On Sunday night, a video began circulating showing a Republican-turned-Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Karen Bedonie saying her Republican rival Mark Ronchetti “cannot win” with her in the race. Both are running to unseat Democrat first-term Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
In the video shared on Twitter, Bedonie says, “The only comfort I find in this race is that man (Mark Ronchetti) cannot win with me in the way. That man cannot win this race. He will never be governor as long as I am alive and well and in this race.
🚨NM conservatives: @BedonieTough just ADMITTED to splitting the vote & helping ensure @Michelle4NM gets another term. “The only comfort I find in this race is that man [@MarkRonchettiNM] cannot win with me in the way” & He will never be governor as long as I am… in this race.” pic.twitter.com/BvuExayQw3
The snippet appears to be taken from a previous live stream Bedonie made, where she claimed around the 22:30 mark, “It’s amazing some of the phone calls that come in. Like, what does it take for a person to really hate somebody to call the campaign and to yell at our campaign team and telling them that Karen’s gonna split the vote? How crazy are you really thinking this is because it’s impossible to split a vote that was never his? Ronchetti is not a conservative, he’s not a New Mexican. The only comfort I find in this race is that man (Mark Ronchetti) cannot win with me in the way. That man cannot win this race. He will never be governor as long as I am alive and well and in this race”
She then added, “MLG — she is sweatin’ it because you know what? She’s gonna have to literally try and hope — and I don’t even know if that woman knows how to pray — that we don’t beat her, but I think we’re gonna beat her because we’re looking at 85% of Democrats that can’t stand her. We were in the belly of the beat of the Democrats. The People — not the party — the people. And they were excited. They took pictures with us. They talked to us. People say, ‘Oh, the Democrats and Libertarians are merging. No! It’s not about party.”
The original full video from Bedonie can be viewed here.
Many New Mexicans responded with shock after watching Bedonie’s remarks. One person wrote, “Infuriating! Imagine being so bitter & making New Mexicans have to deal with MLG for another 4 yrs.”
Another person chimed in, “Well at least she comes out and admits it. She’s full on admitting she’s trying to screw over New Mexicans. [Michelle Lujan Grisham] won’t even admit that.”
One commenter wrote, “I’ve been really nice. I literally haven’t said a thing. But this is f****d up and egotistical and you KNOW IT!!! you know it!!!! I feel disgust tbh.”
Bedonie told the Piñon Post in an interview following the video being posted on Twitter, “In regards to this whole thing, I think the Republicans were looking for a doorway to attack me on because we are so clean. They took it out of context, and they chopped it up just like they did to Trump.” She added, “It’s out of context. I will stand by my words. Ronchetti can’t win. Ronchetti can’t save New Mexico without McClesky pulling the strings.”
“I can’t split something that was never his. He never had the vote.”
As of publication, Bedonie’s remarks in the video have reached around 5,000 views on Twitter. Others have shared it via Facebook and other social media platforms.
Bedonie released a 35-minute video explanation on Monday, saying what she meant was she believed Ronchetti was splitting the vote. Watch her full response here.
On Saturday, the leaders of two large national pro-abortion groups, Alexis McGill Johnson of Planned Parenthood and Mini Timmaraju of NARAL, stumped in Las Cruces to promote Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Lujan Grisham almost exclusively is running her campaign on the abortion issue, erroneously claiming her GOP opponent Mark Ronchetti is an “extremist” who wants to ban abortion. This rhetoric comes as the governor is a supporter of unregulated abortion up-to-birth with no exceptions, as evidenced in a 2021 law she signed stripping all protections for women, medical professionals, and babies in the womb.
The rally, held at Albert Johnson Park, included attendees such as Democrat Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, Democrat Las Cruces City Councilor Johana Bencomo, scandal-ridden Democrat congressional candidate Gabe Vasquez, state representatives, and others.
As well as rallying, the pro-abortion figures both visited the Las Cruces Planned Parenthood abortion mill and met with state legislators, including state Reps. Joanne Ferrary and Nathan Small (D-Doña Ana), state Sens. Carrie Hamblen and William Soules (D-Doña Ana).
