On Saturday, Democrat New Mexico state Rep. Christine Trujillo of Albuquerque’s 25th House District announced her resignation from the Legislature effective July 1, 2023.
A press release announcing her departure noted her work during the 2023 Legislative Session to put feminine hygiene products in boy’s and girl’s restrooms in public schools and expand “school-based health centers” that would likely be feeders for clients to abortion mills and places to access “gender-affirming care.”
“It’s been the honor of my life time to represent our community in the Roundhouse for the last decade. Thank you to my neighbors for placing your trust in me as your representative. I hope I have made you proud by fighting for our public schools and working to make life easier for New Mexico families. I look forward to continuing to serve our community in my next chapter,” wrote Trujillo in the press release.
Legislative portrait of Rep. Christine Trujillo – 2023.
House Speaker Javier Martinez (D-Albuquerque) said the Democrat lawmaker was an “important voice in our chamber.”
Once Trujillo leaves the chamber, the Bernalillo County Commission will nominate a successor.
According to an analysis of Trujillo’s district’s partisan makeup by Princeton University, the seat skews heavily toward Democrats, with a 71.63 percent estimated vote share for the Democrat Party while only a 28.37 percent for Republicans.
The seat will likely draw a competitive primary in 2024 for the seat, being a compact district in the heart of Albuquerque. Other seats, such as that of then-Representative, now-Sen. Moe Maestas (D-Bernalillo) resulted in two different Democrats occupying the seat following his abdication to the upper chamber.
On Wednesday, it was reported that former New Mexico Gov. Jerry Apodaca, 88, had passed away.
Apodaca was elected in 1974 and went on to serve on Democrat former President Jimmy Carter’s Council on Physical Fitness after leaving office in 1979.
Apodaca’s son, Jeff Apodaca, a former 2018 candidate for governor, told the Santa Fe New Mexican that the former governor “may have suffered a stroke at his home.”
He said, “His legacy is not that he was the first Latino governor elected,” adding, “His legacy was that he opened doors for minorities, Hispanics, women in the state and around the country.”
Governor Jerry Apodaca in 2002. Screenshot via C-SPAN.
Apodaca was elected to the New Mexico Senate in 1965 and defeated Republican Congressman Joe Skeen in the gubernatorial election.
In the 1970s, governors could only run for one four-year non-consecutive term, so the former governor only served one term. Once leaving office, Apodaca served on the University of New Mexico Board of Regents. The New Mexico Public Education Department building in Santa Fe is named in his honor.
In 2018, Apodaca, a Democrat, supported Republican Congressman Steve Pearce for governor over far-left Democrat then-Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is currently serving her second term as governor.
Organizers from across New Mexico through the group Better Together New Mexico seek to overturn extreme bills passed during the 2023 Legislative Session via ballot referendums.
The group wrote on a sign-up form, “Did you know the legislature just took away many of your rights during this 2023 legislative session?”
“Soon you will have NO RIGHT to secure elections because of HB 4 & SB 180. If HB 7, SB 13, SB 397 become law, parents will have NO RIGHT to be aware that their child is having an abortion or gender transitioning at school,” wrote the group.
“And because of HB 7, it’s now illegal for counties, cities, and even teachers to opt out of abortion and transitioning school clinics. These bills are just a few of the damaging bills that passed this year. You may hear about other bills to fight in the days to come. Are you frustrated by the government’s rule over your life? Now’s your chance to stop it!”
The group noted, “We are gathering signatures for referendums to stop those bills before they become law and get them on the ballot in 2024 for the people to decide!
Many of the extreme bills passed the legislature with virtually no Republican support, which fundamentally change the rights of parents and open up New Mecico’s elections to interference through corrosive election policies, such as an opt-in automatic absentee ballot list, among other measures.
However, Democrat Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver’s office is trying to stop Better Together New Mexico from setting up the referendum.
The SOS office’s spokesman, Alex Curtas, told the Santa Fe New Mexican, “None of the requests submitted by Better Together New Mexico or affiliated individuals [have] met the strict legal requirements for referendum petitions, and it would be completely irresponsible for the Secretary of State to approve a referendum petition for circulation and signature by voters of this state if it is not in the format required by law and most importantly, if it is constitutionally exempt from being challenged by referendum petition.”
