In typical fashion, anti-America First liberal “Republicans” are trying to seize onto a resource they have previously failed to get to help them across the finish line in GOP primaries: Democrats.
In 2022, rabidly anti-Trump Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming tried this tactic, mailing Democrat voters “with specific instructions on how to change their party affiliation to vote for her. Ms. Cheney’s campaign website now has a link to a form for changing parties,” reported the New York Times at the time.
Cheney, who led the “January 6” star chamber alongside far-left Democrats in an attempt to hurt 45th President Trump and voted to impeach him, was trounced by Trump-backed Harriet Hageman by 37.4 points in the 2022 primary — a massive blowout.
Now, in New Mexico’s conservative Otero County, Democrats are trying to resurrect Cheney’s epically failed strategy to stop a conservative America First Republican from becoming the County’s next treasurer.
Conservative former Alamogordo City Commissioner Karl Melton is running for the open seat to oversee the County’s tax dollars and wisely invest them for the biggest benefit of the county. Previously endorsed by Republican former Congresswoman Yvette Herrell, Melton has the endorsements of state Reps. John Block (R-Alamogordo) and Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) were the two representatives who led the impeachment effort against Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for her unconstitutional actions. Lord previously shared a legislative office with Black and chose to endorse Melton over her former colleague.
Melton has over a dozen years of experience in finance, accounting, compliance, and fundraising, working for groups such as the Heritage Foundation, the Club for Growth, and the Leadership Institute. He has worked managing funds for President Trump’s largest independent ally organizations, as well as leading trade associations, where he managed millions of dollars. He has a Master’s in Public Administration from Liberty University and is finishing a Master of Finance from the same institution. In contrast, Black has not completed any formal degree relevant to finance or accounting.
The establishment is running its own candidate, Rachel Black, who is the current deputy treasurer and who was ousted in 2022 by Block in the Republican primary after Black voted for Gov. Lujan Grisham’s multi-billion-dollar budget that wasted taxpayer dollars on Critical Race Theory, socialist “free” college programs, and an anti-gun “office of gun violence prevention” to infringe upon New Mexicans’ Second Amendment rights. In 2022, Black’s campaign, which now funds her current run for treasurer, was backed by pro-abortion legislators who voted for abortion up-to-birth and other Democrats, who threw thousands at her failed attempt to cling to power.
That, among other bad votes, such as being the lone vote against tax relief for hurting small businesses during Lujan Grisham’s brutal pandemic lockdown, helped in Black’s defeat. She has promised to give her best friend, the current treasurer Laura Whiteside, the job of deputy treasurer, which she currently holds, an evasion of term limits and a way for both of them to pack more years onto their county pensions for the rest of their lives at the expense of the taxpayers.
She said at a local meeting, “My chief deputy would be Laura, so nothing will change as far as anyone new coming into the office.”
Since working at the Otero County Treasurer’s Office under her best friend, Laura Whiteside, Black has advocated for pay raises for elected officials, saying in 2018 that she “believes it is time for Otero County elected officials to get a raise in their salary,” as reported by the Alamogordo Daily News.
“Do I believe it’s time? Yes. Do I believe it has to go to vote? No. I believe it’s up to you commissioners to make that decision,” she said, noting how the people should not have a say in whether politicians like her should get a pay raise.
Melton, in contrast, has noted he is not running for the salary or pension. In fact, if elected, he would actually take a pay cut to serve the people of the County. He also has pledged to have an interview process to find the most qualified deputy, not just hire his buddy like Black will do.
Taxpayers can expect more of the same from Black if elected, as she said in a recent interview, “I don’t know that a lot would really change, to be honest with you.”
Currently, the investments made by the current treasurer’s office are garnering a net 2.8 percent annual return, with many funds held in extremely low-interest certificates of deposit (CDs) that mature 4-5 years from now.
In comparison, the inflation rate for 2023 was 3.4 percent, so with the current investment structure in the Otero County Treasurer’s Office, the County is losing money yearly, factoring in inflation. Other New Mexico counties’ investment portfolios are making nearly double, with some at upwards of 4.14 percent.
The latest inflation rate for March was “3.1% for the CPI-U and 3.5% for Core CPI-U,” as estimated by Wells Fargo.
Black has also alienated conservative elected officials by believing she, as deputy treasurer, does not need to attend County Commission meetings and coordinate with other conservative elected officials to work toward the betterment of the community, as the current treasurer’s office has been siloed off from the rest of the county administration.
Democrats are now openly supporting Black, with fringe pro-abortion up-to-birth Democrat Ashlie Myers (who is attempting to oust Block) writing, “gotta get the vote out for Rachel, then. I’m sure she needs volunteers to help get that done.” Myers’ campaign treasurer, Alexis Romo, who runs a faceless, nameless X account attacking both Block and Melton, agreed with Myers, making comments supportive of Black.
In 2022, Melton sponsored the successful resolution declaring Alamogordo a sanctuary city for unborn babies. Once the pro-life measure passed, Myers attempted to force the resolution onto the ballot for a vote by getting enough signatures through a petition process, calling the resolution “extremist.” Not only did Myers fail to get enough signatures, but she also failed to go through the proper protocols to get the petition itself approved before dissemination. Since then, she has had a vendetta against Melton for supporting the sanctity of life in the pro-life city of Alamogordo.
Local far-left Democrat Edward Chavez wrote regarding Melton’s candidacy for treasurer, “So I would think a few democrats and independents should definitely switch their registration to republican to keep Karl out of the treasury office (sic).”
Far-leftist convicted felon and Planned Parenthood supporter, who has had an unnatural obsession, akin to stalking, with Melton and Block for years now by posting incoherent screeds about them on a blog, agreed with Chavez, hoping “500 would change outcomes with a cushion to spare” in the attempt to keep the true conservative candidate out of the treasurer’s role.
Another leftist going by “Lisa Gman” on Facebook wrote in response to Democrat Myers’ glowing endorsement of Black, “I’m registered as a republican (sic) and I encourage other independents to register under another party. I will not vote for [Melton],” noting how she will be supporting Black.
Currently, there is no official Democratic Party in Otero County after it was disbanded following a scourge of infighting between factions, leaving it in pieces. Since then, Democrats have independently threatened to infiltrate the 2024 Republican primary for Otero County treasurer.
If history is any indicator of Democrats’ successes with this tactic in 2022 with Liz Cheney and locally with their failed pro-abortion petition drive, it is unclear if they will convince enough Democrats to switch parties to vote for the leftist candidate.
While Melton is running on a conservative platform of transparency for the county, wise investment of funds for the maximum return, and a promise to hire the most qualified candidate for deputy treasurer, the establishment candidate is getting support from Democrats looking to influence the Republican primary.
To learn more about Karl Melton, click here, and to donate to his campaign, click here.