On Monday, Rep. Ben Ray Luján, member of Congress for New Mexico’s Third District and 2020 Democrat U.S. Senate nominee, tweeted a bizarre rant against his Republican opponent, Mark Ronchetti, for getting outside help from political action committees (PACs).
Luján wrote, “Out-of-state super PACs backing @MarkRonchettiNM have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars a week attacking my campaign. They know my loyalties lie with New Mexicans — and my votes will never be for sale. #nmpol”
Out-of-state super PACs backing @MarkRonchettiNM have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars a week attacking my campaign.
They know my loyalties lie with New Mexicans — and my votes will never be for sale. #nmpol
However, Luján fails to point out how much help he has gotten from out-of-state donors and political action committees, taking $996,019 so far from PACs, according to data compiled from OpenSecrets.org. Ronchetti has taken $0 from PACs.
As well, a bulk of Luján’s donations come from out-of-state, taking 74.48% from out-of-state donors amounting to over $3,616,944 compared to the 25.52% or $1,239,421 in donations from inside New Mexico.
In previous election years, such as in 2018, Ben Ray Luján took 59.66% of his contributions from out-of-state, with 66.85% of those being from outside of his district. In 2018, he took $1,341,810 from PACs, or 68.81% of his total funds raised.
In May 2019, Luján announced that his “campaign for the U.S. Senate [would] not accept corporate PAC (political action committee) money.” He took millions from these “corporate” PACs in his previous runs for Congress. However, He will still take funds from issue-based PACs, such as ideological “one-issue” groups like Planned Parenthood, labor unions, gun-grabbing groups, and a slew of others, just not anything from a “corporation.”
Piñon Post rates Luján’s statement regarding Ronchetti misleading because Ronchetti has taken $0 from PACs, while Luján has taken nearly $1 million from political action committees for years while in Congress.
Ben Ray Luján is spooked out of his wits at the prospect of Republicans; specifically, his GOP opponent Mark Ronchetti winning the open U.S. Senate seat and other races across the nation. In a rare move, Luján had Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (who may or may not be his cousin) sign an email for him asking for donations.
Lujan Grisham wrote in the email:
I’m proud to be the governor of New Mexico every day.
But right now, I need your urgent help to protect it. Here’s why:
— First, Trump barged into New Mexico, held a massive rally, and pledged to turn us red.
— Then, Republicans launched hundreds of thousands in attack ads to take Ben Ray down.
We cannot allow Trump and his Republicans to flood New Mexico with cash and rob the soul of our state for their political gain.
Will you rush $10 before the 72-hour deadline to ensure Ben Ray WINS this Senate race?
The move by Lujan Grisham to sign email copy for Luján may mean Republicans truly have a shot at taking the Senate seat, with the Left freaking out, at least through email correspondence, with doom and gloom rhetoric claiming the President of the United States (including New Mexico) “barged” into the state (despite it being in the United States), among other heated lines.
Particularly noteworthy is Lujan Grisham’s plea that Trump and his Republican friends are “robbing” the “soul” of our state for political gain when in reality, Lujan Grisham and Luján have been on the forefront of anti-New Mexico policies that are harming New Mexico and the economy.
Some such policies that are noteworthy include their obsession with legalizing abortion up-to-birth and infanticide in New Mexico. Lujan Grisham pushed hard for a bill to strip protections in state statute for unborn infants, which the Democrat Legislature overwhelmingly rejected. Luján refused to sign onto a bipartisan bill called the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act,” which would have given basic medical care to babies born through a failed abortion, which his fellow New Mexico Democrat representatives Deb Haaland and Xochitl Torres Small also refused to sign onto.
Lujan Grisham also passed New Mexico’s “mini” Green New Deal, aiming to wipe out all state oil production. At the same time, Luján has endorsed the actual Green New Deal championed by New York socialist Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Lujan Grisham signed a bill stripping counties’ “Right to Work” ordinances away, forcing people to join bureaucratic unions that eat away at workers’ paychecks, as well as bills to raise working families’ taxes. She also supports taxing seniors’ Social Security checks, which folks have paid into their entire working lives.
Now, as President Trump has signaled he may be coming to New Mexico soon, Lujan Grisham and her (cousin?) are running scared, flinging any heated rhetoric at all at the wall, hoping something, anything sticks.
