On Tuesday, New Mexico candidates filed their financial reports for the second General Election period, with many contentious races for fundraising. On the top of the ballot, Republican nominee Mark Ronchetti outraised embattled Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is battling flak on the airwaves over her $150,000 payout for grave sexual assault claims.
Ronchetti ended up raising $1,451,582.10 to Lujan Grisham’s $1,121,728.94 — outraising her by $329,853.16.
Third-party Libertarian candidate Karen Bedonie raised $14,523.08 during the same period, leaving her with $3,415.94 cash on hand.
According to the Ronchetti campaign in a press release, “95% of Ronchetti’s money is from within the state of New Mexico, showing that he has the support of the people of this state, not special interest groups in California and Washington, DC.”
“The outpouring of support from everyday New Mexicans continues to humble me, and I will not stop fighting for them until we restore our public safety, catch our kids up in school, and provide sustained economic relief for the people of this state,” said Ronchetti. “There are 28 days left in this campaign, not only do we have plenty of resources to win, we have the people of this state on our side and we will carry this momentum forward all the way through election day!”
The campaign’s press release continued, “Ronchetti will be entering the final 27 days of this campaign with $2.49 million cash on hand. With this advantage, Ronchetti will be in great position to put Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on defense for the final month. The governor is currently sitting on $1.68 million cash on hand, more than $800k less than Ronchetti.”
Ronchetti predominantly spent $1,080,963.20 on expenditures marked as television during the fundraising period.
The cash advantage will help Ronchetti overcome the embattled Democrat governor as she continues to attack the Republican on the abortion issue — apparently running specifically on her record of signing a 2021 abortion up-to-birth bill into law.
Ronchetti continues to poll within single digits of Lujan Grisham, signifying a close race that Republicans have a good shot of winning.
Over the past few weeks, a self-proclaimed “progressive” calling himself Chris Edwards — also known as “Martin Christopher Edwards” — has been launching vicious attacks against conservatives, specifically pro-lifers who he opposes in Alamogordo. They include conservative Alamogordo City Commissioner Karl Melton and myself, the Republican nominee for New Mexico House District 51.
Edwards has a so-called media operation that is seeking to mislead Otero County Republicans and infiltrate our conservative community with far-left radicalism. Beyond his “progressive” views, Edwards is also a convicted felon with a long criminal record who had fled to Mexico, suffers from undiagnosed bipolar disorder, according to his attorney, and has actively promoted Democrats, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), along with longstanding support for Planned Parenthood.
Otero County Republicans should read on to learn the dangers of this shady individual and should also be wary of trusting anything published by Edwards’ blog “2nd Life Media” and a publication Edwards is closely connected with, “New Mexico’s Influence Magazine.”
Chris Edwards’ Far-Leftist Activities
Edwards is a fervent supporter of Planned Parenthood and social justice causes. He is pro-lockdown and pro-Dr. Fauci. Edwards says he has “consulted” on at least two local Democrat candidate campaigns in the 2022 Primary and General elections. He claims his clients include pro-abortion judge candidates Rev. Warren Robinson and Claudia Powell. Despite the claims, according to finance reports, Edwards is on neither of the candidates’ payrolls.
As he wrote on his own website, in 2020, Edwards “aligned” with two left-wing organizations to attack conservative candidates via “opposition research” and previously publicly shamed donors to a political action committee that supported a ballot measure he opposed. On his LinkedIn profile, he writes that he “has demonstrated results in crafting opposition negative campaign ads,” along with “opposition marketing tactics.”
He is the “co-owner” and “CEO” of an entity called 2nd Life Media/ ROADRUNNER EMPORIUM Inc. on New York Avenue in Alamogordo, according to a filing with the New Mexico Secretary of State. The other owner is his partner, a man named Rene Lee Sepulveda.
According to Edwards’ blog, “2nd Life Media Inc is a vertically integrated consulting and operating company.” He calls it a “multimedia and consulting company” partnered with “Roadrunner Emporium Fine Arts, Antiques and More Gallery, Gallery 1209, and via the soon to be revitalized Sands Theater Partnership.”
