Politics

Primary Election Day arrives in NM: Key races to watch

3 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Primary Election Day is here in New Mexico, and voters are choosing party nominees for governor, lieutenant governor, statewide offices, the Legislature, and more.

For conservatives, this year’s primary is especially important. New Mexico is choosing nominees in the race to replace term-limited Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, while all 70 state House seats are also on the ballot.

Polls opened at 7:00 a.m. and close this evening at 7:00 p.m. across the state. voter info can be found here.

Governor

The top race is for governor.

On the Democrat side, Joe Biden’s former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is facing Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman.

Haaland is the national progressive favorite and a former Biden Cabinet official. Bregman is running more heavily on his record as a prosecutor and has tried to make crime a major issue in the race. Both have spent heavily on TV ads and other communications to voters — usually negatively invoking President Trump in an attempt to activate far-left voters.

On the Republican side, former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, businessman Doug Turner, and former state cabinet secretary Duke Rodriguez, a cannabis executive, are seeking the GOP nomination.

Hull is running on his executive experience as a former mayor. Turner has focused on business, education, and economic issues. Rodriguez has emphasized health care and has also challenged Gov. Lujan Grisham’s universal child care program in court.

Whoever wins the Republican primary will face a tough but critical general election fight in a state where Democrats currently control every statewide office.

Lieutenant governor

The lieutenant governor races are also competitive.

On the Democrat side, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver is running against state Sen. Harold Pope Jr.

Toulouse Oliver is already a statewide officeholder, while Pope brings legislative and military experience.

On the Republican side, the candidates are Aubrey Blair Dunn, state Sen. David Gallegos, and Manuel Lardizabal.

Gallegos is a conservative state senator from southeastern New Mexico. Dunn comes from a well-known New Mexico political family. Lardizabal, a pastor, is also seeking the GOP nomination.

U.S. Senate and write-in candidates

Democrat U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján is seeking another term.

There is no Republican candidate printed on the primary ballot for U.S. Senate, but Larry E. Marker is running as a certified Republican write-in candidate. According to the Associated Press, Marker must receive enough valid write-in votes to qualify for the November ballot.

Other Republican write-in candidates for statewide office include Joshua James Jawrence for state auditor and James F. Ellison for state treasurer, according to the Republican Party of New Mexico.

Secretary of state

Another race conservatives should watch closely is the Democrat primary for secretary of state. Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark and Doña Ana County Clerk Amanda López Askin are competing to become the Democrat nominee for New Mexico’s top elections office. Source New Mexico describes the race as a matchup between two county clerks.

The office is especially important because it oversees elections, campaign finance filings, ballot access, and the rules that shape how New Mexico elections are administered. With Maggie Toulouse Oliver running for lieutenant governor instead of the secretary of state job due to term limits, voters will see a new chief election official after November. On the Republican side, Ramona Goolsby, a retired nurse practitioner and veteran, is positioned as the GOP candidate for the general election.

Land commissioner

The Democrat primary for commissioner of public lands is also worth watching. The office controls the New Mexico State Land Office, which manages millions of acres of state trust land and plays a major role in oil and gas leasing, renewable energy development, grazing, conservation, and revenue for schools and other public institutions. KUNM noted that the office oversees roughly 9 million surface acres and 13 million subsurface acres held in trust for public institutions, and that oil and gas make up the overwhelming share of State Land Office revenue.

The Democrat race features state Rep. Matthew McQueen, Jonas Moya, and Juan de Jesus Sanchez III. McQueen entered as a little-known far-left legislator, and polling has suggested he may be in trouble, with Sanchez showing strength and Moya also competing for support. That makes the race one of the more unpredictable down-ballot Democratic contests on the primary ballot. Money has been but behind both candidates on the TV airwaves and elsewhere, with McQueen’s strategy to try to claim experience despite his looks (repeatedly says he would not ever win a “beauty contest”), while Sanchez has focused on his home-grown roots and New Mexico values. 

For conservatives, the race matters because the Land Office has enormous power over New Mexico’s energy economy. The next commissioner will influence how aggressively the state pursues oil and gas development, renewable energy projects, conservation restrictions, land swaps, and revenue generation for schools. On the Republican side, Michael Jack Perry, vice chair of the Chaves County Commission, is the GOP candidate who will advance to the general election. 

Legislature

All 70 seats in the New Mexico House of Representatives are up for election this year.

These races will decide whether Democrats keep their large majority in Santa Fe or whether Republicans can gain ground on issues like crime, education, taxes, energy, parental rights, and government accountability.

Several Democrat primaries are also worth watching because they show an internal fight inside the Democrat Party: more moderate, commonsense Democrats trying to hold ground against hard-left challengers, many backed by progressive groups or tied to pipelines such as Emerge New Mexico.

That divide is visible in races such as House District 70, where former Rep. Ambrose Castellano is challenging Rep. Anita Gonzales in a Democrat primary rematch. Castellano was one of the more commonsense Democrats in the House and opposed the socialist paid family leave bill before losing his seat to Gonzales in 2024.

Another key race is House District 69, where former Rep. Harry Garcia is trying to reclaim his seat from Rep. Michelle Paulene Abeyta. Garcia has been viewed as a more commonsense Democrat, while Abeyta represents the leftist wing of the party. The race is a rematch after Abeyta unseated Garcia in 2024.

Another Democrat primary to watch is House District 27 in Albuquerque, where incumbent Rep. Marian Matthews is facing progressive challenger Abby Foster. Matthews has branded herself as a “big tent Democrat” focused on practical solutions and has warned against the idea that there is only “one way to think” inside the Democrat Party, saying, “this is nonsense” and “it’s not one way or the highway.” Source New Mexico noted Matthews is seeking reelection against Foster in a district that has both Democrat and Republican primaries.