One day after Ben Ray Luján sent out a fundraising email complaining about his opponent for U.S. Senate, Republican Mark Ronchetti’s claims that Luján is a Washington, D.C. insider, he has released a new attack ad of his own, which blatantly lies about Ronchetti’s policy positions, specifically on health care.
The ad says Ronchetti “supports Trump’s plan to gut protections for pre-existing conditions like cancer and heart disease.”
New Mexican families should never have to choose between health care & paying bills.
That's why I've fought to protect people w/ pre-existing conditions like asthma or cancer. Meanwhile @MarkRonchettiNM supports Trump’s plan to replace the ACA, which would gut these protections. pic.twitter.com/LsYpkaJBjf
The accusation, which the ad doesn’t even give a reference for (because the claim cannot be backed up with facts), is false information because Ronchetti and President Donald Trump have made it crystal clear they support the coverage of pre-existing conditions, no exceptions.
Republican candidates across the country such as Ronchetti have been accused by Democrats of supporting a lawsuit backed by Trump and several Republican attorneys general that could abolish the Affordable Care Act.
Ronchetti calls such accusations ridiculous. He said he wants to improve health care and said any replacement plan must include protections for people with pre-existing conditions and not cut Medicaid.
“So you can put that in 10-inch bold type: We want to cover pre-existing conditions and will protect Medicaid. Period. End of discussion,” he said.
There is no ambiguity in the fact that Ronchetti supports the coverage of pre-existing conditions and the protection of Medicaid, “period.”
President Trump has on multiple occasions made it clear he has no plans to cut Medicaid or gut coverage of pre-existing conditions, even going as far as to propose signing an executive order to that effect. He campaigned on protecting pre-existing conditions in 2016, which he has not wavered from.
According to Reuters:
Asked on Monday why he needed an executive order to mandate something that is already legally required, Trump said it would provide “a double safety net” and would “let people know that the Republicans are totally, strongly in favor of … taking care of people with pre-existing conditions.”
Ben Ray Luján’s ad not only tells blatant mistruths about President Trump’s and Mark Ronchetti’s policy positions, but it should also be taken down as false information by the “fact-checkers” and denied from being played on television stations due to its wildly inaccurate content.
It was reported by KOB 4 that incumbent Democrat Rep. Deb Haaland (NM-03) is refusing to debate her Republican challenger, Michelle Garcia Holmes, on the network, despite the KOB 4 asking multiple times for Haaland to appear at the televised event.
KOB 4 writes, “A debate between the NM 1st Congressional candidates, Incumbent Democrat Rep. Deb Haaland and Republican Challenger Michelle Garcia Holmes, will not happen. Garcia Holmes agreed to a proposed debate, however Rep. Haaland did not despite repeated efforts by KOB 4 to work with her campaign.”
Garcia Holmes responded to Haaland’s apparent fright to debate by writing on her Facebook page, “The voters deserve answers, especially from incumbents, Haaland is no longer ‘fierce’ and has become, “Debate Dodging Deb”, as she refuses KOB’s invitation to debate. Call her congressional office and ask her why…. (505)346-6781”
Garcia Holmes is referring to Haaland’s repeated social media posts and campaign slogans telling people to “be fierce” and trying to brand herself as “fierce.” However, by chickening out of a televised debate, which is objectively probably the least a person running for Congress is expected to do, it appears she is following Rep. Ben Ray Luján’s lead and forgoing such a public display of her record.
Ben Ray Luján only accepted one televised debate on KRQE 7 News and a softball forum on the left-wing PBS affiliate, KNME. He declined both the KOB 4 and KRQE 13 debates. KOB 4 plans to still hold the debate with Mark Ronchetti, Luján’s Republican opponent, as well as a Libertarian candidate while leaving an empty chair for Luján if he wants to join in.
ICYMI: Last night KOB announced they will have an empty podium for @BenRayLujan since he refuses to debate October 5th. Check out the details of the debate, and KOB calling out Ben Ray to quit hiding from New Mexico, here ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/MmFUU5ShIJ
On Tuesday, Democrat nominee for U.S. Senate in New Mexico, Rep. Ben Ray Lujan agreed to only one debate with his Republican opponent, Mark Ronchetti on KOAT and one forum which will be sponsored by a “liberal front group” on KNME, according to Ronchetti’s campaign. In recent history, U.S. Senate candidates in New Mexico held at least three televised debates on the three major networks (KOB 4, KOAT 7, and KRQE 13).
