New Mexico loses the economic benefits while other states receive the detainees and federal dollars.

Truthout also reveals the ideological extremism driving the law.

One activist quoted in the piece described immigration detention as “literally kidnapping and disappearing folks into these systems.” Another said the goal is to “abolish immigration detention” altogether.

Those statements expose the broader agenda behind the legislation: not reform, but dismantlement of the immigration enforcement system itself.

The article further praises New Mexico for using state authority under the 10th Amendment to resist federal immigration enforcement and “withhold state involvement in ICE detention,” as Sheff put it.

In short, Truthout’s own reporting makes the purpose of New Mexico’s anti-ICE law unmistakable: the state is being used as a pawn in a national progressive campaign to obstruct deportations, dismantle ICE detention infrastructure, and export radical anti-enforcement policy to other states.

What supporters marketed as an “immigrant safety” bill is, by their own admission, a strategic effort to jam the machinery of federal immigration enforcement—while New Mexico counties and taxpayers bear the cost.

Activists say quiet part out loud about NM’s anti-ICE agenda Read More »

NYT says Deb Haaland’s ‘coronation’ is in trouble

21 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

What was once expected to be a quiet march to the Democrat nomination for governor has suddenly become national news, with even the The New York Times now acknowledging that Joe Biden’s former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is facing a far more difficult path than many in New Mexico’s political establishment anticipated.

In a Friday feature on the race, the Times framed Haaland’s gubernatorial bid as a would-be “coronation” that has been disrupted by Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, who entered the race despite widespread assumptions that Haaland would clear the Democrat field.

“I don’t think we should have coronations in a democracy,” Bregman told the Times in a direct rebuke of the notion that Haaland should simply inherit the nomination.

The article underscores how what many insiders believed would be a straightforward race has instead become a competitive and increasingly contentious primary battle, elevating New Mexico’s gubernatorial contest into the national spotlight.

The Times notes that Haaland entered the race as a “political celebrity” in Democrat New Mexico and “might have expected a cakewalk” after launching her campaign. But Bregman’s challenge has complicated that narrative, forcing Haaland to defend her record and campaign more aggressively than many expected.

Though Haaland maintains advantages in fundraising and polling, the Times reported that “enough voters remain undecided to keep Mr. Bregman’s hopes alive.” Political analyst Gabriel Sanchez of the University of New Mexico told the paper the race remains “still up for grabs.”

The Times also observed that Haaland appears to be presenting herself as “the traditional safe choice candidate,” while Bregman is pitching himself as the anti-establishment alternative.

Bregman has used that contrast to sharpen his attacks, portraying the Democrat establishment as “weak, ineffective and complicit” in broader national dysfunction. He has also centered his campaign on crime and law-and-order messaging, branding himself in the Times’ words as a “swaggering lawman who is unafraid to lock up wrongdoers.”

Meanwhile, Haaland’s campaign has found itself confronting scrutiny that extends beyond typical primary politics.

The Times highlighted Bregman’s efforts to press Haaland over her appearance in Justice Department files related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. According to the report, Haaland’s name appears in records showing she was listed as a passenger on a jet chartered by one of Epstein’s companies during her 2014 lieutenant governor campaign.

Bregman told the Times, “Everybody in New Mexico deserves to know the truth of what happened out there.”

Haaland denied wrongdoing, saying she had no idea Epstein was involved and never met him. She dismissed the attack line, telling the Times: “If I rode on the Epstein plane, then Sam Bregman is a real cowboy… He ain’t no real cowboy. I didn’t ride on Epstein’s plane.”

The Times further noted that Haaland is under “perhaps unanticipated scrutiny” over her record, with critics arguing that despite holding “some significant titles,” she has not sufficiently delivered results.

In perhaps the most telling acknowledgment of the race’s competitiveness, Haaland herself pushed back on claims she has the race sewn up.

“I do not have it in the bag,” she told the Times. “I never say that. I will work until 7 o’clock on June 2 when the polls close.”