A twice-failed candidate for Napa City Council in California, Edwards was accused in his previous races of “dirty politics” for misleading elderly voters during candidate forums.
Dee Cuney, a woman who attended Edwards’ controversial forum, said, “It’s very, very disappointing that people were misled,” adding, “That’s dirty stuff.”
Edwards has posted on his Facebook page a multitude of “LGBTQ+” pride content, anti-Trump posts, support for the ANTIFA-linked Black Lives Matter hate group, and photos with Democrat politicians and activists, such as Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and George Takei. Other posts include photos reading “#IStandwithPP” (Planned Parenthood) and “Unapologetically Pro-Choice (Abortion),” support for failed Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and former President Obama, posts reading, “I stand with Fauci,” “I support DACA,” among others disparaging conservatives and promoting far-left politics. Yet Edwards is trying to dupe conservatives into believing he is an “independent” voice. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Edwards’ Long Criminal History
Along with his “dirty” left-wing political activity, Edwards has a years-long past of criminal activity, pleading guilty and being convicted of felony mail fraud and tax evasion in 2014. The Department of Justice charged him after he was wanted by the FBI as a fugitive for 23 counts of mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. The “fraudster,” as the Bureau put it, was finally apprehended after fleeing to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, seven months following his failure to appear in federal court. He was found at Hacienda Escondida Private Villas, where he claimed to work as a “sales marketing director,” according to his LinkedIn profile.
The Department of Justice charged Edwards, and he was found guilty of embezzling $900,000 between May 2010 and October 2012 from his employer, the online fulfillment wine company, The Wine Tasting Network, a subsidiary of 1-800 Flowers. He did this by directing the network to make large payments through a fake entity he set up called Dufrane Compliance Trust. The Department of Justicesaid that the fictitious entity “purported to provide compliance services to wineries and wine retailers.”
According to the FBI, “Edwards … deposited these funds into an account he controlled and withdrew them for his own personal use, including the purchase of a BMW, which has since been seized by law enforcement authorities.” Along with the BMW, Edwards used the embezzled funds for “ expensive vacations and lavish meals.” According to Edwards’ Twitter account, he spent time on vacation in such places as Hawaii. He claims to have “traveled to 46 countries.”
One portion of Edwards’ criminal indictment reads, “MARTIN CHRISTOPHER EDWARDS, did knowingly and intentionally devise a scheme … to defraud, and to obtain money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses … and concealment were false and fraudulent when made, and, for the purpose of executing such scheme and artifice, did knowingly cause the following items to be sent and delivered by the United States Postal Service, and private and commercial interstate carriers (emphasis added).”
According to the Napa Daily Register, Edwards’ lawyer claimed during the trial, “Edwards suffered from chronic depression, a bipolar disorder, drug and alcohol addictions, all of which contributed to his compromised judgment.” Whether or not Edwards is currently treated for bipolar disorder is unknown.
Edwards was sentenced in September 2014 to nearly three years (33 months) in federal prison and ordered to pay $894,222 in restitution to the Wine Tasting Network. Bay City Newsreported that prosecutors “said Edwards did not declare any of the [embezzled] money on his federal income tax returns in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Edwards’ plea agreement also included an enhancement for obstruction of justice for a flight he took to Mexico to avoid prosecution.”
This is not the first run-in Edwards had with the law.
Previously, Edwards was convicted of two misdemeanors for larceny-theft in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. He was initially charged with two felony counts of embezzlement for defrauding the fast food company Hardees, where he worked at the time in its corporate offices, “but Edwards agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of larceny for an amount more than $200 and was ordered to pay restitution,” according to the DailyRegister.
The news of his previous conviction came out during Edwards’ failed 2005 run for Napa City Council, where he said he was “dismayed that public records still contain information about his conviction,” according to the newspaper. With his later 2014 conviction, it appears Edwards did not change from his old ways.