What a bunch of sickos. Who dances that happy at an abortion rally?? And if she got medical treatment in D.C. why is she still hopping on one leg to baby the knee. Something's up. pic.twitter.com/p2azWSeIeq
According to Mark Cavaliere of the pro-life group Southwest Coalition for Life, over 200 pro-lifers “completely encircled the governor’s abortion rally in Las Cruces,” where they held signs and prayed while the pro-abortion supporters rallied.
Videos show the pro-lifers praying rosaries, carrying crosses, and holding signs with messages such as “Save the Innocent” and “Pray to End Abortion.” Cavaliere says that people came from Albuquerque, Belen, Los Lunas, Rio Rancho, Ruidoso, El Paso, and other places to protest the governor’s anti-life rally.
While Democrats attempt to escape total annihilation by betting on abortion in November, New Mexicans are more interested in candidates who will address inflation, the economy, gas prices, public safety, and other issues. Despite that, leftists are hoping abortion up-to-birth will bring them a victory on Election Day.
On Wednesday night, Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Republican nominee Mark Ronchetti met on KOAT 7 for the second gubernatorial debate, moderated by the station’s Doug Fernandez. KOAT’s Kelly Ribando, the Albuquerque Journal’s Dan Boyd, and KKOB radio’s Bob Clark as panelists.
During the fiery debate, the two candidates presented their plans for New Mexico — the current one or a new vision for the state.
While Ronchetti continued speaking about kitchen table issues, such as violent crime, with New Mexico being the second most violent state in the nation, and fixing the stagnant economy, Lujan Grisham couldn’t shake her obsession with talking about abortion.
In her opening statement, she erroneously claimed, “My opponent wants to ban abortion,” despite Ronchetti wanting a constitutional amendment to decide the issue, as he has previously stated. Lujan Grisham continued, “As governor, I promise to protect your privacy protections and to expand access to reproductive health care (abortions) for women and their families.”
Continuing on abortion, Lujan Grisham reaffirmed that she supports abortion up to birth with absolutely no restrictions whatsoever.
“Abortion is legal in New Mexico because I’m governor today. Brett Kavanaugh — I’m sure that name is very familiar to most voters and New Mexicans. Here is someone who said anything to get the position but did quite another when he actually got the position. That is the republican playbook when it comes to abortion,” she claimed, despite Kavanaugh not saying anything of the sort on abortion. As a judge, he could not make determinations on hypothetical cases.
She then claimed, “Mark Ronchetti wants to ban abortion. If you don’t believe me, ask his pastor.”
Ronchetti said, “I don’t think an incumbent governor in this country has ever based their whole campaign on a lie,” adding, “But you and your D.C. allies will say anything to retain your seat as governor of the state of New Mexico. You will say anything you have to, and you’re hoping that people don’t know. But the reality of the situation is I’ve been very clear: I am pro-life. But also, this is a very personal issue. There’s no doubt about that.”
“And this governor has a position, too, and it’s the extreme in this race. She believes in abortion up to birth. That view is shared by countries like North Korea and China. And if you look at where we are in a broad sense, the values of the people of the state of New Mexico have to be taken into account in this issue.”
Regarding the border crisis, Ronchetti said, “Joe Biden and Michelle Lujan Grisham have an absolute border chaos policy,” saying he will carry out his plan to secure New Mexico’s border by forming a border strike force and working with neighboring states.
Lujan Grisham, with little to show for her four years as governor, responded, “Well, this is just political theater and it’s not true. And when you say you’re going to use the Department of Public Safety, what he’s saying is he’s going to take State Police officers right out of Albuquerque and move them to Deming.” In 2018, Lujan Grisham demeaned voters in Deming, which was taken as a jab at rural New Mexico. She added, “And by the way, fentanyl gets mailed in from China, as well as at the border.”
“That was a blizzard of excuses for not caring about what happens at the border. Let’s go back to that fentanyl bust in the South Valley, where there were a million fentanyl pills that were taken in by the FBI. It was the biggest FBI bust in their history,” adding, “Her answer to this whole problem shows how truly out of touch she truly is.”
