New Mexico Democrats are again at each other’s throats, this time in a public feud that lays bare the fractures within the party’s ranks. Freshman Rep. Sarah Silva (D-Las Cruces) ignited a firestorm on social media this week, accusing Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of retaliating against her district after Silva championed a bill aimed at restricting free speech through lobbying at the Roundhouse.
Silva, in a fiery post, showcased a photo of what she called a “massive pile of swag” — minor gifts from lobbyists that have no real value, allegedly meant to sway her during the recent legislative session. Valuing the freebies at up to $2,000, Silva claimed, “It’s an example of the influence professional lobbyists and their employers have at the Roundhouse that you do not.”
The Democrat lawmaker says her pushback came in the form of House Bill 143, which would have required lobbyists to disclose their positions on legislation and promptly update that information if their stance changed. The bill passed both chambers despite bipartisan opposition. But it never made it into law.
“Unfortunately, the governor vetoed the bill,” Silva wrote, before twisting the knife: “Ironically, HB 143 would have given us information about who lobbied the governor to veto it. Without it, we have no way to know.”
Then came the real bombshell: Silva accused Lujan Grisham of retaliating by gutting funds Silva had secured for her district. Specifically, the governor used her line-item veto pen to kill $1 million earmarked for a public safety facility in Chaparral and another $100,000 for a study on incorporation and local governance, clearly targeted retaliatory measures due to HB 143 or some other reason, exposing massive cracks in the Democrat Party.
“Frankly, I’m pissed off,” Silva admitted. “It appears to me that the governor’s Chaparral vetoes were at least in part retaliation for my attempt to bring transparency to the work of her lobbying buddies.”
While Silva’s bill may have raised eyebrows — critics point out it imposed vague and burdensome mandates on both lobbyists and possibly lawmakers themselves — the governor’s veto doesn’t appear entirely above board either. Instead of offering technical amendments or working to clarify the bill’s flaws, Lujan Grisham simply tanked it and, if Silva’s claims are to be believed, punished a fellow Democrat in the process.
A spokesperson for Lujan Grisham brushed off the allegations as “obviously unfounded,” saying the governor supports more transparency, not less. “She would like even more transparency than HB 143 would have required,” claimed Lauren Dodd Thorp, suggesting the governor wants those same standards applied to herself and the Legislature.
That statement rings hollow to many watching the drama unfold. If the governor truly wanted more transparency, why veto the bill outright instead of working to improve it? And why yank funding for Chaparral — a move that just so happens to undercut one of the bill’s sponsors?
Also, after the 2025 Legislative Session, Lujan Grisham ferociously vetoed multiple benign bills, including one to increase optical care access in the state, a bill to create new license plates for lowriders and motorcyclists, as well as a bill to create the “state bread,” which was championed by a young girl in Las Cruces. All of these measures the governor rejected with a stroke of a pen because Democrats in the Legislature refused to deliver her agenda across the finish line, as she admitted in her toxic veto messages.
For conservatives and critics of Santa Fe’s one-party rule, the feud could be a moment of schadenfreude. Silva and Lujan Grisham are exposing the ugly side of their party’s internal politics — a mix of heavy-handed lobbying, bruised egos, and backroom power plays.
Ultimately, Silva may have inadvertently revealed more than any bill ever could about how some Democrats, at least the governor, treat dissent in their own ranks. And if the governor’s actions weren’t retaliatory, they sure look like it.
She doesn’t want transparency. Receivership….. Family/cohorts placement in state jobs……
This governor appears to be incapable of creative problem solving. She has narcissistic tendencies that reflect her inability to work with people from all ideologies and viewpoints. I am so glad her tenure is coming to a close. We need someone new who can work with and listen to all New Mexicans. We need someone who loves New Mexicans more than his or her self!
Sylvia is our congress women, she was selected by the Democratic Party after the democratic that won died (after gerrymandering, half our town is in otero which has a strong republican following but now chaparral is in a strong democratic district paired in with the hard lefties at NMSU). Though many of us do not fully trust Sara she has been listening to our community and has been fighting to get us solid EM services. If two life threatening emergencies happen within an hour or two the 2nd emergency call will not get service and has a high probability of not surviving. This is what the governor took money from. I believe the average income is $30/35k in Chaparral so Sara is serving in part one of the poorest communities in NM. Sara was fighting to allow citizens to know who was padding the pockets of there elected officials, but of course elected officials do not want that known. This leads to the question should our elected officials be paid? I believe so, there are folks that want to help our communities and they need to survive and to do a good job. They have to have a regular job to pay bills which leave little time for the family and there elected official responsibilities . Or we can let them collect the lobbyist money!
