Politics

Haaland endorses Garcia Richard after Toulouse Oliver exit

15 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Deb Haaland is backing fellow far-leftist, Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, for lieutenant governor, ending days of jockeying among New Mexico Democrats after Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver abruptly suspended her campaign just weeks after winning the Democratic primary.

The endorsement is a major boost for Garcia Richard, who had previously launched her own lieutenant governor campaign before withdrawing from the race earlier this year. Now, after Toulouse Oliver’s exit, Garcia Richard is back in the hunt — this time with Haaland’s blessing.

In a statement dated June 26, Haaland told Democrat State Central Committee members that she had decided to endorse Garcia Richard following what she described as a thorough process.

“I thank each person who put their name forward and who participated in this endorsement process of the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor,” Haaland wrote. “Each candidate I spoke with has a deep love and commitment to moving New Mexico forward. This was a difficult decision to make and I’m grateful for your patience and respect.”

Haaland then made her pick clear.

“I am proud to endorse Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard,” Haaland wrote. “I’ve made the decision based on a thorough process and who I believe will be the best running mate and leader to lower costs, increase access to healthcare, build safe communities, and improve our schools.”

Haaland added that Garcia Richard “brings the energy, compassion, leadership, and proven ability to bring people together” that she believes will strengthen the Democrat campaign.

“I respect the role the SCC plays in this selection and I hope I can count on the support of Committee members for Stephanie,” Haaland wrote.

The statement also made clear that Haaland plans to frame the general election around President Donald Trump.

“The stakes of this race couldn’t be higher because of who is in the White House,” Haaland wrote. “New Mexico needs leadership that can deliver, but we can’t deliver on our promises unless we win in November.”

The endorsement comes after a messy and unusual chain of events for New Mexico Democrats.

Toulouse Oliver had won the Democrat primary for lieutenant governor in a landslide, defeating state Sen. Harold Pope Jr. with 80.9% of the vote to Pope’s 19.1%, according to Ballotpedia. But weeks later, Toulouse Oliver announced she was suspending her campaign, citing health and family reasons.

That left Democrats scrambling to fill the lieutenant governor slot alongside Haaland, who is running for governor after defeating Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman in the Democrat primary.

Garcia Richard’s return is notable because she had already been in the race once before. According to NM Political Report, she withdrew earlier in the cycle to focus on her husband’s health after Toulouse Oliver entered the race. The same outlet described Garcia Richard as an “instant front runner” if she decided to seek the replacement slot, noting that she has been elected statewide twice and remains popular with the Democrat base.

Other Democrats tried to seize the opening — or at least publicly floated interest — but Haaland’s endorsement appears to leave them on the outside looking in.

Pope, who had just been crushed by Toulouse Oliver in the primary, confirmed after her withdrawal that he was interested in being selected anyway. State Sen. Leo Jaramillo of Española also expressed interest, with NM Political Report reporting that he said, “There is interest.”

Source NM later reported that Haaland’s short list included Garcia Richard, Pope, Jaramillo, Antonia Roybal-Mack, and Sonya Smith, a former Department of Veterans Services cabinet secretary. Roybal-Mack, an attorney representing Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire victims, told Source NM she had interviewed with Haaland’s team and called herself “the unknown candidate.”

“I think I’m definitely the unknown candidate. I’m not the party insider,” Roybal-Mack said. “But I think one of the things I told [Haaland’s team], and I say openly, is I fight for things I love, and I would fight for New Mexico.”

Earlier speculation also included Los Ranchos Mayor Lawrence Rael, former State Auditor Brian Colón, and former House Speaker Brian Egolf. Rael told NM Political Report, “Am I interested? Absolutely.”

But after all the names, interviews, and internal maneuvering, Haaland is now publicly urging State Central Committee members to unite behind Garcia Richard.

That does not technically settle the matter. The Democrat Party of New Mexico’s State Central Committee is expected to choose the replacement nominee. Source NM reported that the vote to replace Toulouse Oliver is scheduled for July 25.

Still, Haaland’s endorsement likely carries heavy weight with party insiders. NM Political Report previously noted that while the gubernatorial nominee technically does not get to choose the running mate, a Haaland endorsement would likely make that person the favorite among SCC voters.

For Republicans, the scramble may be easy to frame: Democrats held a primary, saw their nominee drop out, watched rejected candidates jockey for the replacement slot, and now appear poised to install Garcia Richard through a party-insider process.

Republicans already have their ticket set. Former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull is running for governor, while former state Sen. David Gallegos won the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor.

Democrats, meanwhile, are trying to repair the ticket after Toulouse Oliver’s sudden exit. Haaland’s endorsement of Garcia Richard is designed to end the uncertainty.