Ronchetti said, “I want the voters of New Mexico to hear what I stand for. Ben Ray thinks he is entitled to the Senate seat and doesn’t want to explain a voting record that is out of touch with New Mexico.”
“Serving as a U.S. Senator is an honor,” continued Ronchetti. “The people of this state deserve to see us exchange ideas and I’m ready to do that on all of our major media outlets before ballots go out. It’s important that as many voters as possible can hear from both of us, so they can make an informed decision for this election. I welcome the opportunity to share my positions with all of the voters in New Mexico.”
I’m deeply disappointed that Ben Ray doesn’t want to stand on the same stage & exchange ideas on NM network TV stations. The people of this state deserve to hear where we stand & non-partisan, network TV debates are a staple of NM politics. This year should be no different #NMsenpic.twitter.com/9bS3MBsYuv
Ben Ray Luján is well-known for his closeness to far-left Democrats, namely, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who created the title of “Assistant Speaker” for him to boost his prestige in the Democrat Party.
During just this campaign cycle, Luján has preyed on seniors, falsely claiming their Social Security and Medicare will be slashed, he voted on the partisan impeachment of President Trump along with all his colleagues in the New Mexico delegation, he got the endorsements of abortion up-to-birth and infanticide groups, he mocked Latino Trump voters and praised racist Al Sharpton. He also exploited the Coronavirus to raise campaign cash and repeatedly lied about his record in the U.S. House, falsely claiming President Trump signed his bill.
Luján has not passed a single bill of his own into law, which Ronchetti’s campaign manager, Jeff Glassburner, blasted him for, saying, “I don’t blame Ben Ray for hiding from the debates, because he knows he has to hide his far-left, extremist, D.C. record. He spent over a decade climbing Nancy Pelosi’s ladder while never passing even one bill into law.”
“Ben Ray Luján represents everything that is wrong with politics. He is a career politician who has sold out New Mexico, and now wants to hide from voters.”
Luján has been virtually absent from his sprawling northern New Mexico district, not even bothering to show up on Election Night 2018, opting to instead stay with Nancy Pelosi in the Washington, D.C. swamp to watch election results roll in for his far-left friends in his party. For a man who holds a safe Democrat +8 seat, he doesn’t really need to campaign that hard, so he doesn’t. That same mindset appears to show up in his Senate run, but judging by his record, a promotion to the upper chamber of Congress would not be in the cards for Luján.
For more information on Ben Ray Luján’s failed record in the House, please check out this article. Ronchetti’s latest television ad can be seen here:
On Friday, after U.S. Senate candidate Mark Ronchetti blasted Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and her cousin, Ben Ray Luján for their actions banning in-person campaigning, Ben Ray distances himself from Lujan Grisham, claiming they two are not related.
Luján tweeted, “While I respect my friend, our governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, we’re not cousins. This may come as a surprise to you, but not all Hispanic people with the same last name are related.”
While I respect my friend, our governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, we’re not cousins.
This may come as a surprise to you, but not all Hispanic people with the same last name are related. https://t.co/PTQTzr056k
It appears Luján was trying to claim Ronchetti thinks every Hispanic with the last name “Luján” is related for linking the two together. Lujan Grisham also commented from her personal account, writing, “c’mon. do better.”
However, far-left reports claim Luján and Lujan Grisham are related, and Ronchetti hit back at Luján for correcting him but not correcting leftist members of the mainstream media.
Ronchetti wrote, “Do better? Then why didn’t you correct the AP and Washington Post, and multiple NM stories stating same?”
Do better? Then why didn’t you correct the AP and Washington Post, and multiple NM stories stating same?
Ben Ray Luján’s move could be him trying to distance himself from Luján Grisham after her unpopular leadership during COVID-19 appears to be tanking, from 64% approval of her response in April, to a 53% approval rating now.
It has recently been uncovered that ex-television weatherman Mark Ronchetti was caught on-tape as a keynote speaker for a “climate change” activism conference held at the University of New Mexico hosted by the billionaire George Soros-backed environmental groups “Climate 350,” “March for Science,” and others. At the event, he claimed he “used to be a Republican until the Orange One,” who took a “part of his soul” that he’s “not getting back.”