Edwards Attacking Alamogordo Conservatives
Edwards has recently transplanted himself to Alamogordo, New Mexico, where he admits to pushing progressivism in the heavily conservative area, including viciously attacking conservative candidates and pro-life policymakers who are moving the community forward.
The attacks ramped up as Alamogordo City Commissioner Melton proposed, and the Commission successfully passed a resolution declaring Alamogordo a sanctuary city for the unborn in August. The only two dissenting votes came from Mayor Susan Payne and Commissioner Sharon McDonald. Payne insisted she is “100 percent pro-life” but refused to support a resolution protecting life.
A long-time supporter of Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry, Edwards wrote in 2017, “I have supported the missions of Planned Parenthood for years,” while bashing pro-life sidewalk counselors outside of abortion clinics as “extremist.” He added in the post, “ I stand pink to show my support of Planned Parenthood.”
Screenshot of Edwards’ post professing to support Planned Parenthood for “years”
Apparently angered that Alamogordo stood up for the lives of the unborn, he attempted unsuccessfully to elevate pro-abortion organizers’ petition demanding a special election for a referendum on the pro-life resolution.
After the pro-abortion petitioners, calling themselves “New Voices Otero,” failed to reach the mere 589 signature goal despite having 30 days to organize, Edwards wrote a blog post viciously attacking Commissioner Melton and myself, paying homage to his former days of “dirty politics” in Napa. He claimed criticisms of the mayor were “propaganda” despite her vote against the pro-life resolution and her signature prominently featured on a petition, which bashed the commission that she oversees as “extremist.”
Increasingly angered by his political loss when the petitioners’ signatures were thrown out by the City Clerk, Edwards decided to attack me, claiming with absolutely no evidence that I or someone affiliated with me sent copies of his federal indictment to unknown individuals via the U.S. Postal Service. Now, Edwards is falsely claiming mail fraud, when in actuality, he spent years in federal prison after being convicted of not only mail fraud but also tax evasion and larceny, among other crimes. Mr. Edwards appears to be projecting his own previous criminality. If such letters did, indeed, get sent out, the plausible suspect would be himself.
After Edwards’ attacks against myself and Commissioner Melton fell flat, Edwards filed a slew of frivolous Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) requests with the City of Alamogordo, attempting to undermine the premise of the resolution, claiming there was no support for it. In the process, Edwards doxxed a local resident who requested Commissioner Melton propose the measure. He posted in a blog entry a screenshot of an email showing personal information about where she lived and even published her unredacted email address.
For someone who claims to be so invested in Alamogordo and has so much at stake, he seems fine with wasting city staff’s time and money with his manic IPRA requests.
In one subsequent unhinged blog post, Edwards got confused and falsely accused Commissioner Melton of submitting a September IPRA request under my name, despite not checking the signature. A simple signature match could have proven he was incorrect. Still, he published the defamatory article anyway without a hint of fact-checking. More Napa Valley “dirty politics.”
Edwards has continued to attempt to lace together conspiracy theories about Commissioner Melton, who owns a legitimate conservative consulting service, Conservative Compliance LLC, unlike Edwards’ fictitious Dufrane Compliance Trust that defrauded nearly $1 million. Edwards cooked up multiple far-out conspiracies through his “2nd Life Media” Facebook account. One such false claim was that Conservative Compliance’s client list included County Commissioner Couy Griffin, even though that would legally be required to be reported to the Secretary of State’s office.
While trying to shift the topic after his theories disintegrated, Edwards ended up claiming that non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations are a “tax dodging ploy” in the apparent attempt to attack non-profit pro-life groups. His baseless theories seem to be a projection of his days sitting behind bars for tax evasion.
In one of Edwards’ Facebook posts, it shows an image of him with a filter reading, “I pay more taxes than Trump,” ironic since his lack of paying taxes when he systematically defrauded 1-800 Flowers landed him behind bars for nearly three years.
A photograph posted by Edwards on Facebook.