He added, “To date, following the 2023 Legislative Session, the Secretary of State has not received a single petition that meets even the basic technical requirements as to form under [New Mexico] law.”
Larry Sonntag of Better Together New Mexico told the New Mexican, “She’s not doing her job of approving the format for the referendums to go forward.” He said she is putting up “unnecessary roadblocks,” claiming, “She’s kicked back some of them based on a hyphen or a comma. That type of red tape, governmental obstruction to what’s allowed in the Constitution is not acceptable.”
To find Better Together New Mexico’s sign-up form to collect signatures in your area of the state, click here.
According to court documents released by the Republican candidate for Bernalillo County sheriff, Paul Pacheco, Democrat candidate John Allen “falsified testimony in order to ensure the conviction of Hispanic male.”
According to Pecheco’s campaign in a press release, “The documents obtained from the NM State Police and Federal District Courts, through public information requests, showed that Democratic Candidate for Sheriff of Bernalillo County John Allen had perjured himself in court while attempting to fabricate testimony … to ensure the conviction of a Hispanic male. The Hispanic male had been charged with nine felony criminal counts. The Judge and District Attorney realized that the testimony presented by John Allen was false and all criminal charges were dismissed.”
“In the documents presented was a letter from Officer Rodriguez, through his attorney, that was presented to the Federal Judge. It states that Officer Rodriguez had testified against John Allen in the criminal case and admitted to participating in the illegal search with John Allen. Officer Rodriguez goes on to state that John Allen had ‘made false statements in an attempt to insure that the unlawfully seized contraband would be used to support the felony charges filed…’ Officer Rodriguez goes on to state that ‘Despite reviewing the videotape of the traffic stop at the aforementioned suppression hearing Officer Allen persisted in his false testimony….’ The State Police initiated an investigation against John Allen for the misconduct/perjury. The misconduct/perjury charge was sustained.”
The release further noted:
Many questions remain to be answered about this incident. First off is the “Giglio” issue. A Giglio or Brady list is a list compiled usually by a prosecutor’s office or a police department containing the names and details of law enforcement officers who have had sustained incidents of untruthfulness or some other type of issue placing their credibility into question. The District Attorney’s Office regularly asks these questions of Deputies prior to criminal cases to seek out if the Deputy is impugned in any way. Specifically, the Bernalillo County DA’s office has a question “2. “Are you aware of any court or judicial body that has determined you provided false or deliberately misleading testimony under oath?”. How did John Allen answer this question? Do the other criminal cases John Allen was involved in need to be reviewed by the District Attorney to see if his perjured testimony was used to convict in criminal court? How does John Allen expect to be transparent and open as Sheriff if he wins the election?
According to audio from an interview with Allen, he admitted that his perjury was a “rookie mistake.”
Pacheco said in a statement about the revelations, “I am disappointed the public was not better informed by the local media about the unethical conduct of my opponent, which was brought to their attention by my campaign. This information should have been investigated and brought to light, especially in a time when transparency is absolutely essential.”
Pacheco, a native New Mexican, formerly served as an officer in the Albuquerque Police Department for 27 years, was the president for two years of the Albuquerque Police Department, and was the state representative in New Mexico House District 23 for two terms, serving from 2013 to 2017.
Pacheco’s campaign writes on his official website, “As sheriff, Paul Pacheco will be a strong advocate for changing the laws that have allowed [emboldened] criminals to evade the criminal justice system for too long, and finally take back the community for our families and loved ones.”
Former Rep. Pacheco is endorsed by the Albuquerque Police Officers’ Association, the Albuquerque Journal, the Fraternal Order of Police, retired Bernalillo County Sheriff Sal Baragiola, and multiple former Albuquerque Police chiefs, among other public officials.
On Monday, the Albuquerque Journal reported on the brutal slaying of 21-year-old Santa Fe woman Grace Jennings, who appeared to have been stabbed multiple times with a sword. Her neck “appeared to have injuries consistent with attempts to decapitate,” according to criminal complaints filed in the Santa Fe County Magistrate Court.