But the episode still underscores how quickly the Democrat lieutenant governor race turned from a statewide primary into an insider scramble — and how several hopefuls who jumped at the opening appear to have failed to win Haaland’s support.

Haaland endorses Garcia Richard after Toulouse Oliver exit Read More »

NM Dems lose their minds after Trump gives ultimatum on ‘SAVE America Act’

41 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

New Mexico Democrats melted down this week after President Donald Trump abruptly canceled a planned signing ceremony for a bipartisan housing bill, saying he would not move forward until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, a sweeping election-integrity measure backed by the White House and popular with around 80 percent of Americans.

The White House posted a clear message Wednesday: “PASS THE SAVE AMERICA ACT.”

The post included a graphic featuring Trump at a podium and a highlighted message from the president stating, “Today’s Housing News Conference and Signing is hereby cancelled until such time as we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I consider to be a National Emergency.”

The move immediately set off Democrats nationally and in New Mexico, who accused Trump of holding up a bipartisan housing bill in order to pressure Congress on election reforms.

The legislation at the center of the fight is the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan housing package aimed at increasing housing supply, lowering costs, restricting large investor purchases of single-family homes, and expanding access to housing assistance and financing tools.

But Trump’s ultimatum shifted the conversation from housing to elections — and Democrats erupted.

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich released a statement accusing Trump of choosing election reform over housing affordability.

“Let’s be clear about what’s happening: President Trump is choosing to prioritize attacking Americans’ right to vote over ensuring families can afford housing,” Heinrich said.

“Right now, New Mexicans are being priced out of a place to live,” he continued. “A bipartisan group of legislators came together to fix it – to make housing more affordable and put home ownership within reach for more folks. We passed the bill and did our part, now the president needs to do his: sign this legislation into law NOW.”

Heinrich’s office pointed to New Mexico’s worsening housing costs, saying the median sale price of homes in the state increased from $216,500 in 2019 to $345,000 in 2024. His office also said New Mexico’s housing inventory has fallen to half of its 2018 level, while rents have increased from $844 in 2019 to $1,021 in 2023.

The statement also claimed New Mexico is short roughly 40,000 affordable rental housing units.

Heinrich blamed the housing crisis in part on “Wall Street landlords artificially decreasing the housing supply and driving up home prices and rents,” as well as Trump’s “broad, cost raising tariffs on critical homebuilding materials.”

Other New Mexico Democrats quickly joined the pile-on.

U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández wrote on X, “Trump is now refusing to sign a bipartisan bill that would increase housing supply and prevent private equity from buying up residential homes. Americans are struggling. We need to pass this bill. He doesn’t care.”

U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez also weighed in, writing, “Today the only thing standing between Americans and a bipartisan bill to make housing more affordable is the President.”

U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján posted that Congress had passed “the largest housing bill in decades to lower costs and expand homeownership.”

“Donald Trump called it ‘minor importance,’” Luján wrote. “There’s nothing minor about families struggling to afford rent, save for a down payment, or buy their first home. Senate Democrats delivered a bipartisan, landmark housing bill. Donald Trump couldn’t even be bothered to show up.”

Luján also reposted a sharply worded attack from U.S. Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota, who wrote that Trump’s move “says a lot about someone’s politics when you’re willing to block a massive bipartisan legislative win in service of a Hail Mary attempt to save your own fragile ego from electoral humiliation.”

Rep. Melanie Stansbury, meanwhile, called the episode “bizarre,” writing that Trump was supposed to sign the housing bill but “didn’t and is a no show—because he says he’s mad at the Senate.”

The reaction underscored how aggressively Democrats are trying to frame the fight as Trump blocking housing relief. But Trump and the White House are framing the issue differently: as a fight over election security.

The SAVE America Act, promoted by the White House, would amend federal voter-registration law to require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. The White House’s SAVE Act page says, “American citizens — and only American citizens — should decide American elections.”

The White House describes the proposal as requiring “a Valid ID Before Registering to Vote in a Federal Election,” “Proof of Citizenship,” and limits on mail-in ballots except for illness, disability, military service, or travel.

Democrats, however, are portraying the legislation as a threat to voting access. In a post amplified by Luján, liberal commentator Kyle Griffin claimed the SAVE Act is “designed to help rig elections.”

That is the fight Trump appears to want.

Earlier this month, the White House itself praised the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, calling on Congress to pass it and describing it as “the most comprehensive and consequential housing legislation in the history of our country.” But Trump is now using the bill signing as leverage to demand action on election integrity.