Edwards wrote in one of his blog posts that he will not quit harassing conservatives in Alamogordo until “they rise to the occasion of true leadership, end the attacks on those that differ in opinion and embrace open dialog with a civil tone to seek areas of compromise for a better Alamogordo.”
If only Edwards would take his own advice and end his obsessive attacks against people fighting to move Alamogordo forward and represent the conservative values of our community.
Now, the far-left Chris Edwards continues to ignore his self-righteous standards and instead launch vicious attacks against Alamogordo conservatives. As he keeps attacking with his Napa Valley-style “dirty” smears and promoting abortion up-to-birth/LGBTQ+ groups, locals should watch carefully the many ventures he is closely affiliated with. That includes a new magazine, “New Mexico’s Influence Magazine,” and the businesses he has purported to own or operate. At face value, the magazine attempts to come off as even-handed. However, knowing “progressive” Edwards is behind it, conservatives should use extreme caution.
More information will be released in due course on individuals such as Edwards; This first report just scratches the surface. New Mexicans must continue to be vigilant of leftists, many with crime-filled, shady pasts, attempting to implement far-left California policies into our conservative community.
As Edwards wrote in one post, “We are working to change the extremism, But we need the help and support of progressive businesses like those downtown Roadrunner Emporium, ReneFit, New York Art and Music Studio, the Game Shop on New York and others.”
What exactly is the “extremism” Edwards is trying to cut out of Alamogordo, and how exactly does he intend to do this through “progressive” businesses, many of which he has a financial interest in? It is still unclear if the $894,222 ordered in restitution for Edwards’ embezzlement has yet been paid.
While the facts presented in this article have been extensively verified for correctness and accuracy, the author’s recommendations on actions Otero County conservatives should take are purely opinion.
She claimed, “We can never rewrite history or undo the injustices of the past,” adding, “But we can work together to heal old wounds and build stronger bonds between us. To that end, today I am rescinding four egregious official proclamations of my predecessors.”
The erased history includes the following proclamations:
March 12, 1851 proclamation of Gov. James S. Calhoun (Whig Party – First Territorial Governor)
March 18, 1851 proclamation of Gov. James S. Calhoun (Whig Party – First Territorial Governor)
August 2, 1869 proclamation of Gov. Robert B. Mitchell (Democratic Party – Seventh Territorial Governor )
September 8, 1869 proclamation of Gov. William A. Pile (Republican Party – Eighth Territorial Governor)
According to Lujan Grisham’s press release, “The 1851 proclamations issued by Gov. Calhoun directed Native residents to be excluded from official census counts and authorized militias to ‘pursue and attack’ Indigenous New Mexicans. The 1869 proclamations issued by Gov. Mitchell and Gov. Pile declared certain Tribal nations as ‘outlaws’ and authorized New Mexico residents to commit violence against Tribal citizens.”
No context whatsoever was given about the full content of the proclamations other than her characterization of them.
The governor then praised bloodthirsty killer Popé, a domestic terrorist who led the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, killing 400 Spaniards, including 21 of the 33 Franciscan missionary priests in New Mexico. She called Popé’s bloody revolt “great” while erroneously claiming it was “the first American Revolution.”
In the same press release, Lujan Grisham wrote that on Columbus Day, which she called Indigenous Peoples’ Day, “we pause to remember our shared heritage and the strong friendship and respect we have built over generations.”
She does not appear to have “respect” for differing opinions, especially those of her predecessors. Whether she thinks history is offensive or not, her attempt to erase it speaks volumes.
In a shocking turn of events, leftist columnist Milan Simonich of the Santa Fe New Mexican finally ripped into Democrats for their “double standard” on sexual harassment in a Monday op-ed.
Simonich notes, as the Piñon Post already reported, that state Sen. Michael Padilla (D-Bernalillo) survived sexual assault claims despite then-candidate for governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) demanding he quit the 2018 race for lieutenant governor. He did quit the race and now he has been promoted by New Mexico Senate Democrats to be their majority whip.