Now, he is running as a self-proclaimed “principled conservative” Republican for U.S. Senate. However, Ronchetti’s approval of climate change radicalism and the use of his platform on mainstream media network television to promote their propaganda contradicts his “principled conservative” claims. Rather than helping promote any of the conservative Republican issues he now claims to support, he used his platform with a major media network to promote an anti-Republican, anti-oil and gas climate change agenda.
The radical group Ronchetti partnered with, Climate 350, is currently funding a campaign called “Vote Climate” that plans to use people in the media to help “educate” the public, namely REPUBLICAN VOTERS who they believe do not acknowledge the “science of climate change.”
Holly Olivarez, in a presentation to an anti-oil and gas group shortly after the UNM event, she explained how Ronchetti confirmed he was covertly stressing the global warming issue in his weather forecasts:
“He and his team are now working on finding ways they can talk about climate change on the air without saying ‘climate change.’ He was honest about, if I say climate change on the air, I’m going to get fired, and I’m just a guy trying to make a living like anyone else. So, I have to find ways. So, he talks about how Spring is starting three weeks earlier than it ever has. Things like that.”
Olivarez went on to explain that Ronchetti has done his own global warming studies and “was appalled” at what he found.
Climate activist Holly Olivarez: “@MarkRonchettiNM and his team are now working on finding ways they can talk about climate change on the air without saying ‘climate change.’ … So, he talks about how Spring is starting three weeks earlier than it ever has. Things like that.” pic.twitter.com/CTIEji3Iv8
The purpose of the climate change activist conference is to teach people, “How to Talk to Your Friends About Climate Change.” In fact, “finding ways they can talk about climate change on the air without saying climate change.”
Republican voters should be shocked and alarmed at the weatherman’s liberal leanings — especially when it comes to his extreme anti-oil and gas “climate change” views. If elected, he very well could be the deciding vote to usher in the Green New Deal — the vehicle the Radical Left is using to decimate the oil and gas industry through the vessel of socialism.
Questions about Ronchetti’s loyalties to New Mexico oil producers arise in an uncovered video where Ronchetti laudsfar-left Gov. Lujan Grisham’s anti-oil energy policies. He says he has been “on board” with the idea of climate change “for over 20 years.”
Ronchetti told the anti-oil group that Gov. Lujan Grisham can’t pass her “green” energy policy “without huge oil and gas revenue. So, we have to replace that.” Then he mocked families who drive SUVs and President Trump.
.@MarkRonchettiNM: "We all live in a state that is funded by oil and gas. That's a fact. You can look at what [@GovMLG]'s done over the past three months (NM's 'Green New Deal). She's not doing any of that without huge oil and gas revenue. So, we have to replace that." pic.twitter.com/mGQf5OGFTW
Did Ronchetti’s KRQE forecasts covertly sell his liberal anti-oil & gas, climate change views?
In previous broadcasts, viewers can see Ronchetti repeating climate change euphemisms on-air, such as him repeatedlytalking about “El Niños” and “La Niñas” having “way high” temperatures, and looking at
Ronchetti exchanges with “climate change” extremists
Ronchetti and a climate extremist named Jim O’Donnell have exchanged dozens of messages on Twitter, including mentions of meeting in-person. O’Donnell considers himself a proud “climate change advocate” who routinely pushes left-wing propaganda. And, like Ronchetti, attacks President Trump.
In multiple correspondences between Ronchetti and O’Donnell, the two climate change conspiracy theorists exchanged in agreement about climate change as an “epidemic,” in some tweets using emojis to convey expletives.
O’Donnell calls Fox News a national security threat, wants to “liberate America from Republicans,” and accuses President Trump of “treason.” Will Mark Ronchetti denounce JimO’Donnell?
The cost of electing an anti-oil, climate change extremist to New Mexico’s open U.S. Senate seat
The oil & gas industry provides one-third of the funding for New Mexico schools and 39% of the state budget. As New Mexicans we must fight to keep our oil and gas jobs; they feed our state’s economy.
In New Mexico, our economy depends on the oil & gas industry jobs and tax revenue. It’s amazing that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Radical Democrats in the New Mexico Legislature passed the Energy Transition Act, our own New Green Deal, designed to eliminate more than 60,000 oil and gas jobs in our state by 2050.
This election, we must be diligent with our votes and advance strong candidates who will fight for our energy independence.