When Ronchetti pressed Lujan Grisham on crime and her release of countless violent criminals, she claimed, “What is shocking is my opponent’s description of facts that are factless.”
On the issue of health care, Ronchetti said he will overturn bad Democrat legislation that is deterring medical professionals from staying and coming to New Mexico.
Lujan Grisham’s answer was, “Well, we’ve got someone who wants to be governor who doesn’t give a damn about patients and their rights, and I do,” apparently again referring to abortion.
Boyd asked Lujan Grisham the next question, inquiring, “During the #MeToo movement, your campaign settled a complaint with a former campaign spokesman who accused you of sexual mistreatment. Why would you insist you did nothing wrong but still have paid him?”
Lujan Grisham dodged the question to instead talk about her favorite topic — abortion. She said, “Well, these are really, uh, a continuation of the Mark Ronchetti campaign, uh, working diligently on baseless, and frankly, uh, dev- uh, desperate character attacks. You know, we did a couple of things that nobody does. We provided absolute disclosure about this issue and provided that information directly to individuals. We did that because that’s been the issue of our entire government, to be transparent. We’re the first administration to be transparent about every single expense. No other governor has done that. You’ve seen the baseless, false attacks that Mark Ronchetti and his campaign have run against us consistently because these are all desperate efforts to hide the fact that he has no plan, that he has no experience, uh, he’s a T.V. personality. And frankly, when he says he wants to give a choice, look Mark Ronchetti: You’re not invited into the room with me and my gynecologist. Women already have this choice. When you’re talking about the constitution, you’re inviting a resolution to change the constitution. When you’re doing that, you’re doing that solely to reduce my rights. I know that you’re trying to make this sound like somehow it’s balanced. It absolutely isn’t. And having a clinic in Las Cruces is contraceptive care. It’s reproductive health care for women and their families. It’s comprehensive primary care. You’re so concerned about healthcare access, explain to me why you don’t want a clinic for women anywhere in the state.”
When speaking about education and fixing the failed Democrat policies of the current administration, Ronchetti outlined his plan for a voucher system, to expand charter schools, and to remove the racist Critical Race Theory social studies policies of the current administration. Lujan Grisham, of course, pivoted to abortion, mentioning abortion and sex ed programs.
In a portion of the debate where candidates could ask each other questions, Ronchetti said to Lujan Grisham, “Governor, I want to ask you about James Hallinan He was one of your staffers in your last election. And you were in a meeting with him, and you grabbed his crotch, and you said, ‘Is there anything down here?’ Governor, you then had him sign a non-disclosure agreement, so he kept his mouth shut. You then, about two months later, signed a law in New Mexico outlawing those agreements, further allowing people who were the victims of these type[s] of events to be able to talk. Why shouldn’t your victim be able to talk?
Lujan Grisham responded, “Uh, Mark. Again, you have spent your entire campaign attacking my character and my integrity. They are baseless attacks, and you do that including now to hide from the fact that, again, you’re a T.V. personality with no experience.” She continued, “The only thing you actually have a plan for is to ban abortion in the state of New Mexico.”
Lujan Grisham’s question for Ronchetti was, “What is misoprostol?” referring to the drug used in chemical abortions to forcibly eject a baby from its mother’s womb.
He responded, “Here we go again. This is what 25 years in government gets you. This gets you a governor who wants to play Jeopardy!’” Ronchetti added, “People have had enough of the political games. It’s garbage at this point. And you’ve said you’ve been more transparent than any governor in history. Governor, you grabbed a male staffer’s crotch — a gay male — and then you said, ‘Is there anything down there?’ You then paid him $150,000, governor, and then you made him shut up about it. And now, you have the gall to sit up here and not only victimize James Hallinan, but you revictimize him. If you remember back, you said during the Andrew Cuomo scandal if you don’t believe those who go and bring these charges, then you’re revictimizing. So, you’re victimizing, revictimizing, and now — on topper of all toppers — you’re creating yourself as the victim. Governor, this is the sort of thing that people cannot stand. You’ve never come clean. You’ve never said, ‘Look, I made a mistake. Here we go.’ You’ve just continued to lie about this issue time after time after time. And let me tell you about experience. Experience, especially the experience we need in this office, is someone with character. Someone who has been in tough situations and doesn’t lie about them, doesn’t belittle people, and doesn’t try to shrink other people to make themselves feel better. You, on a regular basis, do that in every single way. You shut down stores, and then you go jewelry shopping. You shut down our ability to see our families, and then you hold parties. And then you keep our kids out of school, and you roll up to Navajo Lake, and you have a party with your friends while we’re on lockdown. You are a hypocrite, governor.”