Lujan Grisham told the Associated Press, “My position on sexual harassment is clear: it is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated by me or in my administration. Michael Padilla’s actions were wrong.” She continued, “There is no room for excuses and he should withdraw his candidacy for lieutenant governor.”
Simonich wrote, “Still, if sexual harassment is inexcusable, Padilla’s return to power as a Senate leader is inexplicable.”
Now, Simonich is calling out Democrats for their hypocrisy on their standard-bearer, Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is seeking another term as governor.
He wrote regarding claims from former staffer James Hallinan that she poured water over his crotch and then groped his penis through his pants, while then paying him off $150,000 in a hush-money settlement:
For her part, Lujan Grisham said she agreed to a settlement with Hallinan to avoid distractions during the coronavirus pandemic. The governor’s camp also said money paid to Hallinan staved off costly litigation.
The governor’s settlement with Hallinan is just the sort of case Lujan Grisham would pounce on if it involved a political rival. Her main opponent in next month’s election is former television weatherman Mark Ronchetti, who’s run a clumsy campaign and trails in the polls.
But Ronchetti is the only Republican with a shot at winning a statewide election in New Mexico. Will the #MeToo movement rally to his side before the campaign staggers to a close? The odds say Ivey-Soto has a better chance of becoming governor.
Simonich has finally gone after Lujan Grisham after a slew of attacks against Republicans and conservatives across the state. Apparently, the claims and subsequent payoff will finally be noticed by the columnist and potentially his readers from on high.
In her latest snub to the conservative city of Hobbs in Lea County, Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham flatly refused to answer a simple candidate questionnaire from the newspaper, the Hobbs News-Sun.
The questionnaire had relevant inquiries about the oil-rich part of the state, specifically if the candidate would support the industry and its high-paying jobs.
Republican nominee Mark Ronchetti responded, “ New Mexico’s oil and gas industry is the backbone of our state’s economy.” He added, “I’ll implement an oil and gas rebate program.”
Karen Bedonie, the Libertarian candidate and former Republican who left the GOP, said, “I am a realist and I realize the major role of the New Mexico oil and gas industry to the state and I definitely know the economic importance it holds in our economic future.”
According to the News-Sun, Lujan Grisham refused to answer the questions.
“A spokesperson for the Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham reelection campaign, Delaney Corcoran, informed the News-Sun about 10:22 a.m. on Oct. 4 [Lujan] Grisham will not answer the questions sent to her on Sept. 22,” the outlet reported.
New Mexico's families are suffering and Michelle Lujan Grisham doesn't feel the need to be even remotely accountable.
PS – I'm old enough to remember the crocodile tears after a certain Ronchetti event. I'm sure the reaction here will be exactly the same. pic.twitter.com/bmYJynL1eJ
This is not the first time Lujan Grirhsm has been hostile toward Hobbs. During her pandemic press conferences, she railed against the conservative community.
Lujan Grisham then went on to compare random photographs from Taos and Hobbs, one showing a sunny, bright day in Taos, where people were wearing face masks as far as the eye could see. However, the other photograph Lujan Grisham showed was one of an unnamed establishment in Hobbs, which appeared to be a snitch photo submitted to her office picturing people eating inside and not wearing masks.
As well, she said, “I don’t think the individuals were trying to support a local business,” then claiming “we’re getting… those photos and many calls and many complaints, and we’re going out.”
Other than threatening local law enforcers with fines and citations after her rant at the Hobbs business, Lujan Grisham then claimed, “Nobody wishes that restaurants have a situation where they have a situation where they are challenged to make it. Every business — every small business is worthy of New Mexico’s attention and support.” It may not appear that way, with the New Mexico Restaurant Associaton estimating that 20% of restaurants across the state will close forever.
Lujan Grisham continued, saying, “And I know that New Mexicans also know we are also debating these issues in front of fact-finders — judges — statewide, and I believe in the independence and authority of judges. And we will adhere to whatever judicial action comes down any number of these. But we are citing. We are closing, and I will tell you this. For local law enforcement: where you are also — it’s bad enough that you won’t help us cite folks who aren’t wearing masks and organizations and businesses and restaurants following public health orders — if you are violating a public health order, there are civil and criminal tools at our disposal. And local law enforcement — including the sheriffs who have been posting photos of themselves eating returns — should expect to be cited as such and to be held accountable.”