As someone who worked on the government affairs team of a prominent oil producer with many resources in New Mexico’s Permian Basin oil patch, I’ve seen the hard work our men and women in the oil fields put in to keep our economy growing and providing our children a brighter future.
This election could not be more important to keeping our values and rebuilding our economy, which is why we must elect pro-energy, pro-business, and pro-jobs candidates, who support President Trump’s economic policies that keep our country number one in energy production.
We already have one-party rule here in New Mexico — the Democrats control every single statewide elected office and both chambers of the legislature. We need people willing to stand up against them, not to help push the Democrats anti-oil & gas agenda. The devastating results of electing a climate change extremist to the U.S. Senate would irreparably harm the remnants of our state’s infrastructure by the Radical Democrats.
I urge you to vote on June 2ns and vote for pro-energy, pro-jobs candidates. If you’re unsure of your voter registered status, need to find your voting location, request an absentee ballot, or have any voting-related questions, please visit www.nmvote.org to make sure your voice is heard. Our state is relying on us. We must pick candidates who will stand up for our energy jobs that keep our communities running.
.@MarkRonchettiNM's direct quote: "I’m a Christian conservative who used to be a Republican until The Orange One (@realDonaldTrump), then things…I’m afraid that has taken a part of my soul, and that’s not coming back." pic.twitter.com/2VHgHmaA4v
On Friday, U.S. Senate candidate Mark Ronchetti’s campaign manager, Jeff Glassburner, posted yet another vicious attack on a fellow Republican. This time, the campaign is targeting candidate Elisa Martinez after she followed fellow U.S. Senate candidate, Dr. Gavin Clarkson, in running ads pointing out Ronchetti’s NeverTrumper past.
In a tweet, Glassburner wrote, “She didn’t pay her taxes for 8 years (!!!) yet thinks people should trust her to set tax policy,” with a screenshot of what appears to be a public record showing Martinez did not pay $1,355.96 in overdue taxes to the State of New Mexico.
— Jeff Glassburner (@jeffglassburner) May 22, 2020
The Piñon Post reached out to Martinez for a comment, where she vehemently denied the false accusation. Ronchetti’s campaign also failed to say the small lien referenced was fully paid off. Martinez asserted that she did not update her address, which is why the State of New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department could not get in contact with her to address the issue. Once Martinez connected with the State, she quickly paid the balance off in full.
Tax document showing Martinez had paid her taxes in full.
“This is another example of Mark Ronchetti’s lies, trying to distract and dissuade from his comments bashing President Trump and working hand-in-hand with far-left activists instead of Republicans. He should be running as a Democrat,” Martinez said. “He claims to be pro-life, and as a pro-life leader, I can assure you he has never been with us anywhere in this fight. And when we could have used his help as a media figure during our various pro-life battles, he was working with far-left Democrats to stop President Trump and push the radical climate change agenda. We cannot trust Mark Ronchetti.”
Ronchetti’s campaign has repeatedly claimed that because of his media contract with KRQE 13, he could not get involved in politics, but we know that is yet another lie because he was very involved — just not with conservative issues. He worked with climate activists to advance the climate change conspiracy theory and repeatedly bashed President Trump on the air.
In a previous statement, Glassburner said Martinez is a “desperate” candidate who has “nothing to run on,” despite her work leading a prominent pro-life group in New Mexico.
But this is just the latest false attack Ronchetti’s campaign has lobbed against fellow Republicans in this primary season, sending out Glassburner as an attack dog to peddle false talking points and conspiracy theories about Republicans of every stripe.
Before the Republican Party pre-primary convention, I did a deep investigation into Ronchetti’s background and his connection to NeverTrumpers behind the scenes of his campaign. Triggered by the revelations, Glassburner sent the Republican convention delegates a last-ditch email, in the attempt to discredit me and the facts I presented about Ronchetti’s liberal record.
Glassburner wrote to delegates, “[John] is a former intern for Senator Heinrich who then worked on Tim Keller’s mayoral campaign where he helped elect the ultra-liberal mayor who made Albuquerque a Sanctuary City.”
Glassburner failed to mention that I worked to help stop radical open-borders socialists from taking over Albuquerque by VOLUNTEERING on the Keller campaign for a little over three weeks to uncover unethical campaign practices. However, once the campaign did a simple Google search on my name and found out I was a pro-Trump Republican and my true purpose for being there, they kicked me out of the office and had me blacklisted as a “spy.”