.@Michelle4NM, you grabbed a male staffer's crotch then said "is there anything down there," and then you then paid him $150,000 to shut up about it.
You have the gall to revictimize your victim, even though you've said we should believe all victims. Disgusting. pic.twitter.com/qdWRN2Cm49
Using her final rebuttal opportunity, Lujan Grisham claimed Ronchetti’s answer was a “blizzard of nonsense, right? It’s one character attack. If I was doing anything that was a violation of the COVID rules, you would have a photo of that. I religiously did that,” she claimed.
On an energy question from Bob Clark, Ronchetti blasted Lujan Grisham’s “California energy policy” through the Green New Deal (Energy Transition Act of 2019), which forced the closure of the San Juan Generating Station. He also noted how the governor proposed a bill to raise gas prices $0.35 to $0.50 a gallon through an enviro-Marxist policy.
“I take exception, Bob, that you say that the ETA led to the closure of the San Juan coal fire plant and generating station. That’s just not true.” She then claimed that New Mexico needs the “strongest, toughest standards” to punish the coal and oil and gas industries.
In his closing statement, Ronchetti asked New Mexicans if they want high crime, failing schools, or one that is a “great story for our future?”
Lujan Grisham, of course, pivoted back to abortion in her closing statement, saying you can vote for her “or believe someone whose only agenda, only policy, quite frankly, is to ban abortion and interfere with my private health care decisions.”
Early voting has already started in New Mexico, with expanded voting locations opening on October 22. Election day is November 8th. Ronchetti (R), Lujan Grisham (D), and Karen Bedonie (L) all will be on the ballot.
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.
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 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.”
On Monday, Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Ronchetti’s campaign announced that Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) will campaign with him in Albuquerque and Las Cruces, being the third GOP governor to campaign for him after Govs. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Doug Ducey of Arizona.
According to a media advisory from the Ronchetti campaign, “Similar to Ronchetti, Youngkin’s [2021] campaign focused on kitchen-table issues that affect everyday Virginians.”
“At these campaign stops, Ronchetti and Youngkin will highlight the need to restore New Mexico’s public safety, catch kids up in the classroom, and provide sustained economic relief for the working families of New Mexico.”
The Albuquerque campaign stop will be at 2:00 p.m. at Napoli Coffee on Menaul. The Las Cruces campaign stop will be at 5:15 p.m. at La Posta De Mesilla, on Calle De San Albino in Mesilla.
Youngkin is supporting many conservative candidates, such as Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Trump-backed GOP gubernatorial nominees Kari Lake of Arizona, Tudor Dixon of Michigan, and Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo of Nevada, to name a few.
The news comes the same day that former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, who previously ran for president as the Libertarian nominee, endorsed Ronchetti, saying, “I’m voting for Mark Ronchetti to be the next governor of New Mexico. I think crime, education, and the economy will benefit from a fresh look at the issues New Mexico faces. I think the fact that, arguably, New Mexico had the most restrictive pandemic shutdown of all 50 states will adversely affect our economy for many years to come.”
Ronchetti faces embattled Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and former GOP candidate-turned Libertarian nominee Karen Bedonie in November.
On Friday night, Republican GOP nominee Mark Ronchetti and Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham appeared on KOB 4 for the first gubernatorial debate between the two in the tight race rated a “toss-up.” This has been rated as one of the best GOP gubernatorial pickup opportunities across the country. The debate was moderated by Tessa Mentus and Matt Grubbs.