After snubbing the Hobbs News-Sun, Power The Future’s Larry Behrens said, “Given Governor Lujan’s Grisham’s massive record of failure, particularly in energy policy, it’s not a surprise she has no response. Governor Lujan Grisham has never felt accountable to the people of New Mexico, especially those in the energy industry in southeast New Mexico. The cost of gas is shooting up again, massive inflation is hurting struggling families and all Michelle Lujan Grisham can offer are non-answers to accompany her non-accomplishments.”
A fiery new ad from Republican gubernatorial nominee Ronchetti hits Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham over her sexual assault payments where she shelled out $150,000 to an ex-staffer who says she poured water over his crotch area and then groped his penis through his clothes.
The ad features news clips, including one report from CNN.
The CNN anchor said, “Tonight, New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is battling a sexual misconduct allegation.”
An announcer reads, “The governor mocked the manhood of an openly gay staffer,” adding, “and then grabbed his crotch through his clothes.”
The ad then features the staffer, James Hallinan, in his own voice during an interview with KOAT 7 where he said, “I was pressured to not report it to law enforcement.”
An announcer adds, “The governor paid the staffer more than $150,000 to settle and forced him to agree to never talk about it again. Wouldn’t this get you fired?”
📺🚨 NEW AD – MLG SCANDAL 🚨📺@Michelle4NM said about the Cuomo scandal that “you believe the individual” because if you don’t you are “revictimizing” the victim.
MLG sexually assaulted a staffer then paid him $150k to be quiet.
In 2017, former lieutenant governor candidate, state Sen. Michael Padilla, was accused of a decade-old sexual harassment charge. At the time, Lujan Grisham demanded Padilla drop out of the race for office. Padilla was just promoted to Democrat Senate Majority Whip.
She told the Associated Press, “My position on sexual harassment is clear: it is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated by me or in my administration. Michael Padilla’s actions were wrong.” She continued, “There is no room for excuses and he should withdraw his candidacy for lieutenant governor.”
Lujan Grisham didn’t live up to her own standard, flatly claiming, “There is no room for excuses.” Her excuse for the $150,000 was that she was busy during the pandemic and didn’t have time to fight the claims.
She said at the time, “I was focused on the pandemic, and I’ll stand by that decision [to settle] every minute of every day.”
Previously, a man came forward in 2018 before the gubernatorial election accusing Lujan Grisham of groping him at a party, which led to the end of his relationship.
The man, Eddie Dehart, said of the 2005 groping incident, “In 2005, we have a party at my girlfriend’s house. It was an artisan party to showcase some art in Santa Fe and help the artists out to sell their products…During the game, it was Michelle’s shot. And she walked around the pool table and walked by me. When she walked by me she grabbed my crotch.” He said that Lujan Grisham exclaimed to his girlfriend that “you have a man here.”
“Michelle was asked to leave the party,” he said. “I didn’t do nothing [sic] to provoke it.”
Dehart said that Lujan Grisham’s conduct led to a rift with his girlfriend. “Michelle’s drunkenness and her touchy hands ended up breaking us up in the long run.”
Now that the groping is becoming an election issue for Lujan Grisham, widespread television ads exposing her groping could tilt the balance toward Ronchetti in November.
While most of the mainstream media is content to ignore the border catastrophe happening in New Mexico — a safe haven for criminal aliens and drug cartels — only a few news outlets, such as Fox News, have even dedicated a few minutes to the crisis of the state’s porous border.
New Mexico remains the lone illegal immigration free-for-all between Arizona and Texas, two states that have beefed up security on the southern border, even going so far as to allocate state funds to finish President Trump’s border wall.
The wall proved during the Trump administration to be a massive success. But now, with gaping holes being left for illegal aliens, human and drug traffickers, and even some terrorists to jump through with ease, the crisis has required a robust response.