For a race many expected to be over before it began, that statement alone may be the clearest sign yet that Haaland’s “coronation” has become anything but certain.

NYT says Deb Haaland’s ‘coronation’ is in trouble Read More »

After years of bashing Texas, MLG heads there to headline Dems’ big event

17 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

After years of using Texas as a political punching bag, and after her administration blasted New Mexico Republicans for holding their 2021 state convention across the border in Amarillo, Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is now set to travel to Texas herself as a featured speaker at the 2026 Texas Democratic Convention.

The Texas Democratic Party announced Friday that Lujan Grisham will serve as keynote speaker for the convention’s Lady Bird Breakfast, one of the marquee events of the gathering.

The announcement is drawing immediate pushback of hypocrisy from critics who note that Lujan Grisham and her administration harshly attacked Republicans when the Republican Party of New Mexico moved its 2021 state convention to Amarillo, Texas, due to New Mexico’s then-strict COVID restrictions.

At the time, the New Mexico GOP said it had little choice but to relocate because Lujan Grisham’s pandemic gathering limits made holding a large in-state convention effectively impossible.

But rather than expressing understanding, the governor’s office ridiculed the move.

“In the meantime, if an organization can’t be bothered to adhere to reasonable health guidelines in a pandemic, by all means, spread the virus elsewhere,” then-press secretary Nora Meyers Sackett said in a statement to the Santa Fe New Mexican. “Hopefully I don’t need to elaborate on the inherent risks to health and safety posed by mass gatherings amid an ongoing pandemic.”

Now, five years later, the same governor who mocked Republicans for “spreading the virus elsewhere” is happily heading to Texas to headline a partisan political event of her own.

Long History of Bashing Texas

The irony goes deeper than the convention itself.

Throughout her governorship, Lujan Grisham has repeatedly attacked Texas—often using the neighboring state as a foil for New Mexico policy messaging.

In 2024, her administration launched a campaign targeting Texas abortion doctors, inviting them to flee what she called Texas’ “draconian” abortion laws and relocate to New Mexico under her “Free to Provide” initiative.

Later that year, while breaking ground on a taxpayer-funded abortion center in southern New Mexico, her office highlighted that the facility would serve patients traveling from Texas, where abortion access is “severely restricted.”

Her administration has also repeatedly used Texas as a punching bag on environmental issues. In multiple press releases from 2023 through 2025, Lujan Grisham’s office touted New Mexico’s methane regulations by contrasting them with “less-regulated Texas,” claiming New Mexico’s oil and gas emissions are “half” those of Texas.

She also criticized Texas border security measures, dismissing Gov. Greg Abbott’s razor-wire fencing efforts near the New Mexico border as a “political stunt” with “no meaningful impact.”

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of New Mexico joined with Texas Democrats in 2023 to attack Texas border fencing, calling it an “Operation Lone Star stunt” that caused “environmental damage” and “community division.”

Political Double Standard

To Republicans, the governor’s Texas speaking engagement highlights what critics view as a familiar pattern: condemning conservative ties to Texas while embracing Democrat ones.

In 2021, when Republicans crossed state lines for a convention because New Mexico restrictions prevented them from holding it at home, they were mocked and scolded by the governor’s office.

In 2026, when Lujan Grisham crosses the same border for a partisan political speech, it is celebrated.

The episode is likely to fuel further criticism from New Mexicans who have long argued that Lujan Grisham treats Texas (our neighbor) as a convenient political villain—except when it benefits her or her party.

For a governor who has spent years denouncing Texas policies, Texas leadership, and even New Mexicans traveling there for political events, her upcoming keynote appearance at the Texas Democratic Convention is proving to be the very definition of hypocrisy.