Isaac Apodaca, 25, and his girlfriend, Kiara McCulley, 19, are both being held on open counts of murder for Jennings’ death.
Instead of grieving the brutal murder of the young woman, state Rep. Liz Thomson claimed the gruesome slaughter could be a “QANON” distraction, referring to an anonymous group known to be demeaned by the left for promoting theories about political events.
Thomson wrote in a now-deleted tweet, “QANON?? Or just an attempt to divert attention?”
— AngryMom🇺🇸 “Just a Mom” for Mark Ronchetti (@AngryMomUSA) November 2, 2022
The insensitive comment prompted swift backlash from New Mexicans floored by the far-left legislator’s disregard for the victim.
One account called “AngryMom,” wrote, “I think I am going to be sick. Did a sitting state representative REALLY tweet this? You’re a very sick woman @lizthomsonnm Delete this an apologize to this family. Shame.”
Another person wrote, “Liz-you need serious mental evaluation. As a sitting representative you have crossed the line. As a pediatric physical therapist you have crossed the line. Enough is Enough @NMDEMS address this. We cannot enable this grotesque behavior any longer.”
According to the Journal’s report, Apodaca is said to have told McCulley in a text message, “I am wanting you to kill her, you have to end your suffering by ending her joy.”
Thomson has not yet apologized for her comment, nor has the Democrat Party of New Mexico.
Thomson is known for making inflammatory remarks via social media, such as comparing police officers to the Ku Klux Klan and mocking parents concerned over the COVID-19 vaccine for their children.
Following Thomson’s latest remark, her Republican opponent, Dr. Khalid Emshadi, wrote in a press release:
On Monday, the brutal and tragic murder of a 19-year old woman from Santa Fe was made public. The young woman, Grace, is more than a victim… She was a daughter, a friend, and like any other young person, the future of our state. For those of us with children, one could only imagine the grief we would feel receiving a phone call that something terrible has happened to our child. This has too often become a reality in New Mexico. My prayers and condolences go out to Grace’s family, friends, and community.
As candidates and elected officials, we must hold ourselves to the highest standard of behavior. Representative Thomson’s most recent failure to meet this standard came through her disgusting and insensitive comments on this tragedy. In a now deleted tweet, Thomson wrote, “QANON?? Or just an attempt to divert attention?” Only Thomson can explain whether this comment was meant to be a joke or the promotion of what she believes to be a conspiracy theory, but one thing is certain: Thomson’s behavior, to say the very least, is tone deaf and out of touch with reality. Thomson not only owes an explanation, but an apology for her comments.
Thomson also failed to realize that her words and actions are no longer only a reflection of herself, but also a reflection on the political institutions and individuals in elected office that promote and endorse her candidacy–these same entities must hold candidates and colleagues accountable. For this reason, I call on the Democratic Party of New Mexico to make it clear to New Mexicans whether or not the party endorses the comment made by Thomson, and to immediately disavow her shameful words.
A previous version of this article identified Jennings as a 19-year-old, based on inaccurate reporting from the Albuquerque Journal. This has been updated to state her correct age, which is 21.
On Thursday, far-left Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who has been under fire from Republican Governors Association (RGA)-affiliated groups for her lavish spending, once again slapped down claims in the attempt to raise more campaign money.
She sent out a fundraising email claiming the ads which pointed out she misused thousands of dollars in taxpayer money were “misleading attack ads” in the attempt to replace her with moderate Republican Mark Ronchetti, who she claims is a “far-right radical.”
Previously, the Governor claimed in a response to the RGA ads that claims of her wasteful spending were “nonsense.”
But reports show that she spent at least “$17,546 on food, alcohol, kitchen equipment, and Christmas ornaments,” according to an audit of her lavish spending.
In the ad responding to criticisms, an announcer said, “Have you seen this ad attacking Governor Luhan Grisham, but expensive steaks and alcohol for her friends? It’s nonsense.”
The RGA launched a subsequent ad hitting the scandal-ridden governor for her tone-deaf response.