For conservatives, the race matters because Matthews has often been viewed as one of the more pragmatic Democrats in the House, while Foster represents the younger, farther-left activist wing trying to push the caucus further left. The winner of that Democrat primary will face either Republican Jahnelle Louise Garcia or Robert Godshall in November.

These races matter even for conservative voters in heavily Democrat districts. A hard-left primary winner can help push the Legislature further toward higher spending, anti-energy regulations, soft-on-crime policies, and more government control. A more moderate Democrat, while still a Democrat, may be less likely to rubber-stamp the most extreme parts of the progressive agenda.

One state Senate seat is also on the ballot. In Senate District 33, which includes parts of Otero, Chaves, and Lincoln counties, Republican Rex Wilson is running after being appointed to the seat. He does not have a Republican primary opponent but is expected to face a Democrat in the general election.

What is at stake

This primary comes as New Mexico continues facing serious problems: violent crime, fentanyl, weak education results, border concerns, high spending, and growing dependence on oil and gas revenue to fund big-government programs.

The governor’s race will determine whether voters get a clear contrast in November between the current progressive direction of the state and a more conservative approach focused on public safety, tax relief, school reform, and economic growth.

The legislative races matter, too. Even if Republicans do not win the governor’s office, gaining seats in the House could help slow or block far-left legislation in Santa Fe.

For official information about polling locations, sample ballots, and personalized voter details, readers should use the New Mexico Secretary of State’s voter portal here.

New Mexico voters have a lot on the line today — from the future of the governor’s office to the makeup of the Legislature and the direction of the state.

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Even supporters say MLG, Dems botched ‘universal child care’

20 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

New Mexico Democrats rushed to declare victory on “free” universal child care. Now, even supporters of the far-left policy idea are warning that the state’s big-government experiment is running headfirst into reality.

In a blistering new Vox article titled “How to screw up universal childcare,” Sara Mickelson, a former deputy cabinet secretary at New Mexico’s Early Childhood Education and Care Department and an avowed supporter of universal child care, warned that New Mexico’s program is becoming a national cautionary tale.

The article is not written from a conservative perspective. In fact, Mickelson openly praises the concept of universal child care, calling it the type of “bold, life-changing social policy” advocates have long wanted. But even she says New Mexico’s implementation has gone badly wrong.

“Unfortunately, the most ambitious new attempt at universal childcare in America right now is in danger of making a mistake that has derailed past efforts: throwing money at parents without providing enough care for them to spend it on,” Mickelson wrote for Vox.

That is the central flaw in Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s “free” (taxpayer-funded) child care scheme: the state opened the floodgates for taxpayer-funded demand, but failed to ensure there were enough child care providers, classrooms, workers, and infant-care slots to meet it.

According to Vox, New Mexico increased the number of children receiving child care assistance vouchers by 78% from 2019 to 2025. But over that same period, the state’s regulated child care capacity grew by just 1.9%, from 70,108 slots to 71,455.

In other words, Democrats handed out more taxpayer-funded promises while the actual supply of care barely budged.

Vox noted that the state’s own estimates showed New Mexico still needs nearly 16,000 physical child care slots and at least 5,000 new professionals to staff them. Those targets, according to the article, remain unmet.

Mickelson described the state’s approach as a “textbook policy failure,” writing that New Mexico prioritized “expanding demand-side subsidies” and giving parents vouchers for free child care, while failing to sufficiently increase the number of places where families can actually bring their children.

That means the program may be “universal” in politicians’ press releases, but not in the real world.

One early childhood leader in McKinley County told Vox, “There is universal childcare, but at the same time, there are not enough providers.” She added, “Although it’s universal, it really isn’t accessible across the board.”

The problem is especially severe for infants and toddlers, who require more adults per child and are therefore more expensive to care for. Vox cited Legislative Finance Committee data showing the share of children under age 2 enrolled in the state’s assistance program dropped from 21.3% in 2020 to just 11.6% in 2025.

The result is exactly what critics warned about: a massive new government entitlement that sounds generous on paper but does not magically create workers, buildings, classrooms, or quality care.

The financial picture is no better.

Senate Bill 241, the Democrat-backed universal child care law, allows lawmakers to appropriate up to $700 million between 2026 and 2031 from the Early Childhood Education and Care Fund, according to the governor’s office. The fiscal year 2027 budget includes a $160 million increase for child care assistance, bringing the total child care budget to $606 million, plus another $30 million over three years for wage scale and career ladder support.

But legislative analysts warned that the plan does not create a new recurring revenue source to match the ongoing costs. The fiscal impact report for SB 241 states the bill’s $700 million transfer authority supports “near-term expenditures” but “does not establish a new recurring revenue source aligned with the projected ongoing costs of the program,” leaving long-term funding as a future recurring liability. The report estimated the incremental funding gap needed to sustain the expansion could reach approximately $340 million to $400 million annually by the close of fiscal year 2029.

Searchlight New Mexico reported in May that the Early Childhood Education and Care Department started overspending just weeks into the expansion, with Legislative Finance Committee analysts warning that unexpected enrollment increases could complicate budgeting in future years and raise questions about the program’s sustainability.

Even the Associated Press noted that lawmakers left the door open to future copayments if public finances deteriorate, despite Democrats’ sales pitch of “free” care for families of all income levels.

That is the problem with government freebies: eventually, the bill comes due.

The governor and her allies claimed New Mexico would be a “national model” for early childhood care and education. But Vox’s critique suggests New Mexico may instead become a national warning sign — proof that politicians cannot simply declare something “free,” subsidize demand, and expect supply, quality, and affordability problems to disappear.