Ronchetti went straight for the jugular in his opening statement, saying, “This governor has been letting out violent criminals.” He said, “If you think the system is broken, she is the head of the system.”
Regarding education, Ronchetti said, “If you think the education system is broken, this governor is the head of that system.”
“The fact is her 30 years of government experience has her right where we are.”
Lujan Grisham, in her opening statement, said, “We’ve actually come a long way in four years,” adding, “progress is not promised.”
She then, of course, mentioned her favorite topic — abortion. She falsely claimed, “My opponent wants to ban abortion,” despite Ronchetti backing only a 15-week ban.
Regarding crime, Lujan Grisham blamed national rises in crime. She said, “Crime is on the rise nationally. It’s no secret it’s a problem right here in New Mexico.”
Ronchetti said, “Over the past two years, she’s released over 700” violent criminals.
She said in response, “All words for someone who has never been to a legislative session.” then She claimed Ronchetti had never heard of “bail reform” before running for governor.
Ronchetti said, “She’s made it easier to be a criminal than a cop.”
Abortion was the next topic of discussion.
Ronchetti said, “My opinion on this and my beliefs on this have never changed: I’m pro-life.” He added, “We need to end late-term abortion in this state.”
Lujan Grisham said, “Abortions later in pregnancy are extreme medical emergencies.”
“It’s very clear in this particular conversation,” Ronchetti said, “the governor was okay when we brought pay raises to the Legislature to the voters.”
Lujan Grisham shot back, claiming it was “outrageous” Ronchetti wanted a state constitutional amendment on abortion.
Ronchetti responded, “When she shut down schools, did you have a voice in that? No.” He continued, “When she went and released violent criminals back onto the streets, did you have a voice in that? No.”
On the topic of inflation, Lujan Grisham claimed, “Inflation isn’t something a governor can control.” She also touted piecemeal tax cuts passed in this year’s legislative session (election year).
During the budget discussion, Ronchetti said, “We need to invest in small businesses in New Mexico. They are getting crushed,” saying he supports a tax cut, citing the 40% killed under the Lujan Grisham regime during the pandemic.
“You are out of touch with the people of your own state,” Ronchetti told the governor.
Trying to defend her failed education record, especially during the pandemic, Lujan Grisham claimed, “My opponent wants to pretend that there wasn’t a deadly global pandemic,”
Speaking about the New Mexico Child, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD), Ronchetti said he would “have a separate unit” to oversee the department. He also spoke of the Governor’s “cover-up” with the Department. “We can [fix the department] if we don’t engage in cover-ups.”
Lujan Grisham said she takes every case at CYFD “personally” and claimed it was false that he referenced a cover-up, despite one happening at CYFD under her watch.
“I know you take it personally, and I have no doubt that you do. I just don’t think you take responsibility,” Ronchetti responded.
On the topic of homelessness, Ronchetti said, “New Mexico cannot be allowed to be the country’s campground.” He backed a statewide ban on tent cities and said we need to stop the problem at its source — the border.
Lujan Grisham said that “housing, mental illness, and drug addiction” lead to homelessness. She then claimed at the next legislative session, she would look at a ban on pan handling.
On the water issue, Mark Ronchetti said, “there is nothing more important than water in the state of New Mexico.”
“My opponent doesn’t believe in climate change,” said Lujan Grisham, appearing to dodge the question. She also said, “He doesn’t support the Inflation Reduction Act,” a bill that increased inflation and added to the national debt.
She touted her anti-gas policies, saying oil and gas is “not allowed to use fresh water anymore” thanks to her leftist legislation.
Ronchetti said in his closing statement, “We have to support change” to make a difference in New Mexico.
Lujan Grisham said in her closing statement, “I think New Mexicans want an experienced, proven leader.” She touted her socialist education and pre-K programs and, of course, mentioned abortion. She said she wants to ensure “access to reproductive access (abortion) is not fettered.”
The debate had a clear winner: Republican Mark Ronchetti, who had a detailed plan on turning the state around while also focusing on kitchen table issues. Lujan Grisham appeared very defensive and hell-bent on swerving many topics to that of abortion while blaming national politics for her failures in office.