The group claimed Lujan Grisham was “living large on our dime.” Watch the latest ad here:
🚨 NEW AD@GovMLG thinks she is above being held accountable for her ridiculous purchases on the taxpayer's dime. pic.twitter.com/X9DJjk8Fz3
On Saturday, Democrat House Leader Javier Martinez of Albuquerque posted about a photo-op he had at New Mexico’s southern border with Mexico, writing, “I had the opportunity to visit our NM’s border with Mexico. It’s bustling with activity and billions of dollars in international trade between New Mexico and the world. Proud to be from these borderlands and proud to be a New Mexican!”
But completely ignoring the issues the United States faces with the border bringing in massive violent crime, fentanyl pouring across, and human trafficking rampant, Martinez instead claimed these “borderlands” are a hub for “international trade.” He did not mention the trading of human sex slaves or the trade of deadly fentanyl that only takes one pill to kill someone.
I had the opportunity to visit our NM’s border with Mexico. It’s bustling with activity and billions of dollars in international trade between New Mexico and the world. Proud to be from these borderlands and proud to be a New Mexican! #nmlegpic.twitter.com/TQVG6kPL9L
New Mexicans responded to Martinez’s photo-op. One person wrote, “You’ve done more in a day than @KamalaHarris has done in her entire political career.”
Another wrote, “You forgot to mention all the fentanyl coming over.” Someone echoed the comment with, “That puts the B in billions of dollars of international trade.”
One person added, “Now get rid of Lujan NM is either 49th or 50th in everything that’s good for We The People.”
One far-left commenter claimed in defense of Martinez, “We don’t need a damn wall,” despite the wall proving an effective tool to stop the illegal trade of drugs and human smuggling, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The photo is strangely reminiscent of far-left U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocaso-Cortez’s photo-op at an ICE detention facility, where she faked tears in front of the cameras while sadly looking into the facility.
I’ll never forget this, because it was the moment I saw with my own eyes that the America I love was becoming a nation that steals refugee children from their parents,& caged them.
More kids died after this. To date, no one has been held accountable.
Martinez has in the past supported radical bills promoting illegal immigration, including one bill to put illegal alien teachers in New Mexico schools. Now, the far-left state legislator is the Democrats’ standard-bearer, with House Speaker Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe) stepping down after his current term. Martinez became Democrat House Leader after his predecessor, former state Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton resigned following federal charges, which included racketeering, money laundering, and kickbacks.
Democrat political insider and consultant for some of New Mexico’s highest-ranking Democrats was recently reported to have been given a no-bid contract with the state’s Cannabis Control Division to help generate propaganda supportive of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s pro-pot law that legalized recreational marijuana use.
The contractor, Heather Brewer of “HB Strategies,” was paid “$125 an hour under a no-bid, $64,750 consulting services contract designed to make the agency look good,” according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
Brewer ran Maggie Toulouse Oliver’s failed U.S. Senate race, has assisted pro-abortion up-to-birth group Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, worked as a staffer for U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, and consulted for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, appointed Supreme Court Justice Shannon Bacon, and pro-abortion group “Respect ABQ Women.”
She is a founding board member of the extremist Democrat training camp “Emerge New Mexico,” which promotes radical pro-abortion female candidates to run for political office in the state.
Now, all of Brewer’s support for radical Democrat policies and politicians is paying off with this hefty contract that some could construe as a political kickback from Democrats who are in charge of the state.
But Bernice Geiger, public information officer and marketing director for the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, claimed, “HB Strategies brings years of high-level communications experience, and the compensation is commensurate with that experience.”
To further defend the lucrative contract, Geiger said, “It’s also important to note that overall costs for an independent contractor are likely to be less, given that they are paid a flat rate without the overhead costs of payroll taxes, employee benefits, etc.”
But Republican contenders for governor blasted the payoff to the Democrat consultant.
State Rep. Rebecca Dow, who is one of the GOP contenders for governor, wrote in a release from her campaign, “While New Mexicans across this state are suffering from skyrocketing gas prices and the highest inflation in decades, Michelle Lujan Grisham paid a sweetheart deal to a party faithful. The no-bid contract was given to Heather Brewer, a Democrat consultant who has worked with New Mexico Democrats and Planned Parenthood, and was billed at a rate of $125 an hour to the New Mexican taxpayer. What is a cannabis spokesman anyway?”