For New Mexico Democrats, the moment offered a chance to accuse Trump of indifference toward families struggling with housing costs. For Trump, it created a national pressure point on a signature issue: requiring proof of citizenship in elections.

The political clash now leaves Democrats fuming, Republicans defending Trump’s demand for election safeguards, and the housing bill caught in the middle.

Whether the standoff lasts or is resolved quickly, the message from Trump was unmistakable: no SAVE America Act, no housing bill signing.

And New Mexico Democrats are furious.

NM Dems lose their minds after Trump gives ultimatum on ‘SAVE America Act’ Read More »

NM’s AI data center project grabs national attention

42 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

A new national report is putting fresh attention on one of New Mexico’s biggest proposed economic-development projects: Project Jupiter, a massive Oracle and OpenAI data center planned for Doña Ana County that could bring historic private investment, new infrastructure, and long-term revenue to southern New Mexico.

The Fortune report focuses on the planned artificial intelligence data center near the Mexican border, a project expected to span roughly 1,400 acres, generate 2.5 gigawatts of electricity, and draw as much as $165 billion in investment if developers meet their targets.

If completed at that scale, Project Jupiter would be one of the largest data centers in the country and one of the most consequential private-sector investments in New Mexico history.

For a region that has long needed major job creation, infrastructure upgrades, and broader economic opportunity, the project has obvious upside. According to Fortune, Project Jupiter has pledged $360 million for schools and local infrastructure, $50 million toward upgrading the county’s deteriorating water utility, and $12 million annually to the county budget.

Those are significant commitments for Doña Ana County, where many families continue to face poverty, limited opportunity, and infrastructure challenges. Supporters see the project as the kind of investment southern New Mexico has too often missed out on — one that could help position the region for the next generation of technology and economic growth.

At the same time, the size of the project is naturally drawing questions about sustainability, water use, electricity demand, and long-term planning.

Fortune noted that New Mexico has been dealing with dry conditions and water concerns, including stress on forests, rivers, and aquifers. The report cited New Mexico Forestry Division data showing 209,000 acres of trees killed by bark beetles and other insects in 2025, more than a 200% increase from the previous year.

“At the beginning of January 2025, 35% of the state was in moderate drought and 20% in severe drought,” the Forestry Division report stated, according to Fortune. “By the end of December 2025, 71% of the state was in moderate drought and 52% was in severe drought.”

That context helps explain why a project as large as Project Jupiter is receiving national attention. Data centers require major infrastructure planning, particularly when it comes to power and cooling. But Fortune also reported that developers have taken steps to reduce the project’s water footprint.

Earlier reporting suggested the data center could require close to a million gallons of water per day. Oracle later said it would shift away from more water-intensive natural gas turbines and instead use fuel cells. The company now says the data center and fuel cell system together will use about 11 million gallons of non-potable water in closed-loop, recycled systems.

Oracle executive Mahesh Thiagarajan said the updated energy approach reflects the company’s effort to balance innovation with community priorities.

“We are excited to move forward with this updated energy solution, which reflects our commitment to both the latest innovation and community priorities as we advance the next generation of AI infrastructure,” Thiagarajan said, according to Fortune.

He added that the “fuel cell technology enables us to deliver highly reliable on-site power with a lower environmental footprint—supporting the project’s performance needs while contributing to stronger environmental outcomes.”

Project developers also purchased existing water rights from a sod farm west of Sunland Park for 2,400 acre-feet per year. State officials have argued that this means the project is not creating a new water right, but changing how an existing one is used.

New Mexico State Engineer Elizabeth Anderson told NPR, according to Fortune, “What’s happening with Project Jupiter is they’re just taking a water right that exists and using it for something else.”

“It’s not gonna be taking water away from farmers,” Anderson said.

That distinction matters. It suggests the project is not simply adding a brand-new draw on the system, but converting an existing water use to a different economic purpose. Supporters may argue that this is precisely the kind of higher-value use New Mexico should consider when trying to diversify its economy.

Still, questions remain fair. New Mexico’s own 50-Year Water Action Plan projects the state could have 25% less water available in rivers and aquifers within 50 years and could face a shortage of 750,000 acre-feet without sustained action. Fortune also cited concerns from the New Mexico Groundwater Alliance about declining groundwater levels and future supply challenges.

None of that means Project Jupiter should be opposed. In fact, the project could become a major win for southern New Mexico if it delivers on its promises: jobs, infrastructure, school funding, utility upgrades, county revenue, and a role in the fast-growing artificial intelligence economy.

New Mexico needs more private investment, especially in communities that have been overlooked for too long. Doña Ana County deserves a serious shot at economic growth, and Project Jupiter could help deliver it.