The article also pointed to failed or troubled rollouts in places like Quebec and South Korea, where governments rapidly expanded subsidies without first building enough supply and workforce capacity. According to Vox, those efforts produced consequences ranging from years-long waitlists to quality concerns.

To be clear, Vox’s author wants universal child care to work. That is what makes the criticism so damning. This is not a conservative opponent saying the idea is unaffordable, unrealistic, and poorly executed. This is a supporter of the concept warning that New Mexico’s version is built on the same mistakes that have caused similar schemes to falter elsewhere.

New Mexico Democrats sold universal child care as a landmark achievement. But families cannot enroll their children in a press release. They need actual providers. They need actual classrooms. They need actual workers. And taxpayers need a program that does not blow through hundreds of millions of dollars while still failing to deliver what politicians promised.

Even Vox is now saying the quiet part out loud: New Mexico’s “free” universal child care experiment is not living up to the hype.

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MLG tells Democrat men to stay home

16 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham raised eyebrows this week after telling a Democratic National Committee audience that Democrat women don’t need men to win elections — before quickly attempting to walk back the remark moments later.

Speaking Thursday before the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee in Washington, D.C., Lujan Grisham was helping make the case for moving New Mexico’s presidential primary earlier in the 2028 election cycle. During her remarks, however, it was an off-the-cuff comment about male voters that quickly drew attention online.

“If women, Democratic women, just show up and vote, we’re good. We don’t need any of the men,” Lujan Grisham said.

The governor immediately appeared to recognize the political problem with the statement and attempted to clarify.

“I want the men,” she added shortly afterward.

The comments came as Lujan Grisham discussed the Democrat Party’s ongoing struggles with certain voting blocs, particularly Hispanic men. During her presentation, she acknowledged that her own political coalition had shifted during her reelection campaign, citing frustrations among some Hispanic male voters over COVID-era policies and border-related issues.

The remarks quickly spread across social media, where critics seized on the governor’s initial statement.

Robby Starbuck, a Heritage Foundation visiting fellow and social media personality, shared a video of the exchange on X and mocked the governor’s message.

“Incredible. Just incredible. Democrats should definitely run on this message in 2026,” Starbuck wrote, accompanied by a laughing emoji.

The viral moment overshadowed much of the governor’s broader presentation, which was intended to persuade Democrat Party leaders that New Mexico deserves a prominent role in the next presidential nominating process.

According to reporting from Source New Mexico, Lujan Grisham and state Democrat Party officials argued that New Mexico is uniquely positioned to test Democratic messaging because it is a majority-minority border state with a significant rural population. Party officials highlighted concerns about Democrat erosion among Hispanic voters, especially Hispanic men, and argued that trends seen nationally are playing out in New Mexico as well.

State Democrat Party Executive Director Sean Ward told committee members that “the voters that we’re losing nationally are in New Mexico,” pointing specifically to border security concerns and changing voting patterns among Hispanic men.

Lujan Grisham also argued that immigration and border issues affect New Mexico differently than many other states, saying national conversations often fail to recognize the unique realities faced by Southwestern border communities.

But for many observers, those policy arguments were overshadowed by the governor’s comments about male voters.

The episode comes at a time when Democrats nationwide are grappling with declining support among working-class voters, rural voters, and men. Post-election analyses following the 2024 presidential election showed significant movement toward Republicans among Hispanic men and other demographic groups that Democrats have traditionally relied upon.

Ironically, Lujan Grisham’s own presentation acknowledged those challenges. Yet her suggestion that Democratic women alone could carry elections without men immediately became the headline moment of the event.

Whether intended as a joke, a moment of enthusiasm, or a serious political observation, the governor’s comments provided fresh ammunition to critics who argue that Democrats increasingly dismiss or alienate male voters.

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‘Breaking Bodycams’ exposes the crime stories NM media sanitizes or buries

9 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

A new YouTube project is aiming to show New Mexicans the raw, disturbing public safety cases that its creators say are being underreported, sanitized, or ignored by legacy media outlets.

The project, called Breaking Bodycams, publishes raw law enforcement body camera footage and case information involving violent crimes, illegal immigration, drug trafficking, cartel-linked activity, and other cases its creators say the public deserves to see for itself.

The channel can be found on YouTube at youtube.com/@breakingbodycams.

According to information provided about the project, the focus is to provide “raw bodycam videos and information about stories that are either underreported, or completely ignored.” The goal is to release at least two videos per week.

The first major case being highlighted by the channel involves Ruben Dario Gonzalez, a Venezuelan national accused in the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl in the Albuquerque area.

In the Breaking Bodycams video, the narrator says, “Rubén Darío González is not from Albuquerque, as the local legacy media inaccurately reported. Instead, González is from Venezuela. He told police he crossed the border into the United States claiming he deserves asylum.”

The video states that Gonzalez was charged with six felonies and one misdemeanor, has pleaded not guilty, and is awaiting trial.

The case was also discussed on the Scott Jennings Show, where longtime New Mexico political strategist Jay McCleskey said the project was created to bypass media filters and give the public access to the underlying records and footage.

“You basically have it exactly right,” McCleskey said after Jennings described the project as using court records, government documents, and bodycam footage to show cases involving foreign nationals and illegal immigrants accused of serious crimes. “I mean, as you know, I do campaigns and we’ve talked about these cases for a long time and we find the records and we put them in campaigns. You try to talk to the media, but it just gets censored.”

McCleskey said this particular case pushed him to launch the project.