Such a response has not come to fruition under Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Just the opposite. During her first few days as governor, Lujan Grisham pulled the state’s National Guard from the southern border, further exacerbating the crisis. She has parroted open borders rhetoric, which has led municipalities like Santa Fe and Albuquerque to declare themselves so-called “sanctuaries” for criminal aliens.
The Washington Examiner highlighted New Mexico in a piece published Thursday, focusing on the state’s governor’s race being a potential game changer to help stop the spread of deadly fentanyl and close off illegal immigration numbers, which have risen to over two million apprehensions just this year.
There is an additional reason New Mexico attracts less notice for illegal crossovers than its neighbors — federal agency classifications that can keep the state’s profile low when it comes to illegal immigration. There are no U.S. Customs and Border Protection sectors in New Mexico, the fifth-largest state by land mass at 121,365 square miles. Texas has multiple border sectors, along with Arizona and California. Even Vermont, the seventh smallest state, at 9,249 square miles, has its own sector up north along the U.S. border with Canada.
There are three border crossings in New Mexico, compared to six in California, six in Arizona, and 20 in Texas, even though at 179.5 miles, New Mexico’s border with Mexico is longer than that of California, at 140 miles.
That lesser amount of federal border resources put into New Mexico has become a major campaign focal point for Ronchetti. New Mexico has to pick up the slack from the federal authorities, argues Ronchetti, a former television weatherman who was the 2020 New Mexico GOP Senate nominee, losing to then-Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) by a 6.1-percentage-point margin.
Ronchetti is up against an experienced candidate in Lujan Grisham, who won the New Mexico governorship in 2018 after six years in the House, representing the state’s Albuquerque-area 1st Congressional District.
The Examiner wrote that Lujan Grisham could very well be defeated, saying, “Lujan Grisham, however, may be vulnerable. In addition to taking heat over border policies, Lujan Grisham drew a wave of negative headlines early in the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, she was criticized after purchasing jewelry from a store in Albuquerque once she ordered all nonessential businesses to be closed. In response, the governor’s office said the transaction was done remotely and didn’t violate the order.”
It added, “If Ronchetti ousts the governor, he’ll need only look south, toward the border, to know why.”
According to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data from 2021, New Mexico ranked as the state with the second-highest crime rate in the nation, with crimes affecting 2.19% of the population.
KRQE 13 reports, “The numbers also show New Mexico’s per-population kidnapping and abduction rate was the highest in the nation. But that may be due, in part, to the way the state defines kidnapping. New Mexico’s definition of kidnapping could be construed as relatively broad and includes holding someone against their will using force or intimidation.”
In 2021, for every 100,000 New Mexicans, law enforcement reported 2,189 crimes against persons or affecting 2.92% of the population. The only state with worse overall crime was Arkansas, with 2,276 crimes per 100,000 people.
The report added, “New Mexico law enforcement also reported more homicides in 2021 than the year before. Across New Mexico, police reported 193 homicides to the FBI in 2021. That’s 67 more than in 2020.”
New Mexico clinched the top spot for the highest crime rate in the kidnapping category, with the most abductions than any other state
Regarding assault, New Mexico agencies reported nearly 25,500 instances in 2021 — 1,872 more than the state reported in 2020.
According to the FBI, “In 2021, the FBI expanded homicide crime statistics for New Mexico are based on 42 of 128 law enforcement agencies in the state that year who elected to submit an expanded homicide report.”
According to a new Cygnal poll, Republican attorney general nominee Jeremy Gay is tied with Democrat nominee Raúl Torrez. The poll shows Gay at 41.4 percent while Torrez had 42 percent. 16.6 percent of voters were undecided.
The polling company wrote, “The environment in New Mexico provides a key opportunity for Republicans to win in November: the generic congressional ballot is tied (Republican 46.9% – Democrat 46.6%) and incumbent Democrat Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is struggling below the 50% threshold, sputtering at 46.2% while Republican challenger Mark Ronchetti hits 44.4%, and Libertarian candidate Karen Bedonie notches 4.5%, with 4.9% undecided.”