After years of bashing Texas, MLG heads there to headline Dems’ big event Read More »

Leftist forecast shrugs off GOP chances—but NM races tell much different story

10 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

A new forecast from The Economist is drawing national attention for predicting a near-certain Democratic takeover of the U.S. House in 2026. The model gives Democrats a 98% chance of winning the chamber, projecting a net gain of roughly 33 seats. At the same time, it shows a narrowly divided Senate, with Republicans holding a 53% chance of maintaining control.

But beneath those sweeping national conclusions lies a more complicated reality—especially in New Mexico, where on-the-ground political dynamics suggest far more competitive races than the model indicates.

NM-02: A “Safe” Seat—or a Sleeper Flip?

Perhaps the most glaring disconnect is in New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District. The Economist model assigns Democrat Gabe Vasquez a 99% chance of re-election, effectively removing the race from the competitive map.

Yet other respected forecasters tell a different story. The Cook Political Report rates NM-02 as EVEN on its Partisan Voting Index, meaning the district performs almost exactly in line with the national vote. That alone makes it one of the most competitive districts in the country. According to Sabato’s Crystal Ball, the seat “leans Democratic”

And there are clear signs Republicans are gearing up for a serious challenge. Republican candidate Greg Cunningham has secured a high-profile endorsement from Donald Trump—who carried the district in 2024—as well as backing from the entire U.S. House Republican leadership team. That kind of unified national support signals the GOP sees NM-02 as a real pickup opportunity, regardless of what national models suggest.

NM-03: Quietly Competitive?

In the 3rd Congressional District, long considered a Democratic stronghold, new developments are also challenging conventional wisdom.

Cook rates the district at just D+3, far from a safe margin. Now, Republican state Rep. Martin Zamora of Clovis is mounting a serious campaign against incumbent Teresa Leger Fernandez. In a notable early sign of strength, Zamora out-raised the incumbent in the previous fundraising quarter, suggesting his campaign is gaining traction both financially and politically.

That kind of fundraising momentum, combined with a relatively narrow partisan lean, could turn NM-03 into a race to watch—particularly if national conditions shift even slightly toward Republicans.

NM-01: Opportunity Emerging?

Even New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District may not be entirely off the table. While rated D+7 by Cook, the district has seen growing frustration among some voters with incumbent Melanie Stansbury.

Stansbury has drawn criticism for a series of social media controversies and polarizing rhetoric that some Republicans argue has embarrassed the state on a national stage. Questions have also been raised in conservative circles regarding alleged associations tied to broader figures connected to Ghislaine Maxwell, though such claims remain politically charged and disputed.

With speculation that a more formidable Republican challenger could emerge, NM-01 may at least become more competitive than in previous cycles.

Senate: Not as Quiet as It Looks

At the Senate level, The Economist model gives Democrat Ben Ray Luján a 94% chance of re-election, with a projected 57% vote share, suggesting a relatively stable race.

However, Republicans are not entirely absent from the contest. GOP candidate Larry Marker is mounting a write-in campaign and is positioning himself as a challenger to what supporters describe as entrenched, career political leadership in Washington. While write-in bids face structural hurdles, Marker’s entry adds another dimension to a race that national models have largely written off.

The Truth

While The Economist paints a picture of Democratic dominance in the House, its model may be over-reliant on national trends that fail to capture the granular realities of individual districts.

In New Mexico, those realities tell a more competitive story: a true swing district in NM-02, a narrowing margin in NM-03, and emerging questions even in NM-01. Add in strong Republican recruitment, fundraising momentum, and high-profile endorsements, and the state’s congressional map looks far less settled than a 98% national forecast might suggest.

If anything, New Mexico may prove to be a test case for whether national models—or local political realities—ultimately have the final say in 2026.

Leftist forecast shrugs off GOP chances—but NM races tell much different story Read More »

New poll exposes growing fear among New Mexico voters

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A new poll out of New Mexico is doing more than measuring the governor’s race, as we have previously reported. It is exposing a growing sense of unease among voters that could shape the 2026 election in ways campaigns may not be fully accounting for.