Fortune’s report shows that southern New Mexico is now part of a much larger national conversation about artificial intelligence, infrastructure, water planning, and the future of economic development.

The question is not whether New Mexico should grow. It should.

The question is whether the state can welcome major investment while also ensuring local communities get transparency, long-term protections, and the full benefits they were promised.

Project Jupiter may become one of the most important economic projects New Mexico has ever seen. If it does, New Mexicans deserve to know it is being done right.

NM’s AI data center project grabs national attention Read More »

Records: Contrary to U.S. law, Vasquez took campaign cash from uncle in Mexico

23 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

*Note: all facts, links, and web pages to justify this report have been digitally saved, time-stamped, and archived in case they may disappear as a result of this report.*

Campaign finance records uncovered exclusively by the Piñon Post show Democrat U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez accepted a 2017 campaign contribution from his uncle, who was listed on Vasquez’s own campaign filing at an address in Mexico — raising serious questions about whether the donation complied with federal law barring foreign nationals from contributing in American elections.

While running for Las Cruces City Council in 2017, Vasquez accepted a $100 contribution from Oscar Banuelos. Vasquez’s campaign finance statement, filed with the City of Las Cruces, listed Banuelos at an address in Chihuahua, Mexico: “Tarascos 6605 Col. Azteca, Chihuahua, MX.”

The contribution was dated June 1, 2017.

That alone raises a major question. But the donor was not merely a name on a form with a foreign address. Banuelos is Vasquez’s uncle.

In a 2022 El Paso Times photo feature, Oscar Bañuelos was identified as Vasquez’s uncle and the man who ran the TV repair shop started by Vasquez’s grandfather in Juárez. One caption described the “TV workshop that Gabe Vasquez’s grandfather started next to his house in Juárez” and stated, “Gabe Vasquez’s uncle, Oscar Bañuelos, now runs the TV workshop, fixing TVs.”

Another photo caption showed Vasquez outside his grandparents’ house in Juárez with family members, including “his uncle Oscar Bañuelos.”

Vasquez himself later invoked that same family business in an October 2025 op-ed published by La Opinión.

“My grandfather came from a farm in Juchipila, Zacatecas, and found a home in Ciudad Juarez, working as a mailman – a cartero,” Vasquez wrote. “He had a piece of mail he couldn’t deliver — a TV repair manual — and rather than toss it, he taught himself the trade. So, he built a small shop attached to my grandmother’s home.”

“That TV repair shop became the backdrop of my childhood, where I learned what hard work and ingenuity look like,” Vasquez continued. “My uncle runs that shop today.”

That quote makes the campaign donation even more significant. Vasquez did not accept money from an unknown donor whose background was unclear. The donor listed at a Mexico address was a close family member connected to a family story Vasquez has used publicly as part of his political biography.

Federal law is clear that foreign nationals are prohibited from contributing to American elections — including local elections.

Under 11 CFR 110.20, “A foreign national shall not, directly or indirectly, make a contribution or donation” in connection with federal, state, or local elections, including to political committees and party committees.

The same federal regulation also prohibits candidates and campaigns from knowingly accepting such money: “No person shall knowingly solicit, accept, or receive from a foreign national any contribution or donation…”

That leaves Vasquez with a straightforward question to answer: Was Oscar Banuelos a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of the donation?

A Mexico address does not automatically prove a donor is a foreign national. U.S. citizens can live abroad, and lawful permanent residents may be eligible to contribute. But when a campaign accepts money from a donor listed at an address in Mexico — especially a donor personally known to the candidate — the campaign should be able to show it verified the donor’s eligibility.

The question is even more pressing because Vasquez has publicly described himself as the first member of his family born in the United States.

In the same October 2025 op-ed, Vasquez wrote, “My mother worked long hours in the maquiladora industry working to make ends meet. Through that work, she earned her citizenship, and I became the first in my family born in the United States.”

That quote does not prove Banuelos was ineligible to donate. But it does raise the stakes. Vasquez’s own telling of his family history emphasizes that his mother had to earn citizenship and that he was the first in his family born in the United States. Voters deserve to know whether his uncle, listed at a Mexico address on the campaign filing, was legally eligible to contribute to a New Mexico local election.

There is another wrinkle. Research uncovered by the Piñon Post notes that Banuelos’ Facebook page now lists him as living in Cuba. That fact does not establish his citizenship status in 2017, but it adds another reason Vasquez should explain what his campaign knew, what it verified, and why the donation was accepted.

Banuelos’ contribution may not be the only campaign-finance issue needing answers.