“And finally, this case, when this case you’re talking about occurred, it set me over the top,” he said. “And I said, you know what, I know what these cases are because we’ve done the research. And so I’ve started requesting body cams for them and basically figured we’re going to go around the media. We’re going to show the public exactly what is happening in these cases.”

According to McCleskey’s description of the case, the 13-year-old girl was skateboarding in February when a man approached her and allegedly claimed her father had sent him as an Uber driver.

“He spoke his very broken English,” McCleskey said. “She didn’t know what was going on, but she thought maybe my dad sent him as an Uber.”

McCleskey said the suspect then allegedly kidnapped and assaulted the girl through the night before she was able to escape around 6 a.m. by convincing him to let her use the restroom at a gas station. Instead, she found a Good Samaritan in a vehicle and asked for help.

“The Good Samaritan calls 911,” McCleskey said. “So what you see in the body cam where it opens is the police officer pulls up, and as he’s pulling up, the victim, who we blur obviously, and the Good Samaritan point out the suspect, who suddenly flees.”

McCleskey praised the responding officers.

“The police officers acted great. They did a great job. They apprehended him right away,” he said.

But McCleskey said the larger issue is what the public was not told clearly when the story first broke.

“But again, when the story breaks, the public here doesn’t know anything,” he said. “It’s 34-year-old Albuquerque man.”

That is the central argument behind Breaking Bodycams: that New Mexicans are often given vague descriptions of suspects and incomplete reporting on violent crimes, especially when the accused offender’s immigration status or foreign-national background may raise uncomfortable questions about sanctuary policies, border enforcement, and public safety.

McCleskey said one outlet, the Santa Fe New Mexican, mentioned that Gonzalez told police he was from Venezuela and seeking political asylum. But he said Albuquerque television outlets did not emphasize that fact.

“All the TV stations, all the Albuquerque — none of them mentioned it,” McCleskey said.

He argued that the omission matters because it prevents the public from understanding the consequences of New Mexico’s sanctuary policies.

“The public deserves the truth because there’s a quick, easy solution to this, which is to end sanctuary policies,” McCleskey said. “And we’re a sanctuary state and a sanctuary city in Albuquerque.”

McCleskey also said the channel will not stop with one case. He said Breaking Bodycams plans to highlight drug trafficking and cartel-linked cases, including a forthcoming video involving an Arizona sheriff’s deputy traffic stop tied to fentanyl pills headed toward New Mexico.

“We’re going to start in New Mexico, but we’re going to bring it nationally,” he said.

The project arrives as New Mexico continues facing intense concerns over violent crime, fentanyl, cartel activity, and the effects of border-state policies. McCleskey argued that Albuquerque’s status as a “catch-and-release city” creates conditions that benefit criminals.

“If you’re a cartel, you’re operating in a catch-and-release city that is a sanctuary city,” he said. “They’re never going to hold an illegal immigrant in jail, so you’re going to get released back on the street within 24 hours.”

He also pointed to New Mexico’s driver’s license policies, saying Gonzalez had a New Mexico driver’s license despite allegedly being in the country illegally.

“This man who’s in the country illegally kidnapped and raped this girl had a New Mexico driver’s license,” McCleskey said.

The case remains pending, and Gonzalez has pleaded not guilty.

For viewers, Breaking Bodycams is offering a direct challenge to the way crime is often packaged by legacy outlets. Instead of relying on sanitized headlines or brief police summaries, the project is asking New Mexicans to watch the footage, examine the facts, and decide for themselves.

Those interested can watch and subscribe at youtube.com/@breakingbodycams.

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Gabe Vasquez’s latest immigration push says it all

24 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez is once again showing where his immigration priorities stand, pressuring the federal government to move faster on deportation protections and work permits for DACA recipients while southern New Mexicans continue facing concerns over border security, crime, fentanyl, and public safety.

According to Organ Mountain News, Vasquez sent a letter Wednesday to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow demanding action over delays in Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals renewal processing. Vasquez warned that thousands of DACA recipients in New Mexico could lose work authorization and deportation protections even after submitting paperwork on time.

“New Mexico is home to more than 4,000 DACA recipients who have built their lives here, followed the rules, and know no other home,” Vasquez said in a statement. “These New Mexicans are playing by the rules and have done everything the right way, but because USCIS is failing to process renewals on time, they could lose their work authorization and face deportation. That is unacceptable.”

DACA was created under the Obama administration in 2012 and gives temporary deportation protections and work permits to certain illegal immigrants brought into the United States as children. Recipients must renew their status every two years and continue meeting eligibility requirements.

Vasquez’s office claims renewal wait times have increased nearly 400% since 2025. His office also said more than 40 DACA recipients have contacted staff this year after filing within USCIS’ recommended 120- to 150-day renewal window, paying fees, and submitting required documents.

According to the report, some applicants could face lapses in work authorization, deportation protections, and health insurance coverage if renewals are not processed quickly enough.

In his letter, Vasquez argued that DACA recipients “have done their part and USCIS should do the same.”

But Vasquez’s latest immigration push is not happening in a vacuum. It follows a long record of hard-left positions on immigration and border enforcement that have drawn criticism from Republicans and public safety advocates across New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District.

As the Piñon Post has previously reported, Vasquez has repeatedly attacked immigration enforcement, including inflammatory rhetoric aimed at ICE. He has said ICE needs “melting” and accused the agency of having “no regard” for immigrants’ “humanity,” comments that critics say show hostility toward the very enforcement agencies tasked with securing the border and removing illegal immigrants.

Vasquez also bragged about voting against the Laken Riley Act, legislation named after the Georgia nursing student murdered by an illegal immigrant. The measure was designed to require federal immigration authorities to detain illegal immigrants accused of certain crimes, including theft-related offenses.