According to the latest survey from Emerson College Polling and KRQE News 13, one statistic stands out above the rest. Half of likely primary voters say they feel less safe today than they did just one year ago. Only 13% say they feel more safe, while 37% say things have not changed.

That shift in perception is not happening in a vacuum. It is showing up in how voters rank their priorities.

Healthcare and the economy tied as the top issues at 23% each. Right behind them is crime at 17%, placing it firmly in the top tier of concerns. That ranking, combined with the sharp drop in perceived safety, signals that public safety could become a central issue in the months ahead.

Another major flashpoint in the poll is the state’s handling of child welfare.

Nearly half of voters, 49%, say they disapprove of how Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is running the Children, Youth and Families Department. Just 18% approve. That gap highlights one of the weakest areas for the current administration in the survey.

Voters are not just dissatisfied. Many appear ready for structural change. When asked about a potential constitutional amendment to remove the governor’s authority to appoint the head of CYFD, 46% said they would support it. Only 22% opposed the idea, while nearly a third remain undecided.

That level of support for a major change suggests frustration that goes beyond policy disagreements and into questions about accountability.

The poll also paints a picture of a politically unsettled electorate.

President Donald Trump holds a 37% approval rating among likely primary voters, while 56% disapprove. Gov. Lujan Grisham’s numbers are similarly divided, with 40% approving and 42% disapproving.

Neither side appears to have a firm grip on public sentiment, despite New Mexico’s recent history leaning Democratic in statewide races.

Looking deeper, the poll shows clear differences in how voters prioritize issues based on party.

Democrats list healthcare as their top concern at 29%. Republicans also put healthcare first at 21%. Independents take a different view, ranking the economy as their top issue at 23%, followed by education and healthcare at 15% each.

That divide could prove critical in a state where independent voters often play a deciding role.

Taken together, the findings suggest that while campaigns focus heavily on candidate matchups, many voters are focused on something more immediate.

Safety. Stability. And whether state leadership is effectively handling core responsibilities.

Those concerns may ultimately shape the direction of the race more than any single candidate advantage.

New poll exposes growing fear among New Mexico voters Read More »

Two new polls show who’s leading in Dem, GOP primaries for NM governor

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A pair of newly released polls is offering an early snapshot of New Mexico’s 2026 gubernatorial race—showing a clearer picture on the Democratic side, while highlighting just how unsettled the Republican primary remains.

On the Democratic side, former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland holds a significant early lead, according to a recent Emerson College Polling survey conducted in partnership with KRQE News 13.

The poll found that Haaland is backed by 40% of likely Democratic primary voters, giving her a double-digit advantage over Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, who came in at 24%. Notably, a sizable 36% of voters remain undecided—suggesting the race could still shift as the campaign develops.

According to the poll analysis, Haaland’s lead is driven in part by strong support among key demographic groups. “Haaland’s lead was driven by a 24-point advantage over Bregman among women, and a 30-point advantage among voters with college degrees,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, as reported by The Hill. Meanwhile, men favored Haaland by a narrower margin, and voters without college degrees were roughly split.

Haaland has also consolidated establishment Democratic support early, with endorsements from all three members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation as well as Sen. Ben Ray Luján—a signal that party leaders may be aiming to avoid a contentious primary.

While Democrats appear to have a frontrunner, the Republican side tells a very different story.

The same Emerson/KRQE poll shows a wide-open GOP primary, with 61% of likely Republican voters still undecided. Among those who have made a choice, Rio Rancho Mayor Greggory Hull leads with 21%, but no candidate has broken through in a significant way.

That lack of consolidation is echoed—and further developed—in separate polling released by Republican candidate Doug Turner.

According to Turner’s campaign, an internal poll conducted by TrueDot found 64% of likely GOP primary voters initially undecided, with no candidate topping 20%. However, the campaign argues that once voters are introduced to Turner’s background and policy platform, the race shifts dramatically.