However, my work in that short time did not go unnoticed, as an ethics probe into Keller’s campaign found that Keller did, indeed, violate the ethics code, taking thousands of dollars in both private and public financing for his far-left socialist race for mayor.
As for my two-month summer internship at the U.S. Senate, which Glassburner failed to note happened AFTER my short stint on the mayoral campaign, I applied, was accepted, and served in Martin Heinrich’s office AS A CONSERVATIVE PRO-TRUMP REPUBLICAN. I applied for an internship in then-Republican New Mexico Congressman Steve Pearce’s office as well. The only office that granted me an internship was Heinrich’s. I was given the selective opportunity to serve the people of New Mexico as a Senate intern and bring a conservative perspective to the far-left office.
On the first week of the internship, the Chief of Staff called me in and said he had looked up my background, finding my staunch support for the President. He was fully aware that I was, indeed, a pro-Trump conservative Republican, and allowed me to continue with the internship for the summer despite my political leanings.
My fellow interns repeatedly attacked my Republican ideals and repeatedly attempted to have me fired from the internship, but I did not back down — and it made my conservative values and support for our 45th president that much stronger.
Heinrich has allowed various Republican college students to intern for him in the past, such as Republican Dominic Pacheco in 2016. Pacheco helped the Republican Party of New Mexico with President Trump’s election efforts, as did I. While I was fighting liberal hacks in multiple viper pits, Mark Ronchetti was bashing President Trump on-air at leftist CBS Fake News affiliate KRQE News 13.
Ronchetti’s campaign also blasted fellow Republican U.S. Senate candidate, Dr. Gavin Clarkson with a vicious slew of personal attacks, including a mailer falsely asserting that Clarkson resigned from his position at the Trump Administration with an “ethical cloud” over his head, despite a string of facts proving that was a blatant lie.
Ronchetti bashed Clarkson’s bankruptcies during the 2007-2008 financial crisis, citing a progressive opinion column in the Santa Fe New Mexican as his source. It is unclear if Ronchetti also hit President Trump’s bankruptcies, just as he has with the President’s skin color, calling him “The Orange One,” and saying in 2019 that the President took a “part of his soul” that he’s “not getting back.”
When Clarkson brought attention to the despicable anti-Trump comments Ronchetti made at a leftist climate change conference, Glassburner hit Clarkson as “a failing candidate” desperate to “get attention.”
But that’s just scratching the surface. Ronchetti also bashed former Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Rick Montoya for telling delegates about Ronchetti’s deep ties to NeverTrumpers, namely that of Jay McCleskey, Ronchetti’s general consultant, known for his “slash and burn” political tactics. Ronchetti blasted Montoya with ad-hominem attacks, calling him “ham-handed.”
But even worse, before the pre-primary convention, Ronchetti called Republican convention delegates and falsely told them that then-U.S. Senate candidate Louie Sanchez had dropped out of the race, which was a bald-faced lie.
It doesn’t have to be this way, but some people just insist on playing dirty. This is usually a reflection of character or leadership, maybe both.
Ronchetti also promised a room full of hundreds of GOP delegates that he’s run a “positive” campaign, telling the conservative audience, “I will not take a shot at a fellow Republican.” That promise to Republican voters was quickly violated.
In the very same breath, Ronchetti bashed fellow Republicans asking him questions as “little Facebook trolls who are in their parents’ basement with their Cheeto-stained fingers,” a smear heard by many leftists to bash President Trump supporters.
During his KRQE 13 days, Ronchetti repeatedly mocked and hated on President Trump and other Republicans, such as former Gov. Susana Martinez, who he shamed for wearing a hard-hat while visiting a construction plant. He also laughed at President Trump’s hairstyle.
Instead of campaigning to be New Mexico’s next U.S. Senator, it appears Ronchetti is more interested in playing the high school bully, name-calling, and pushing everyone in his way just to get what he wants.
The nasty, bottom-of-the-barrel ad-hominem attacks on fellow Republicans, many of them being fellow candidates, prove that Ronchetti’s campaign is willing to go to any embarrassingly low level to win. The Republican voters will have to decide on June 2nd if they want to vote for a campaign full of sleaze and hatred for President Donald Trump, or vote for the two true Republican candidates, Dr. Gavin Clarkson and Elisa Martinez.