For Republicans, that vote became another example of Vasquez siding with Washington Democrats’ open-borders agenda instead of prioritizing public safety.

Now, instead of demanding tougher enforcement, stronger border security, or consequences for illegal immigration, Vasquez is using his office to push federal officials to move more quickly on preserving deportation protections and work permits for DACA recipients.

The congressman’s office claims New Mexico’s more than 4,000 DACA recipients contribute over $47 million annually in state and local taxes. His office also said about 2,400 children in the state have at least one parent who is a DACA recipient.

Vasquez also supports the American Dream and Promise Act, which would create a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients — another signal that his immigration platform goes far beyond temporary relief and into broader amnesty-style policy.

Supporters of DACA argue recipients were brought to the United States as children, built lives in local communities, and should not be punished for decisions made by their parents. But critics argue Washington’s repeated expansion of protections for illegal immigrants encourages more illegal immigration, weakens enforcement, and ignores the concerns of citizens living in border states.

Those concerns are especially potent in southern New Mexico, where voters regularly deal with the effects of the border crisis, including human smuggling, cartel activity, fentanyl trafficking, strained law enforcement resources, and pressure on local communities.

The contrast is likely to become a major issue in the 2026 race. Vasquez is facing Republican Greg Cunningham, a Marine combat veteran and retired Albuquerque police detective, who is expected to make public safety, law enforcement, and border security central themes of his campaign.

The fight over DACA renewals may sound bureaucratic, but it reflects a much larger divide: whether New Mexico’s representatives should prioritize border enforcement and the safety of American citizens, or continue expanding protections for people who entered or remained in the country illegally.

Vasquez has made his position clear. As New Mexicans continue demanding secure borders and safer communities, he is laser-focused on making sure DACA protections and work permits move faster through Washington.

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Fentanyl analog linked to deadly Mountainair overdose horror

8 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

A deadly overdose call in rural New Mexico has turned into a sobering warning about how fast the fentanyl crisis is evolving — and how even routine emergency responses can become hazardous scenes for police, firefighters, and EMS.

Authorities have identified the substance tied to a Mountainair incident that left three people dead and sickened numerous first responders as a powdered drug mixture containing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and para-fluorofentanyl, also known as P4 fentanyl. Fox News reported that first responders were called to a home in Mountainair, where four people were found unresponsive. Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene, a third later died at the University of New Mexico Hospital, and a fourth survived.

“Preliminary findings indicate this incident is tied to exposure to a powdered opioid substance within the home,” New Mexico State Police Chief Matt Broom said during a news conference, according to Fox News. Broom said on-scene DEA laboratory analysis confirmed fentanyl, methamphetamine, and para-fluorofentanyl, calling P4 fentanyl “a more illicit form or version of fentanyl.”

State Police said 25 people were exposed, with 20 treated at UNM Hospital and released, while two remained hospitalized after arriving in serious condition. Authorities identified two of the deceased as Mika Rascon, 51, and Georgia Rascon, 49. KOAT reported that a third identity was being withheld until confirmation by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator.

The case is still under investigation, and officials have not publicly determined exactly how the victims or responders were exposed. But the incident has already triggered a hard review of emergency response procedures in a small community where firefighters and EMTs were responding to what initially appeared to be an overdose call — not a hazmat disaster.

Torrance County Fire Chief Gary Smith said firefighters did not enter the home in hazmat gear because the call did not appear to demand that level of protection at the outset. He said officials would review what happened.

“I mean, we’re only as good as our last call, right?” Smith said, according to Fox News. “There’ll be multiple debriefings that we’re going to be doing over the next week or two to find out where our strengths were and where our weaknesses were.”

That may be the broader takeaway from Mountainair: New Mexico’s first responders are increasingly being forced to treat drug calls as potential chemical exposure scenes, especially when unknown powders are present.

Para-fluorofentanyl is a fentanyl analog that has appeared in the illicit drug supply in recent years. The Center for Forensic Science Research and Education has warned that para-fluorofentanyl has been reported as an adulterant in illicit fentanyl supplies, while Pacific Northwest National Laboratory notes that fentanyl analogs are chemical alterations that can mimic fentanyl’s effects.

The Associated Press reported there was no evidence of drug manufacturing at the Mountainair home and no known airborne threat at the scene. Experts have also cautioned that casual skin contact or brief exposure to fentanyl is unlikely to cause an overdose, with ingestion or inhalation presenting the larger danger. Still, responders at the scene reported symptoms including nausea and dizziness, and officials treated the incident as a serious exposure event.

Broom praised the responders who entered the scene despite the risk.

“These men and women responded to a dangerous situation while working to protect lives and secure the scene,” Broom said. “We especially recognize the first responders who became sick while carrying out their duties.”

The tragedy also comes as New Mexico continues to struggle with one of the nation’s worst overdose problems. CDC data show New Mexico recorded 775 drug overdose deaths in 2024, with an age-adjusted overdose mortality rate of 37.1 deaths per 100,000 residents.

For Mountainair, a town of fewer than 1,000 people, the incident was not just another overdose statistic. It was a triple-fatality emergency that hospitalized first responders and forced state and local officials to confront a grim reality: fentanyl and its analogs are not just killing users. They are changing the rules for every officer, firefighter, medic, and volunteer who shows up when New Mexicans call for help.

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Bernie blesses anti-business Democrat in NM race

5 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Socialist U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders is now weighing in on local New Mexico politics, throwing his support behind a progressive Democrat running for the Doña Ana County Commission.

According to the Albuquerque Journal, Sanders, the Vermont independent who twice sought the Democrat nomination for president, endorsed Daisy Maldonado, a Las Cruces Democrat running for an open seat on the county commission. The district includes Mesilla, portions of Las Cruces, and surrounding colonias and agricultural communities, including La Mesa, San Miguel, and Mesquite.