Horrible idea of paid politicians. California is a prime example of what happens when “professional” politicians sit in session all year long. They have nothing to do but think of new laws/regulations/taxes with which to torment their constituents and make the place a worse Hell hole than it is. NM is headed that way quick enough.
My wife loves rasing dogs. I’m not particularly an animal person, but she is and every once in a while she will get one that takes a liking to me. It’s hard not to start loving a lap dog… but even I can fall into that dedication a small dog can give to you.
Then, there’s times when my wife gets out of bounds with one or 2 too many…and the outside dogs begin to form a pack, and the pack mindset starts. Alpha takes over, the betas follow in pecking order. I’ve witnessed this many times over the years…and the passive beta I know I’ll have to separate because…well the alpha will kill it.
I forgot one time, to keep “diamond” apart, allowing her inside with the other small ones my wife has. As long as I am outside, diamond was safe… as long as I am home, the pack gets broken… and alpha bends to me… I had a quasi emergency just down the road, I was hoping to be done a under a minute. I got sidetracked with a local, spent another minute bullsh*tting… when I got into my fencedyard, I saw alpha, covered in blood…the 2 other betas and another males white fur were bloodsoaked.
By the time I walked in the door, after leaving the doggie door opened, diamond was tore apart in the bathroom…blood was everywhere. My fault. I wanted to shoot everyone of them for what they did to diamond… but I couldn’t just kill them. I knew that I made a mistake. It was my fault and they are just animals after all. Diamond was fixed and never had puppies… alpha and the betas I believe… sensed that.
I see that, that alpha blood staining look in the tolite queens eyes in the goobernor mansion of Santa Fe’s everytime a photo is posted of her. MLG was a mistake to be our elected. The look of absolutely pure evil is all I see in those eyes. She has a torturous grin and look, she’s believes she is nothing short of a God like creature with God like powers. I wish I didn’t think like that, but it is…what it is… 10 million dollars to execute late term children in Taos-Raton area for any purpose… another 10 million in Las cruces for the same thing… without a moderate button… MLG and the DNC of NM who forced my taxdollars building death centers disguised as heath care are on a crash course for a headon collision with my God at some point in time…and it cannot be soon enough.
Just sayin…
I love to see the left eat their own.
Piranhas eat themselves when in a frenzy. 😁
Watch out,John Block, here she comes.
You can’t trust Democrats to help the taxpayers if they did, they won’t be able to pocket the money for themselves
400 years of nepotistic corruption is going to be hard to undo.
Simply #VoteDemOut
The State of NM has 65 billion dollars in the soveriegn Wealth Fund that should be used for things like emergency services and healthcare for poor communities(whole State really). MLG has 40 million dollars in illegal campaign contributions through “Smurphing” that is deceptive electronic transfers. The money is likely coming from Cartels and Bad Financial Actors. The Wall Street Intelligence folks who recruited MLG down at the Epstien Zoro Ranch. The real danger to New Mexico is from the political imposter terrorists that are foisted on the citizens of this state. Nearly 80 percent of our political imposter leaders have a record of bribery, extortion and blackmail by cartels and bad actor financial entities like Soros funded Emerge. 80 percent of the political cartel running New Mexico Legislature and Judiciary are Emerge Graduates esposing harmful authoritarian values. Sending Special Forces to destroy the cartels will not accomplish a real solution to the corruption and deterioration of NM or America. The only fix is Federal intervention here in the South Western States. Physically removing MLG and most of the selected imposters. Otherwise our society is finished.
There is a whistleblower that has proof of many southwestern government officials taking money from cartels to “look the other way”. They are laundering money through real estate transactions and many public officials are involved. He has provided all the documentation to Trump officials and is on many podcasts exposing this in an effort to protect his life and the lives of his family. The deep state uses cartel/ gang members for murder for hire hit jobs, in case you were unaware. I will search for a link and will post.