In that “informed ballot” scenario, Turner leads with 41%, compared to Hull at 17% and Duke Rodriguez at 7%, according to the campaign’s release.

“This polling confirms exactly what we’re seeing on the campaign trail every day,” Turner said in a statement. “Conservatives are uniting around our message of cutting taxes, fixing education, and locking up repeat offenders—it’s clear that voters are ready for a common sense businessman to shake things up and turn New Mexico around!”

The dueling polls underscore a key dynamic taking shape in the race: while Democrats appear to be coalescing early around a leading candidate, Republicans are still in the process of defining their field.

The Emerson/KRQE poll was conducted April 18–19 among 1,000 likely primary voters, while Turner’s campaign cited a separate survey of 541 likely GOP voters conducted April 10–15.

Taken together, the results suggest that while Haaland may have early momentum on the Democratic side, the Republican primary remains fluid—with a large share of voters still up for grabs and multiple candidates jockeying to emerge as the party’s standard-bearer.

Two new polls show who’s leading in Dem, GOP primaries for NM governor Read More »

Court clash erupts as feds push Toulouse Oliver for voter rolls she’s hiding

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A legal battle over voter data is intensifying in New Mexico, with the U.S. Department of Justice pressing forward in its effort to obtain the state’s voter registration records—while state officials continue to resist, citing privacy concerns and state law.

The dispute played out Tuesday in federal court in Albuquerque, where attorneys for the federal government argued that access to voter registration data is necessary to ensure compliance with federal election laws. The DOJ has filed lawsuits against New Mexico and roughly 29 other states seeking unredacted voter lists, including identifying information such as partial Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and driver’s license data.

Representing the DOJ, attorney James Thomas Tucker described the effort as part of a broader federal responsibility to oversee election integrity.

“It’s a trust but verify approach,” Tucker told the court, adding that the federal government is seeking to better understand how states maintain voter rolls—particularly in areas such as duplicate registrations and list maintenance, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

Federal officials have pointed to multiple laws—including the Civil Rights Act of 1960—as granting authority to request and review election-related records. The DOJ maintains that such oversight is essential to ensuring accurate voter rolls and maintaining public confidence in elections.

But New Mexico officials, led by Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, have refused to provide the requested data in full. The state argues that releasing certain personal identifiers would violate New Mexico law, which requires redactions before voter records are made public.

“This is not authorized by any law, and would cause the Secretary of State to violate the law,” said attorney Anjana Samant during the hearing.

That position, however, is being challenged by federal attorneys, who argue that federal law supersedes conflicting state statutes when it comes to election oversight.

The standoff has also drawn increased political attention. As previously reported by Piñon Post, Toulouse Oliver has publicly highlighted the lawsuit in campaign messaging tied to her bid for lieutenant governor—framing the case as a fight to protect voter privacy while simultaneously asking supporters to back her campaign.

Critics have questioned whether the legal battle is being used, at least in part, as a political tool. They argue that federal requests for voter data are not unprecedented and are part of longstanding oversight mechanisms intended to ensure compliance with national election standards.

Meanwhile, far-left advocacy groups opposing the DOJ’s request warned the court that releasing such data could discourage voter participation. Attorney William Hughes said the request “has a real chilling effect on voters,” arguing that individuals may be less likely to register if they believe their personal information could be widely shared. That’s an interesting take, since the very sensitive information that is provided was literally given to them by the federal government, such as a social security number. 

Others raised panicky concerns about how the data might ultimately be used, though federal officials have stated it would be utilized strictly for election-related oversight.

Judge Judith Herrera did not issue a ruling following Tuesday’s hearing, but pressed both sides on key legal questions—including whether the DOJ had sufficiently outlined the purpose of its request, as required under federal law.

The case is part of a broader national fight, with courts in several states already dismissing similar lawsuits. Still, the outcome in New Mexico could carry significant implications for the balance between federal oversight and state control of elections.

Court clash erupts as feds push Toulouse Oliver for voter rolls she’s hiding Read More »

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