A later 2017 Vasquez campaign finance statement listed ten anonymous contributions totaling $200 in October 2017. The filing shows multiple anonymous $20 donations dated Oct. 21, 2017.

Anonymous small-dollar donations may appear in local campaign reports. But when viewed alongside a contribution from a donor listed at a Mexico address, they raise additional questions about the campaign’s donor-screening practices.

Who made the anonymous donations? Were those donors legally eligible to contribute? Did the campaign have any process in place to ensure foreign nationals were not contributing to Vasquez’s local race?

The amount of money involved is not the point. The point is that foreign-money restrictions exist to protect American elections at every level — federal, state, and local — from foreign influence.

Vasquez is no longer a local candidate running for city council. He is a sitting member of Congress seeking reelection in New Mexico’s most competitive district. He votes on national policy, border issues, election legislation, and matters involving foreign influence.

That makes his own campaign finance history fair game for scrutiny.

The records show Vasquez accepted $100 from Oscar Banuelos. The campaign filing listed Banuelos at a Chihuahua, Mexico address. Banuelos has been identified as Vasquez’s uncle and the man who runs the family TV repair shop in Juárez. Vasquez has publicly referenced that shop and his uncle in his own political storytelling. Vasquez has also said his mother earned citizenship and that he was the first in his family born in the United States.

Those facts demand an answer.

Was Oscar Banuelos legally eligible to donate to Gabe Vasquez’s 2017 campaign?

Did Vasquez’s campaign verify that eligibility before accepting the money?

And if the donation was not legal, why did Vasquez’s campaign accept campaign cash from a donor listed at a Mexico address?

If the contribution was lawful, Vasquez can clear up the matter quickly by providing proof that Banuelos was a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time.

If it was not, New Mexicans deserve to know why a campaign contribution tied to a foreign address was accepted — and whether Vasquez’s campaign ever asked the most obvious question before depositing the money.

Records: Contrary to U.S. law, Vasquez took campaign cash from uncle in Mexico Read More »

Stansbury-linked PAC begs for cash with bizarre Springsteen quote

16 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

A Democrat political group tied to far-left U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury is leaning on aging liberal rock star Bruce Springsteen in a frantic-sounding fundraising pitch aimed at electing more pro-abortion Democrat women to Congress.

Elect Democratic Women, a political action committee that lists Stansbury on its Board of Directors, sent a fundraising email with the subject line “Bruce Springsteen [PLEA to you].” The message repeatedly warned that Republicans are attacking abortion and urged donors to rush cash into the group’s “Pro-Choice Fund.”

The group describes itself as an organization committed to electing more “pro-choice Democratic women” to Congress and higher office. Its website says Elect Democratic Women was formed in 2018 by Democratic members of Congress and is “the only member-led political action committee dedicated to increasing the number of women in Congress.” Stansbury, who represents New Mexico’s First Congressional District, is listed among the group’s board members.

The email opens with a dramatic attack on President Donald Trump and House Republicans.

“Donald Trump just made a HUGE mistake,” the email states.

“His Republican Majority just declared war on women everywhere,” it continues. “And it will be his biggest regret…”

The group claimed Democrats across the country are “FLOODING” it with donations and said that if it can fill its “Pro-Choice Fund” to the “BRIM,” it will “send an ARMY of pro-choice Democratic women to Congress to help SAVE reproductive rights this November.”

The email then asked supporters to “rush $5 now to Elect Democratic Women.”

The pitch also included a graphic declaring, “DONATIONS TO OUR PRO-CHOICE FUND SOARING,” though the image shown in the email appeared to feature a mostly blank or empty chart area.

Then came Springsteen.

“Even American Icon, Bruce Springsteen is sounding the alarm,” the email stated before displaying a quote attributed to the singer: “We are living through dark, disturbing, and dangerous times. But do not despair. The calvary is coming.”

The quote appears to use “calvary,” a reference to the hill where Christ was crucified, instead of “cavalry,” the word commonly used in the phrase “the cavalry is coming.” Whether the typo came from the group or from the quoted material, the result was an awkward moment in an already over-the-top fundraising appeal.

The email then declared, “He’s RIGHT!”

“Republicans’ House Majority is CRUMBLING,” the group wrote, claiming that if Democrats flip just three seats, they will “TAKE BACK THE HOUSE.”

But the group warned that if Democrats do not “step up and keep this momentum going,” Republicans will “keep the House and get away with obliterating our reproductive freedoms.”

The pitch said Elect Democratic Women had set an “AMAZING goal” of raising $20,000 before a critical fundraising deadline and claimed the group was 59 percent of the way there.

“Give Anti-Choice Republicans a humiliating defeat & make Trump and his cronies REGRET ever threatening our rights!” the email said.