I grew up in southern Colorado. After serving 14 years in the Navy and a one year stay between tours in Albuquerque, I fell in love with New Mexico because most people represent the melting pot of people and cultures where I grew up. When I got out of the Navy I had a brief one year stay in Amarillo TX which I hated, so I moved my family to Albuquerque. We have lived here since 2000 and the New Mexico Army National Guard allowed me to serve 7 years until retirement. I went to every drill weekend and every 2 week and sometimes 3 week active duty training. After 9/11 I volunteered to go on title 20 orders to guard sensitive sites in New Mexico and Arizona against threats. So, I feel like I have earned my right to be considered a contributing New Mexican and love our city but….
Over the corse of time, the only time I’ve ever seen the New Mexico State government to be worth a crap is when Gary Johnson and Susana Martinez was our governor. Honestly, I think our elections are compromised. I’m trying to hold out the belief that New Mexicans are not stupid. Same with Colorado and Polis, the communist. They’ve proven that their SOS is as bad, and sheisty as Toulouse- Oliver. But I digress. Lujan Grisham’s terms have been insane and have destroyed New Mexico. They are beholden to Soros and the WEF. And now, even KOB is giving airtime to communist/socialist organizations. WTH? I served during the Cild War and remember socialism and communism as the destroyer of freedom. But here’s NM, embracing it. Here’s what I see is going to happen: Unless New Mexicans get a clue, this state and California, Washington, Oregon, in the west and the east coast above Virginia are going to spiral into welfare states harboring socialists and communists and drive out hard working Americans. Sure, I hear NM is gaining baby killers from TX and other states, which exacerbates and bolsters the moron contingent of our state along with the university radicals and the jente that vote straight Democrat because their grandpa did, regardless that the modern Democrat party has been hijacked my socialists and communists. Sad!
I don’t know the representative from Chaparral, but her bill which may have been vague, could have been perfected to get all these in-state and out of state big money operatives influence out of nM politics. I don’t trust any Democrat, but on its face, it’s common sense. Why should a lobbyist have any more influence than an average NM voter?
Like I said, I love New Mexico and it has been by home for 25 years of my family’s life. We are contributing taxpayers and middle class. But, honestly, I am considering moving to join our daughter in Arizona, when my son finishes his doctorate next year. He has a skill that New Mexico ico could use but he says when he’s through, he sis not want to stay in New Mexico because of the socialist state and will set up practice in Arizona too. I honestly wish our representatives would listen to the common man or woman and right the ship, but I have serious doubt that will happen any time soon. I would love to see Gregg Hull or Judy Nakamura win! Either of them are great people! I’d like to see Darren White or Louie Sanchez win Albuquerque but I think Dan Lewis or General Greg Zanetti would be better choices. I know Dan personally and he is a righteous man. Greg was my boss in the NM Army National Guard and knows finance and the markets very well and is a smart man! I like Darren, but as the owner of a weed store franchise, he does not contribute to the overall good of NM. Louie is a former insurance owner and I do not respect anyone in the insurance industry because of their predatory practices. When I was in college in ancient times, Mutual of Omaha tried to recruit me. I had to study for the state licence and found that the actuary table is rigged to where the house always wins so I turned it down. Please RPNM, grow a spine and vett your candidates! And when you do make sure they can deliver a message to all NM citizens, including low info Democrats and independents and play hardball to expose everything these DemonRats are doing. For example, like I said, I’m from southern Colorado Trinidad area. I know that the majority of residents of Raton are Catholic and so is Taos. MLG wants a death factory there! Push the candidates in our side to shine a spotlight on the ghoulish abortion factory MLG is proposing there and in Las Cruces! It is sick! Of course MLG thinks well, Thouse counties are on the decline and would compromise their values for more jojoba in the abortion mill. God, I hope not.
I know I’ve rambled but it’s so overwhelming what they are doing to this beautiful state! Good luck and God bless ant conservative running! If I could, I’d throw my name in the hat for a position in city council but I have to retire from my job.
The Dems are going to be their own demise. Libtards being Libtards.
You have consistently misrepresented the “optical bill.” It did not increase services around the state. It posed a safety risk to patients by lowering standard of care. The Governor got this one right, the optometrist scope of practice bill did not address access to care and posed a safety risk. It was opposed by every organization within medicine. These are nuanced arguments that have not been presented correctly to your readers.