Maldonado was one of 81 candidates across the country included on Sanders’ latest endorsement list, part of his effort to elevate younger left-wing candidates in federal, state, and local races. Sanders recently told the New York Times, “We’re building a movement for the future.”

That “movement” now apparently includes local government races in southern New Mexico.

Maldonado is running on a platform centered around water concerns, pollution, housing, economic opportunity, and government transparency, according to the Journal. Before launching her campaign, she became known as an opponent of Project Jupiter, the massive hyperscale data center being built in Santa Teresa for use by Oracle and OpenAI. The project is backed by a $165 billion industrial revenue bond approved by Doña Ana County commissioners last year — a vote critics have attacked as rushed and lacking transparency.

Her campaign framed the Sanders endorsement as part of “the national conversation about the unchecked expansion of AI infrastructure, the influence of billionaire tech corporations in local government decision-making, and the urgent need for community-centered leadership at every level of government.”

In other words, the race has become another front in the progressive left’s broader fight over technology, development, energy, water, and local control.

Maldonado is facing Angela Garcia in the Democrat primary. Garcia, a child development advocate who operates childcare centers in Las Cruces, has focused her campaign on childcare, education, juvenile crime, and health care. While Garcia has received support from some lawmakers who backed Project Jupiter, including state Reps. Sarah Silva and Nathan Small, she has also criticized how the project’s public financing was approved, calling the process “very rushed” in a radio interview cited by the Journal.

Garcia told the Journal her own endorsements reflect trusted local relationships.

“They know their districts better than anyone and that’s why their support means so much to me,” Garcia said. “The leaders our community trusts to represent them trust me. … On the County Commission, I will bring these trusted relationships to help solve some of our county’s most challenging issues.”

Maldonado, meanwhile, has drawn backing from progressive Democrats and left-wing organizations, including state Rep. Angelica Rubio, Las Cruces City Councilor Johana Bencomo, Conservation Voters of New Mexico, Semilla Action, and Young Democrats of New Mexico.

Garcia has lined up support from more establishment Democratic figures, including House Speaker Javier Martínez and Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, along with unions representing Doña Ana County sheriff’s deputies and electricians.

The Journal noted that national endorsements are more commonly seen in major statewide or federal races, not county commission contests. But political analyst Brian Sanderoff told the paper that endorsements can matter more in down-ballot races, where voters may know less about the candidates.

“Endorsements help the voters make decisions without studying the candidates’ positions,” Sanderoff said. “Knowing a person has received Bernie Sanders’ support, one could then assume that candidate is a very progressive candidate, whereas if a candidate is receiving all the endorsements from state party leaders, then that candidate may be more aligned with the local and state Democrat party structure.”

That contrast appears to be playing out in Doña Ana County, where Maldonado is running as the progressive insurgent while Garcia has consolidated more traditional Democrat support.

Garcia has also outraised Maldonado by a wide margin. According to the Journal, Garcia reported raising more than $39,000, while Maldonado had raised $7,060, much of it from smaller donors. Maldonado ended the reporting period with $5,240 cash on hand, compared with Garcia’s $30,712.

“Being an underdog is nothing new to me,” Maldonado told the Journal, “but I know this community and I know I have the knowledge and experience to lead on the County Commission.”

The winner of the Democrat primary will face Republican Samantha Barncastle Salopek, who is running unopposed in the GOP primary, in November.

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FBI warns NM parents of dark online network targeting kids

4 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

A chilling FBI warning is putting New Mexico parents on alert about a violent online extremist network known as “764,” which federal investigators say is targeting children through the very platforms many families treat as harmless: social media, gaming sites, and chat apps.

According to KOB 4, the FBI says the network uses manipulation, fear, blackmail, and violence to groom children online across the country, including in New Mexico. Federal authorities say the group’s members often begin by contacting children on ordinary online platforms before building trust and pushing them toward increasingly disturbing acts.

“They’re ideologically driven with the goal of hurting our kids,” an FBI special agent told KOB 4.

The agent spoke only on the condition that the station conceal his identity, citing the danger and reach of the network. He told the outlet that “a lot of the contact starts on normal social media platforms.”

The FBI says that misplaced online trust can quickly become grooming, exploitation, and real-world danger. According to the agent, the group’s pressure campaigns can escalate into horrifying demands.

“It can literally mean convincing a child to cut themselves, to hurt an animal. It can be pretty graphic,” the agent said.

The FBI’s March 6 public service announcement warned of a sharp increase in activity by “764” and similar violent online networks operating in the United States and abroad. The bureau said these networks “methodically target and exploit minors and other vulnerable individuals” and use threats, blackmail, and manipulation to coerce victims into producing or livestreaming acts of self-harm, animal cruelty, sexually explicit conduct, or suicide.

Federal investigators say victims are then further controlled when members circulate the footage to continue extortion and deepen the victim’s fear and isolation.

The FBI noted that while some violent online actors are motivated by ideology or a desire to cause fear and chaos, motivations can vary. Some may be driven by sexual gratification, social status, belonging, or a mixture of reasons.

KOB 4 reported that federal prosecutors say victims, most often children and teenagers, have been extorted into sending nude images, harming themselves on camera, and in some cases have been driven to suicide.

“It’s not just crime. It’s crime with a reason and a purpose and an ideology behind it that we determine to be terrorism,” the FBI special agent said.

The scope of the threat is significant. KOB 4 reported that the FBI estimates roughly 450 people are currently under investigation nationwide, including individuals in New Mexico.