“In the race for Attorney General, Jeremy Gay has a higher ceiling than Torrez. The better-funded-to this-point Torrez has a higher name ID (69.5%) than Gay (57.9%). In particular, Torrez has a higher name ID with Democratic voters than Gay does with Republicans, and that cashes out on the ballot, where 19.2% of Republican voters remain undecided, a higher mark than among Democrats (13.6% undecided).”
Cygnal noted that of 16.6 percent of independent voters from the poll, they “lean Republican on the generic congressional ballot (R+6.1).”
A previous leftist poll commissioned by New Mexico Political Journal in June showed Gay was seven points behind Torrez, and he appears to have closed the gap.
“Our campaign to restore law and order and end the violent crime wave plaguing New Mexico is clearly resonating with voters,” said Gay, a U.S. Marine Corps judge advocate. “Families are sick of the inaction from politicians like District Attorney Raúl Torrez who declined to prosecute over 50 percent of violent felony cases. The time for talk and inaction is over. As Attorney General, I will get justice for victims and I will ensure criminals are held accountable.”
The poll was conducted between September 27 and 29 with a sample size of 400 and a margin of error of ± 4.86 percent.
According to the polling company, “Cygnal is an award-winning international polling, public opinion, and predictive analytics firm that pioneered multi-mode polling, text-to-web collection, and emotive analysis. Cygnal consistently ranks as the most accurate firm, and clients rely on Cygnal’s ability to create intelligence for action. Its team members have worked in 48 states and 17 countries on more than 2,700 corporate, public affairs, and political campaigns.”
Torrez is a Soros-funded candidate who has spent hundreds of thousands to back the extreme far-left Democrat. As we previously reported:
Hedge fund billionaire George Soros, who has funded extreme projects such as Black Lives Matter and other dark money groups backing socialist initiatives, donated $107,000 to a political action committee, “New Mexico Safety & Justice” that helped Raúl Torrez win the Democrat primary for district attorney in 2016.
On Monday, the Republican Party of New Mexico announced that U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee Ranking Member James Comer found apparent violations of the Hatch Act by former U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM), who now serves as Joe Biden’s Under Secretary for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The news came amid claims Torres Small fundraised for her husband, state Rep. Nathan Small (D-Las Cruces), and other Democrats — a violation of the Hatch Act, which bans administration officials from engaging in partisan politics.
The release reads, “Comer says it appears Small may have broken the law by getting involved in political races. In particular, it’s believed Small may have used her influence to raise funds for [her] husband Nathan Small in the District 36 race. As Under Secretary, she cannot do this.”
“This could be a gross violation of federal law, a violation of public trust, and it’s crucial that Small be investigated. It would be inappropriate if she knowingly broke federal law and raised money for her spouse and other Democrats. If true, what Small is doing is not only wrong but exhibits blatant nepotism in a New Mexico election, and it’s shameful that Small would try to influence her husband’s race in this way.”
In a letter to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), Comer wrote, “Information obtained by Committee Republicans indicates she may be using her official position as Under Secretary to raise money for her husband’s reelection campaign this fall. If true, this raises questions about whether Under Secretary Small is using her government position to benefit her spouse’s political campaign and Democratic candidates for office.”
He then asked the OSC to open an investigation into Small, adding, “We request OSC begin an investigation to determine whether Under Secretary Small violated the Hatch Act by continuing to raise money for Shield PAC and possibly advocating for her spouse’s reelection campaign in her official capacity as an official at USDA. The Committee on Oversight and Reform is the principal oversight committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate ‘any matter’ at ‘any time’ under House Rule X.”
New Mexico House GOP Leader Jim Townsend of Artesia called for state Rep. Small to return the improper contributions that violated the Hatch Act, writing, “Voter trust is so fragile at this moment, and I am hopeful that Rep. Small will expeditiously come clean to the public about his involvement in this potential illegal scheme.”