The bottom of the email made the group’s mission clear, stating, “We’re committed to electing more pro-choice Democratic women to Congress.”

It also said that if more Democrat women are elected, the group will be able to “defeat Republicans, protect our reproductive rights, finally pass the Equal Rights Amendment, and so much more.”

For New Mexicans, the connection to Stansbury is notable. Stansbury has built a deeply left-wing record in Congress and has aligned herself with national far-left causes, including abortion politics. Her presence on the board of a group sending desperate abortion-themed fundraising emails shows how closely New Mexico Democrats remain tied to the national left’s donor machine.

The email also shows the tone of that machine: panic, celebrity name-dropping, all-caps warnings, and repeated pleas for donations.

Rather than making a calm policy argument, Elect Democratic Women framed the issue as an emergency war against Republicans, Trump, and the Supreme Court. It claimed “MAGA Republicans” are launching “unprecedented attacks” and warned that the “ultra-conservative, anti-choice supermajority on the Supreme Court is going to let every single one of them slide,” despite the Court being fairly moderate in its stances. 

The group’s answer was not moderation or persuasion. It was cash.

“RUSH $5 NOW,” the email demanded.

That pitch may resonate with liberal donors, but for New Mexico voters, it is another reminder that Stansbury and her allies are not focused on the kitchen-table issues hurting families across the state. Instead, they are tied to a national fundraising machine obsessed with abortion, anti-Trump hysteria, and celebrity-backed scare tactics.

And in this case, that machine apparently needed Bruce Springsteen, a typo-ridden quote graphic, and a “PLEA” for cash to keep the pro-abortion dollars flowing.

Stansbury-linked PAC begs for cash with bizarre Springsteen quote Read More »

Haaland ticket shaken as Toulouse Oliver drops out

25 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver is suspending her campaign for lieutenant governor just weeks after winning the Democratic primary, creating a sudden vacancy on the Democrat ticket heading into the general election.

KRQE’s Jessica Garate first flagged the development on social media, writing that Toulouse Oliver was “dropping out of race for Lieutenant Governor” and that the station was working to find out who would take her place.

Toulouse Oliver later posted a statement saying she would “take a step back” from the campaign, citing health concerns and family obligations.

“In the coming days, I will take a step back from my campaign for Lieutenant Governor,” Toulouse Oliver wrote. “This has been an incredibly difficult decision, but a necessary one.”

“Recent changes to my health have caused my family and I to reflect on my commitments at home and to the people of our state — both of which I take extraordinarily seriously,” she continued.

Toulouse Oliver said suspending her campaign would allow her to focus on her family while continuing to perform her duties as secretary of state.

“Suspending my campaign will allow me to focus on my family while ensuring I can continue to fulfill my duties as Secretary of State,” she wrote.

She also defended her office’s handling of elections, writing, “My office will continue to conduct stellar, gold-standard election practices that prioritize ballot access and safe, secure elections.”

“I want to thank every New Mexican who voted in this race and who backed my run for Lieutenant Governor,” Toulouse Oliver added.

The announcement is a significant shake-up in New Mexico’s 2026 race for lieutenant governor. Toulouse Oliver had just won the Democratic primary on June 2, defeating state Sen. Harold Pope Jr. by a wide margin. The Daily Lobo reported Toulouse Oliver won the Democratic lieutenant governor primary with 80% of the vote, compared with Pope’s 20%.

Her victory followed an already unusual Democratic primary season. State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, who had also been running for lieutenant governor, withdrew before the primary. Campaign finance data compiled by Transparency USA lists Garcia Richard as withdrawn, Pope as having lost the primary, and Toulouse Oliver as having advanced.

Toulouse Oliver’s exit leaves Democrats scrambling to determine who will replace her as the party’s nominee for lieutenant governor alongside Democratic gubernatorial nominee Deb Haaland.

The change comes after Democrats had been promoting the Haaland-Toulouse Oliver ticket as a historic all-women ticket. After her primary win, Toulouse Oliver said she looked forward to winning “alongside Deb Haaland in November on this historic all-women ticket,” according to The Daily Lobo.

Now that ticket is no longer intact.

Under the 2026 New Mexico candidate guide from the Secretary of State’s office, if a vacancy occurs after a primary election but 90 or more days before the general election, the vacancy on the general election ballot may be filled by the state central committee of the political party for a federal, state, district, or multicounty legislative office. The guide lists Aug. 5, 2026, as the deadline for that type of post-primary vacancy, and says appointments to fill vacancies must be filed at least 70 days before the general election.

That means state Democrats are expected to have a process to choose a replacement, though it was not immediately clear who would be selected.