New Mexico’s voters have come accustomed in the last few weeks to seeing new headlines about now-disgraced ex-television weatherman Mark Ronchetti, who has scorned the conservative Republican base. In 2019, just nine months before announcing his candidacy for U.S. Senate, Ronchetti lambasted President Trump as the “Orange One,” and claimed led him to leave the Republican Party, as well as taking a “part of [his] soul” that he’s “not getting back.”
.@MarkRonchettiNM's direct quote: "I’m a Christian conservative who used to be a Republican until The Orange One (@realDonaldTrump), then things…I’m afraid that has taken a part of my soul, and that’s not coming back." pic.twitter.com/2VHgHmaA4v
Such harsh language from the embattled former local weatherman toward the President has led Republicans to flee from his campaign with as much speed and passion as humanly possible. Former supporters of all stripes now write messages on social media rebuking Ronchetti. One ex-supporter writes, “I’m so sorry I wasted my donation on you,” as another one writes, “A friend of mine told me that you were a ‘NeverTrumpster’ & I said, No way !! but now you have proven me wrong. So, I am deleting your emails that you are sending me to support you in your run for U.S. Senate for N.M.”
As his crumbling base bleeds, and his campaign shills out hundreds of thousands of dollars on television ads that don’t so much as mention President Trump by name, Ronchetti has gotten desperate — and in doing so, betrayed his first campaign promise.
After yours truly uncovered damning evidence linking Ronchetti to NeverTrumpers, some who even donated $11,000 to radical leftist Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Ronchetti spoke at the Republican Party of Bernalillo County pre-primary convention. During his speech, he lost it — lashing out at Trump supporters asking him questions as “little Facebook trolls who are in their parents’ basement with their Cheeto-stained fingers.”
The leftist jab was followed by a “positive campaign” pledge he demanded all other candidates sign in order to gag questioning of his record and connections to anti-Trump rogue “Republicans,” such as Jay McCleskey, his “slash and burn” general consultant.
Ronchetti said, “In closing, I’d like to put my money where my mouth is on the ‘unity pledge,’ right? We all need to be on the same side, and I’ve taken as many arrows as anyone. I did not fire back at a fellow Republican, not once.” That turned to be blatantly false, as just second before, he bashed Republicans asking him questions as “little Facebook trolls.”
He then held up a piece of paper, saying, “This is a positive campaign pledge right here. I’m going to sign it right here. I will not take a shot at a fellow Republican. I hope my fellow Senate candidates will sign this as well.” Not a single Republican opponent signed the document.
This week, @MarkRonchettiNM sent out a mailer bashing his opponent @DrGavinClarkson with unsubstantiated attacks. By doing so, he violated his “unity pledge” which he signed in black ink in front of a room full of Republican voters. pic.twitter.com/WwLd3c3x4z
But that supposed honorable “pledge,” which he promised through his word and a stroke of his pen, was just previously violated when his campaign sent out a hit job on his fellow candidate, Gavin Clarkson, who he attacked with inaccurate claims. He sent out a mailer attacking Clarkson on his work for the Trump Administration, his previous bankruptcy shortly after the financial crash of 2007-08, and a patently false claim that he attended a protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Note: Gavin Clarkson has not said a lie or untrue thing about Mark Ronchetti, yet, Ronchetti feels the need to throw out these untrue attacks on Clarkson.
The below-the-belt, desperate hits by Ronchetti’s flailing campaign not only undermined his campaign promise, they also violated the small remnants of credibility he may have had left. With the petty attack, Ronchetti proved without any doubt whatsoever, that he is both a liar and as credible as a high school bully — thinking he can get his way with a little pushing.
Does Ronchetti want to mention that President Trump’s Interior Secretary (who Ronchetti claims fired Clarkson), hosted Clarkson and his wife Marina to the Trump Administration’s 2019 Interior Department Christmas Party, a clear disproval of Ronchetti’s conspiracy theory that Clarkson was forced out of the department?
Does Ronchetti want to bash President Trump once again by going after the President’s multiple bankruptcies out of the hundreds of businesses Trump has run? Would Ronchetti like to hit one more nail into his coffin of Trump-hating rhetoric for the fun of it?
Does Ronchetti want to explain to voters that the supposed “protest” Clarkson went to never happened and he actually went up to North Dakota to assist an old girlfriend, not “protest”? Ronchetti clearly sees his opponent as a real threat, and since this is the best attack he thinks he has, he’s using the final card in the deck — since the ones against me and other conservative Republicans flopped on their faces.