“When I call for MLG to get New Mexicans back to work, this isn’t what I have in mind,” Dow said.
“MLG is signing premium checks to her far-left friends and allies who are turning exorbitant profits. With our dollar being devalued more every day due to the Biden inflation crisis you would have hoped to see our leaders in Santa Fe getting the most out of our hard-earned tax dollars. New Mexicans are struggling to make $125 per day; to pay that rate for an hour’s work to a Democrat operative is a textbook example of Santa Fe waste from MLG. New Mexico is last in unemployment, but one thing is clear – it sure pays to be one of MLG’s cronies!”
On Thursday, the House Appropriations and Finance Committee voted 13-5 to table a radical anti-gun bill, H.B. 9, by Rep. Pamelya Herndon (D-Bernalillo) H.B. 9 is a radical anti-gun bill that would mandate citizens to lock up their guns, imposing a cost burden on New Mexicans.
“It is unlawful for a person who keeps or stores a firearm to do so in such manner that the firearm is accessed by a minor without the authorization of the minor’s parent or guardian or when used in the commission of a crime,” the bill reads.
It continues, “When a firearm is accessed by a minor and used in the commission of a crime, the person who keeps or stores the firearm commits unlawful access to a firearm by a minor and is guilty of a misdemeanor.”
Reps. Patricia Lundstrom (D-McKinley and San Juan), Allison (D-San Juan), Harry Garcia (D-Bernalillo, Cibola, McKinley, Socorro, San Juan, and Valencia), Ambrose Castellano (D-San Miguel, Santa Fe, and Torrance), and Candie Sweetser (D-Grant, Hidalgo, Luna) voted with the Republicans on the Committee to table the bill.
House Appropriations and Finance Committee tables anti-gun HB9 by far-left *appointed* Rep. Pamelya Herndon (D-BernCo). Democrat Reps. Lundstrom, Allison, Castellano, Garcia, and Sweester voted to table the bill.
Legislators hurriedly passed hundreds of millions of dollars in federal pandemic cash for leftist pet projects during the second special session, such as $10 million to build electric vehicle charging stations and $15 million to the Department of Finance and Administration for “energy-efficient affordable housing.”
But for one Democrat senator, all that spending wasn’t enough to fulfill his wish list of priorities he thinks New Mexico needs.
State Sen. Bill Soules (D-Doña Ana) wants even more investments in social programs, including an expansion of the Public Education Department, which has already been under fire for its overreach in local school boards.
Soules wrote that he wants to “[e]xpand our Public Education Department (and thinking) from K-12 to include the nurturing of future students in the developmental phase of infancy and early childhood. Fully fund prenatal and infant care and services and all early childhood programs for 100 percent of infants.”
He wants to also “[f]und county-based capacity-building centers committed to identifying gaps in the vital services in rural and urban areas. Invest in the community schools model to make every school fully resourced for our most vulnerable students.” It is unclear what exactly he means by “county-based capacity-building centers” for “vulnerable” students, but he doesn’t give a price tag.
But possibly one of the most costly investments Soules imagines be done with federal dollars includes, funding “a bullet train to move consumers from Santa Fe to Las Cruces, plus Mexico and Colorado.”
A bullet train is one of the most expensive investments imaginable. According to Forbes, for Amtrak to create a high-speed rail train in its Northeast Corridor route, it would cost $500 million per mile. Forbes writes, “High-speed rail is the ‘fetch’ of transportation ideas.”
More conservative estimates of $154 million per mile for a bullet train, would mean a price tag of over $34 billion just for a bullet train from Albuquerque to Las Cruces (about 222 miles).
While many leftist legislators propose costly new initiatives for New Mexico, many working families in the state are still struggling to get back on their feet following brutal pandemic lockdowns from scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The Governor’s lockdown resulted in at least 40% of small businesses closing and New Mexico remains one of the states still with a high unemployment rate.