The development also adds new uncertainty to a lieutenant governor race that had already drawn attention on the Republican side. Former state Sen. David Gallegos won the GOP nomination, defeating Aubrey Blair Dunn and Manuel Lardizabal. Gallegos won the Republican primary with 50% of the vote, followed by Dunn at 38% and Lardizabal at 13%.

The lieutenant governor’s role is often overlooked, but it carries real constitutional significance. The lieutenant governor presides over the state Senate and serves as acting governor when the governor is out of state or unable to serve. New Mexico regulations state that the governor and lieutenant governor are elected jointly, with voters casting a single vote for both offices.

Politically, Toulouse Oliver’s withdrawal could create complications for Democrats at a sensitive moment. Haaland is already moving into a general election fight against Republican Gregg Hull. Democrats must now settle the lieutenant governor vacancy while maintaining party unity after a bruising primary season that saw Haaland defeat Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman and Toulouse Oliver defeat Pope.

For Republicans, the development may provide an opening to argue the Democratic ticket is unstable and that voters deserve clarity on who would be one heartbeat away from the governor’s office.

Toulouse Oliver’s announcement did not detail the specific health changes behind her decision, and she emphasized that she would continue serving as secretary of state.

Still, the political consequence is immediate: New Mexico Democrats need a new lieutenant governor nominee, and the general election ticket voters thought they had just weeks ago has already changed.

Haaland ticket shaken as Toulouse Oliver drops out Read More »

Stansbury cries gerrymandering again after Dems carved up NM

19 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury is doubling down on her gerrymandering fundraising pitch, again accusing Republicans of trying to “deny representation” while ignoring the political reality right here in New Mexico: Democrats used total control of Santa Fe to redraw the state’s congressional map and help wipe out Republican representation in the U.S. House delegation.

In a new campaign email with the subject line “A lack of representation,” Stansbury claimed, “Republican gerrymandering is an attempt to deny representation for Americans.”

She then tied the claim to her work with Elect Democratic Women, writing, “That’s why I’m a member of the Elect Democratic Women Caucus. We’re going to step up for women when their seats are at risk of being gerrymandered away.”

The email asked supporters to “rush $10 right now” to help Stansbury support Democratic women, saying her campaign needed to raise $1,320 by midnight to stay on track ahead of an FEC filing deadline.

“I’m fighting every day to help Democratic women take back the House — only 28% of Congresspeople are women, which isn’t enough,” Stansbury wrote. “Let’s show our strength at this filing deadline. Democratic women have to win, which is why I’m supporting them across the nation this cycle.”

The latest email follows a previous Stansbury fundraising pitch that warned donors about “gerrymandering” and asked for money to “make sure Republicans stay OUT of Congress.”

Now, rather than backing away from the hypocrisy, Stansbury appears to be leaning into it.

The problem for Stansbury is simple: New Mexico voters already watched Democrats do exactly what she claims to oppose.

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

Democrats cracked conservative communities and stretched the district into more Democrat-friendly areas, giving their party a much stronger shot at winning all three congressional seats.

That is exactly what happened.

Republican Yvette Herrell lost the Second Congressional District in 2022 to Democrat Gabe Vasquez, and Democrats now hold all three of New Mexico’s U.S. House seats.

So when Stansbury claims that “Republican gerrymandering” is an attempt to “deny representation,” conservative New Mexicans may reasonably ask: what does she call what Democrats did in New Mexico?

Because for Republicans in this state, the result was clear. Their congressional representation was effectively erased.

Stansbury’s email tries to repackage the issue as a women’s representation fight, arguing that Democratic women need protection from Republican maps. But that framing conveniently leaves out a major fact: partisan map-rigging is not morally better when Democrats do it, and it is not less political when the beneficiaries are left-wing candidates.

The email also shows how national Democratic fundraising language is being filtered through New Mexico politicians. The formula is familiar: accuse Republicans of attacking democracy, claim representation is at risk, demand immediate small-dollar donations, and never mention what Democrats have done when they control the map-drawing process.

Stansbury’s latest message says she is fighting to help Democratic women “take back the House.” But in New Mexico, Democrats already used redistricting to help take every House seat.

That is why this pitch is so shameless.

Stansbury is not some outside observer watching redistricting fights from afar. She is a New Mexico Democrat whose party benefited from one of the most aggressive congressional redistricting plays in state history. Her own state’s map was redesigned to weaken Republican voters, particularly in southern New Mexico, and help Democrats achieve a 3-0 congressional delegation.

Now she is asking donors to believe Republicans are the only ones using district lines for political power.

The hypocrisy is hard to miss.