This is by no means the first attack Ronchetti’s campaign has made against Clarkson, previously sending out a statement calling him a “failing candidate,” despite Ronchetti’s voters running for the hills, not Clarkson’s.
The vengeful and cowardly tactics of Ronchetti’s campaign are more apparent now than they ever were before — and the weatherman’s lies aren’t fooling anyone. Mark Ronchetti is a NeverTrumper, always has been, always will be. Petty hits on the President such as calling him the “Orange One,” and mocking his hairstyle show just what kind of Senator he would be — no better than radical Democrats Elizabeth Warren or Cory Booker. If he’s looking for his “Spartacus” moment, he sure isn’t getting it with the negative campaign he’s running.
On Monday, it was revealed that Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Mark Ronchetti had attended a far-left symposium by climate change alarmists and gave his support for the theory of “man-made climate change.” But that is not what is irking Republicans in the Land of Enchantment.
While speaking at the event, Ronchetti lambasted the “Orange One” President Trump claiming he drove him to leave the Republican Party. He said, “I’m afraid that that has taken a part of my soul.”
.@MarkRonchettiNM's direct quote: "I’m a Christian conservative who used to be a Republican until The Orange One (@realDonaldTrump), then things…I’m afraid that has taken a part of my soul, and that’s not coming back." pic.twitter.com/2VHgHmaA4v
Conservative Republicans warned early-on about Ronchetti’s anti-Trump sentiments, as well as his hiring of the most divisive political strategist in the state, Jay McCleskey. But upon hearing the questions by pro-Trump Republicans, Ronchetti violently lashed out, claiming they are “little Facebook trolls who are in their parents’ basement with their Cheeto-stained fingers.”
Now, even more, information has come to light showing Ronchetti mocking President Trump, including laughing at a comment that Trump is a “brushfire” and making fun of the President’s hairstyle on-air while working as a weatherman for KRQE News 13. He also made fun of a leaked photograph of Melania Trump, saying it was “unbelievable” to a comment that she could be the future First Lady of the United States. But that’s not all — Ronchetti revealed his deep admiration and “friendship” with notorious Trump-hating comedian George Lopez.
Lopez faced harsh criticism on both sides of the aisle in January 2020 when now-deceased Iranian terrorist Gen. Quasem Soleimani offered $80 million to anyone who would assassinate President Trump. Lopez said, “We’ll do it for half.”
In a previous video, Ronchetti commented that Lopez “is a really funny guy” and “pretty good guy, too, in person,” joking “like [we] hang out on the weekends.”
In another video, Ronchetti photoshopped his face onto President Trump’s hairstyle, saying, “the swirl is so nice,” adding, “the point is you don’t have to lose your cool over a bad haircut, okay?”
In another video, Ronchetti mocked former Governor Republican Gov. Susana Martinez for wearing a green hard-hat during an interview, in which he and KRQE anchors laughed hysterically at Martinez, with Ronchetti saying, “just take the hard hat off!”
After Ronchetti’s direct shot at Trump as the “Orange One,” his mocking the future First Lady, bashing conservative Republican voters asking him questions as “little Facebook trolls who are in their parents’ basement with their Cheeto-stained fingers,” and shots at moderate anti-Trump Gov. Martinez’s appearance shows his willingness to go after people with ad-hominem attacks and mock them based on looks. These clips show how Ronchetti is not above high-school bullying and hazing of people based on skin color, hairstyle, and other factors. Gov. Martinez was a candidate of Jay McCleskey, Ronchetti’s campaign “messenger.”
Ronchetti has no past voting record of Republican support and has been embraced by people such as local drug dealer Darren White, who gave radical Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham $11,000 in her race for Governor. His pollster, Nicole McCleskey, served as NeverTrumper Jeb Bush’s pollster for his failed presidential run against Donald Trump.
Ronchetti’s opponents have denounced his comments, one of them even calling for him to drop out of the race for the U.S. Senate. Ronchetti’s campaign laughed off the comments, claiming the ex-weatherman was “joking.” But Republicans are not taking the comments bashing the incumbent Republican president lightly. Some have even gone so far as to demand campaign donation refunds in light of the anti-Trump comments. Requests for refunds can be directed to Ronchetti’s campaign email account, info@markronchetti.com.