One New Mexico case has already drawn national attention. The U.S. Department of Justice has accused Albuquerque resident Zachary Dosch of sexually exploiting children online from his home for years. Dosch remains in federal custody, with his next hearing set for August, according to the station.

“Zachary Dosch is probably one of the most prolific and high profile members arrested to date,” independent journalist Becca Spinks told KOB 4.

Spinks said the danger is difficult for parents to track because networks like 764 frequently splinter, rename themselves, and reappear under new labels while using the same basic methods.

“These guys are creating new groups with different names but the same basic formula, and they’re calling themselves different things,” Spinks said.

The FBI says these networks typically operate on public-facing platforms used by young people, including social media sites, gaming platforms, and mobile applications. While many victims are underage girls, the bureau warned that anyone can be targeted, including boys, adults, and vulnerable individuals struggling with depression, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, or other mental health issues. Victims are often between 10 and 17 years old, though the FBI says some victims have been as young as 9.

Spinks warned parents not to assume their child is safe simply because they come from a stable household.

“A lot of times they’re coming from normal, stable, suburban homes,” Spinks said. “This is a threat that applies to every kid, no matter their circumstance.”

She specifically warned that apps and games such as Roblox and Discord can give strangers direct access to children.

To find all the warning signs and see how to protect your child, visit the FBI’s public service announcement linked here.

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Vasquez lays it on thick to gaslight voters on anti-cop record

19 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Far-left, anti-cop Democrat U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez is attempting to rebrand himself as a champion of law enforcement as he heads into a high-stakes 2026 matchup against Republican Greg Cunningham, a Marine combat veteran and retired Albuquerque police detective.

But Vasquez’s latest pro-police messaging is already drawing scrutiny from critics who say the Democrat’s record tells a very different story.

In a Sunday guest column published in the Las Cruces Sun-News titled, “Police officers deserve our thanks, support and funding,” Vasquez claimed he recently met with officers at the Carlsbad Police Department to discuss public safety needs.

“Last week, I sat down with officers at the Carlsbad Police Department and thanked them for their service,” Vasquez wrote, adding that the conversation centered on whether officers have “enough funding to do their jobs.”

Vasquez also used the column to present himself as a consistent ally of law enforcement.

“I work very closely with law enforcement agencies across our district, and I will always stand with our law enforcement officers,” he wrote. “In addition to our thanks and admiration, they also need and deserve resources, investments, and funding.”

The congressman further claimed he has turned officer feedback into “over $3 million in direct investments in New Mexico’s public safety,” citing money for bulletproof vests, officer safety and retention, mental health and de-escalation training, and technology upgrades for law enforcement agencies.

But Republicans and law enforcement supporters are pointing to Vasquez’s past comments and votes, arguing his election-year rhetoric does not match his record.

In 2020, while serving as a Las Cruces city councilor, Vasquez attended a Black Lives Matter rally under a fake name and disguise, according to prior reporting. At the event, he told a local reporter, “It’s not just about defunding the police, it’s about defunding a system that privileges white people over everyone else.”

That quote has followed Vasquez for years, especially in a district where border security, fentanyl trafficking, crime, and support for local law enforcement remain top issues.

The contrast is especially stark now that Vasquez is facing Cunningham, who served as a Marine combat veteran and later as an Albuquerque police detective. Cunningham’s campaign is expected to lean heavily into the public safety issue, presenting the race as a choice between a former law enforcement officer and a radical Democrat whose past comments aligned him with the “defund the police” movement.

Vasquez’s Republican critics have also hammered him over federal public safety funding votes. The National Republican Congressional Committee has noted that Vasquez repeatedly voted to block Department of Homeland Security funding, arguing those votes would have affected agencies such as the Secret Service and TSA. Republicans have also cited his opposition to the Laken Riley Act and his support from left-wing groups such as MoveOn, Reproductive Freedom for All, formerly NARAL, and the Sierra Club.

In April, NRCC spokesman Reilly Richardson blasted Vasquez’s law enforcement rhetoric as hollow.

“Dishonest Gabe Vasquez claims to appreciate law enforcement, but New Mexicans know the truth. 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,” Richardson said.

Another NRCC statement accused Vasquez of having “a long history of slandering law enforcement,” pointing to his past comments about ICE, including saying the agency needed “melting” and had “no regard” for immigrants’ “humanity.”

In his Sun-News op-ed, Vasquez tried to position himself as a defender of police funding and public safety, writing that officers “miss holidays, respond to the hardest calls, comfort families in crisis, and run toward the danger to keep the communities they swore to protect safe.”

He also criticized proposed cuts to High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas funding, writing, “you can’t say you stand with law enforcement officers working along the border and simultaneously back cuts to the tools they rely on to stop fentanyl from flowing into our communities.”

But the problem is not whether Vasquez can write a polished pro-police op-ed. It is whether voters believe his sudden law-and-order tone after years of progressive activism and anti-police rhetoric.

Vasquez concluded his column by writing, “Supporting law enforcement means honoring their sacrifice with action, and I will always stand with the brave men and women who serve our communities.”

His opponents are now asking voters to compare that claim with his own past words — especially his statement that the issue was “not just about defunding the police,” but about defunding an entire system.

As the race against Cunningham intensifies, Vasquez’s record on policing is likely to remain a central issue. For a vulnerable Democrat trying to sound tough on public safety, the question is whether New Mexicans will accept his new message or remember what he said when the “defund the police” movement was at its peak.

Vasquez lays it on thick to gaslight voters on anti-cop record Read More »

AP report accidentally proves conservatives right about NM oil

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An Associated Press report is putting a national spotlight on one of New Mexico Democrats’ most uncomfortable political realities: the state’s left-wing policy agenda is being bankrolled by the very oil and gas industry many progressives claim they want to move away from.