Stansbury’s email says “Republican gerrymandering” denies representation. New Mexico Republicans might say Democrat gerrymandering already did.

And instead of acknowledging that reality, Stansbury is fundraising off it.

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

Stansbury cries gerrymandering again after Dems carved up NM Read More »

Haaland promises kids will ‘read sooner’ if she wins as NM ranks dead last

32 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Far-left Democrat Deb Haaland is being promoted by national Democrats as the candidate who will help New Mexico children “read sooner” — even as the state remains buried at the bottom of the nation in education after years of Democrat control in Santa Fe.

The Democratic Governors Association posted a clip from Haaland’s MS NOW interview, writing, “Deb Haaland is running for governor of New Mexico so kids can read sooner, families can get the healthcare they need, and life can be more affordable for every New Mexican.”

But the short clip, which appears tightly edited, offered another reminder of Haaland’s halting and awkward public speaking style. Critics have long noted that Haaland often leans heavily on scripted lines, biography, and broad talking points rather than clear, detailed answers — a problem that followed her during her time in Washington and during congressional hearings while she served as Joe Biden’s secretary of the interior.

In the clip, Haaland attempted to frame herself as the most experienced candidate in the race.

“When I was secretary, of course, I have a record of accomplishment,” Haaland said. “I managed a department with 70,000 career staff, an $18 billion annual budget.”

She added, “I’m the only one with experience like that who is running for governor, and I want to use that experience and knowledge for the benefit of New Mexico.”

For Haaland’s allies, that is supposed to be the pitch: she ran a massive federal agency, so she is ready to run New Mexico.

But for conservatives, her tenure at Interior looked far more ceremonial than impressive. Haaland became a national symbol for the Biden administration’s identity politics and climate agenda, but when pressed in congressional hearings on basic policy questions involving energy, public lands, and federal land management, she often struggled to give direct, coherent answers.

That matters because Haaland is now asking voters to trust her with New Mexico’s education system, health care access, affordability crisis, and public safety problems.

In the MS NOW clip, Haaland continued, “I was also a congresswoman, so I know how the federal government works.”

She then said she is “ready to work for New Mexicans, so kids can read sooner, so people can get health care when they need it, so life can be more affordable for every New Mexican, regardless of where they live.”

The line about children reading sooner is especially rich.

New Mexico’s education system is already in crisis. After years of Democrat control of the governor’s office, Legislature, and education bureaucracy, the state remains at or near the bottom nationally. Recent national reading data show New Mexico fourth graders and eighth graders performing well below national averages, with only about one in five students at or above proficient in reading.

That is not a messaging problem. That is a generational failure.

Democrats have had every lever of power in Santa Fe. They have increased spending. They have expanded bureaucracy. They have pushed woke education priorities. And yet New Mexico children still cannot read at acceptable levels.

Now national Democrats are packaging Haaland as the answer.

But the DGA clip may have created the opposite impression. Instead of showing a dynamic leader with a specific plan to turn around New Mexico schools, it showed Haaland leaning on vague promises and federal credentials.

There were no specifics in the clip about how Haaland would improve reading scores. No explanation of what she would do differently from outgoing Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. No plan for fixing a broken education system controlled by Democrats for years.

Instead, voters heard the familiar Haaland formula: mention the Biden administration, cite the size of the federal department she nominally led, and promise broad outcomes without telling New Mexicans how she would actually deliver them.

For conservative New Mexicans, the irony is hard to miss.

A candidate whose public interviews often require careful packaging is being sold as the leader who will help children read sooner. A Democrat backed by the same political machine that presided over New Mexico’s education collapse is now promising to fix it. And a former Biden cabinet secretary with a record of vague, halting answers is asking voters to believe she can competently manage the state.

Haaland is not running away from the Biden-Haaland record. She is running on it.

The same goes for New Mexico Democrats’ education record. They own it. The low reading scores, the national embarrassment, the decades of excuses, and the failure to produce basic results all happened under their watch.

The DGA wants voters to see Haaland as a historic candidate with federal experience and a feel-good promise to help kids “read sooner.”

But New Mexicans may see something else: another far-left Democrat wrapped in national media polish, offering scripted slogans, Biden-era credentials, and no real evidence that anything would change. Haaland’s Republican competitor is former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, who has years of executive experience.

Haaland promises kids will ‘read sooner’ if she wins as NM ranks dead last Read More »

Sheriff says Vasquez had to be shamed into supporting police

16 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hutchinson said the episode fits a larger pattern from Vasquez.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sheriff says Vasquez had to be shamed into supporting police Read More »

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

4 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 2 3 4 5 6 … 248
Scroll to Top