According to the AP report, the conflict with Iran and the resulting bottleneck in the Strait of Hormuz have sent oil prices surging — and New Mexico is now reaping a massive financial windfall.

That windfall is politically awkward for Democrats who oppose the war, frequently criticize fossil fuels, and continue pushing climate policies aimed at reducing dependence on oil and gas. Yet in New Mexico, fossil fuel production remains the financial engine behind many of the state’s most expensive progressive programs.

New Mexico is the nation’s second-largest oil-producing state, behind only Texas. Revenue from taxes, royalties, and lease sales helps fund government programs including tuition-free college, free school meals, health care spending, and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s universal child care initiative.

Now, with oil prices rising because of global instability, money is pouring into Santa Fe.

Former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who is running for governor in the Democratic primary, acknowledged the tension in comments to the Associated Press.

“It’s hard for people to think about, ‘Oh great, we have this windfall,’ and children are getting killed on the other side of the world,” Haaland said.

Haaland, a former congresswoman and state Democrat Party chair, served in Joe Biden’s Cabinet, where she backed extreme efforts to limit oil and gas development on federal lands. But as a gubernatorial candidate, she is now proposing to use New Mexico’s energy-driven surplus to expand tax credits — blatant hypocrisy.

According to the AP, Haaland wants to increase the state child tax credit and boost the refundable working families tax credit, which would primarily benefit lower-income New Mexicans.

“We have obligations to try to have a better world overall,” Haaland said. “I think we can do that.”

Her Democratic opponent, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, is calling for direct rebates to taxpayers. Bregman told the AP he wants one-time $500 checks for New Mexicans making under $200,000 per year, along with eliminating personal income taxes for residents age 65 and older.

“It is the resources of the people that’s generating that revenue,” Bregman said. “We ought to give it back to the people.”

The scale of the oil windfall is substantial. According to the Legislature’s budget and accountability office, every $1 change in the average annual price of oil means roughly a $59 million swing in New Mexico state government revenue.

Based on wartime price changes, the AP reported that New Mexico could see about $850 million in additional state income for the budget year ending in June alone. That is equal to roughly 12% of annual general fund spending.

Much of New Mexico’s oil comes from the Permian Basin and is sent to Texas distribution hubs and Gulf Coast refineries. With the war creating continued uncertainty, prices may remain elevated.

To help manage the state’s dependence on volatile oil revenue, New Mexico has funneled large portions of energy income into trust funds and reserves. Those accounts are designed to generate long-term investment returns that help fund mostly freebie programs.

But the arrangement has long created a contradiction for the progressive left: New Mexico’s ever-expanding government programs are increasingly dependent on fossil fuel dollars.

Lonna Atkeson, a political science professor and director of the LeRoy Collins Institute at Florida State University, told the AP that many New Mexico progressives are uncomfortable admitting how much the state relies on oil money.

“For New Mexico and New Mexicans and especially the progressive left — which sort of controls the state — it’s always something they really don’t want to admit or talk about or get angry about,” Atkeson said. “Like, ‘We should not be funding our stuff with that money.’ I’ve heard those arguments.”

The next governor will have significant influence over the state’s fiscal future. The winner of the 2026 race will help oversee a state investment council managing roughly $68 billion, including funds that support K-12 education.

New Mexico is not the only energy-producing state benefiting from the wartime price spike. The AP noted that Alaska is projecting an additional $1.05 billion in revenue for the current fiscal year and the one beginning July 1.

Justin Theal, a senior officer with The Pew Charitable Trusts who studies state fiscal trends, said energy-heavy states are uniquely affected.

“It really is this small group of energy-reliant states like North Dakota, Alaska, New Mexico and Wyoming that are going be affected most directly,” Theal said.

He described the situation as “a double-edged sword,” because higher oil prices boost revenue for producer states while also resulting in higher costs.

“It raises costs for households and businesses which can potentially dampen consumer spending and reduce sales taxes that almost every state relies on as well,” Theal said.

Republican gubernatorial candidates, meanwhile, are pointing to the windfall as evidence that New Mexico should pursue major tax relief instead of more government spending.

“Republicans are using the ‘e-word’ — eliminate income taxes,” Albuquerque pollster Brian Sanderoff, president of Research and Polling Inc., told the AP.

Personal income taxes bring in approximately $2.2 billion annually for state government, covering about one-fifth of general fund obligations.

Republican candidate Duke Rodriguez, a cannabis entrepreneur and former state human services secretary under Gov. Gary Johnson, is also challenging the Lujan Grisham administration’s universal child care program in court. His lawsuit argues the program was launched without required legislative authorization, though supporting legislation was later passed. A court has ordered the administration to respond.

Rodriguez told the AP that New Mexico does not have a revenue shortage, but a spending and accountability problem.

“We don’t have a resource problem, what we have is a real results problem. We just spend and spend and spend with no accountability,” Rodriguez said.

Republican businessman Doug Turner said the state should use the oil boom to overhaul its tax code and consider means testing for child care benefits.

Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, another Republican candidate for governor, wants New Mexico to join states such as Texas and Wyoming by eliminating the personal income tax. He also supports investing surplus dollars into infrastructure in the state’s oil-producing region.

Hull summed up the political tension plainly.

“This morning, when I was looking at a price of a barrel of oil, I said, ‘Well, that’s not great for consumers, but it’s awesome for New Mexico,’” Hull said.

The AP report underscores a reality that New Mexico politicians often try to avoid: the state’s biggest government programs are deeply tied to oil and gas production. For Democrats, the latest revenue surge may be financially welcome — but politically awkward.

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