On Friday at 11:30 a.m., the House Judiciary Committee will hear a Republican-led effort by Rep. Rebecca Dow (R-Truth or Consequences) for New Mexico to form an independent redistricting commission.
H.B. 211, which has previously earned unanimous support in House committees, would create a seven-member redistricting body comprised of two Democrats, two Republicans, and two members belonging to neither major party.
The commission would fairly redraw district maps without partisans from either side getting to redraw districts to their benefit. It prohibits the use of partisan data, voting history, party registration and prohibits favoring a particular party or incumbent.
H.B. 211 also discourages litigation over new district maps, requires compliance with the Voter Rights Act, and compels citizen input, which before has not happened.
A competing Democrat-backed bill by Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Bernalillo) in the New Mexico Senate is cloaked as an independent commission, but would allow partisans to draw district lines, let lawmakers draw their own districts, and would welcome costly litigation.
Citizens are asked to testify in favor of the bill by Republican representatives. Please join in to testify at 11:30 a.m. in the House Judiciary Committee.
Here’s an easy sheet to compare the two proposals:
Or iPhone one-tap : US: +16699009128,,89543370073# or +12532158782,,89543370073# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 – Webinar ID: 895 4337 0073
You can reach out to members of the House Judiciary Committee by calling thier offices or emailing their inboxes here:
On Monday, the Republican Party of New Mexico (RPNM) announced it had requested the Republican electors from New Mexico who pledged to vote for President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in the Electoral College, convene and cast their ballots. The electors sent their votes to Congress, and their votes are to be opened on January 6, 2020.
In a press release, RPNM wrote:
Of course, there is precedent for our Republican Electors meeting on December 14, even as the Democrat Electors for New Mexico also meet.
Democrat Electors pledged to John F. Kennedy convened in Hawaii in 1960, at the same time as Republicans, even though the Governor had certified Richard Nixon as the winner. In the end, Hawaii’s electoral votes were awarded to President Kennedy, even though he did not win the state until 11 days after his Electors cast their votes.
The legitimacy and good sense of two sets of Electors meeting on December 14 to cast competing votes for President and Vice President, with the conflict to be later sorted out by the courts and Congress, was pointed out by prominent Democrat lawyers, Van Jones and Larry Lessig, in an essay published last month on CNN.com.
To the extent that the results in New Mexico might remain in doubt, just as the Democrat Electors met in Hawaii in 1960 while awaiting a final resolution of that State’s vote, so too the Republican Electors met this year on December 14 as we await a final resolution of New Mexico’s five electoral votes.
The Democrat electors met in Santa Fe at the Roundhouse to cast their ballots for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. In other states where election fraud lawsuits are pending, such as in Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, Republican electors also voted for President Trump and Vice President Pence and sent their votes to Congress.
Earlier Monday, President Trump filed a lawsuit in New Mexico regarding absentee ballots drop boxes allegedly used unconstitutionally.
Record turnout in the 2020 General Election garnered much attention to countless races up and down the ballot, and many wins for Republicans. 912,565 ballots were cast across New Mexico, and voter enthusiasm on both sides of the aisle was high.
In New Mexico’s congressional delegation, Yvette Herrell bested first-term Democrat Rep. Xochitl Torres Small by 20,461 votes, winning by a margin of 53.9% to 46.1%. Torres Small voted with Nancy Pelosi 94% of the time, including to impeach President Donald Trump and to pass sweeping anti-Second Amendment gun bans.
Herrell had the endorsement of President Donald Trump and many pro-Trump leaders, including Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), and others. Torres Small had the support of D.C. establishment figures, Planned Parenthood, and anti-gun groups.
Democrat Rep. Ben Ray Luján won the open U.S. Senate seat, beating Republican Mark Ronchetti by 4%. Democrat Rep. Deb Haaland won re-election in the 1st Congressional District, while Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez won the open 3rd Congressional District seat being vacated by Luján.
In the state legislature, Republicans picked off a few seats from Democrat control, including Sen. Clemente Sanchez’s 30th Senate District seat, which he will be vacating after he lost the primary. Republican Joshua A. Sanchez won that race against far-left Democrat Pamela Cordova.
Republican Crystal Diamond picked up Senate District 35 in the southeast part of the state, being vacated by Sen. John Arthur Smith, who also lost his primary election. Diamond ran against Naomi Martinez-Parra, a favorite of far-left Speaker Brian Egolf and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Republican Luis Terrazas bested incumbent Democrat Rep. Rudolpho Martinez in House District 39, also in southeast New Mexico, winning 53% to 47%.
House District 53 is still up in the air, as there is a possible recount between former Democrat Rep. Ricky Little and incumbent Rep. Willie Madrid. Little is leading by a handful of votes with 3,275 to Madrid’s 3,268.
In an open seat in House District 22, being vacated by Senator-elect Gregg Schmedes, Republican Stefani Lord beat out Jessica Velasquez in the Bernalillo-area seat.
According to the Albuquerque Journal, Democrats picked up a net gain of one seat in the New Mexico Senate, “pushing their advantage to 27-15 — and lose three seats in the House, dropping their edge to 43-26, with one independent.”
New Mexicans approved Constitutional Amendment 1 to give more power to the New Mexico Governor by abolishing an elected Public Regulation Commission and instead allowing the Governor to appoint a three-member panel to regulate utilities in New Mexico. The measure passed with 55% support.
Another measure, Constitutional Amendment 2 allowing the Legislature to dictate term limits on state, county, and local elected leaders also passed, giving more power to Santa Fe bureaucrats. The measure passed with 67% support.
Although Republicans did not win the presidential race and many others down the ballots, they did make gains in the Legislature, while flipping the crucial Second Congressional District race. The newly elected legislators across New Mexico will be positioned well to fight hard against Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and her increasing penchant to hold onto power.
Today is November 3rd, Election Day, and polls will open at 7:00 a.m. for New Mexicans in all 33 counties to cast their votes. In particular, this election is important because other than being a presidential year, with incumbent Republican President Donald J. Trump running for re-election, it is also a Census year. That means that the legislators New Mexicans elect today will oversee the redrawing of legislative and congressional districts.
If Democrats get a supermajority in the Legislature, Republicans will have a 100% chance of losing House and Senate seats, and possibly even having New Mexico’s more conservative Second Congressional District redrawn to tilt Democrat.
Suppose Republicans are elected to flip state House and Senate seats. In that case, it will be a bulwark against Democrats’ partisan gerrymandering of legislative and congressional districts, and that will help keep elections competitive and fair in the Land of Enchantment.
If Republicans can grab a majority, or even close to a majority in either chamber of the Legislature, that will be a stone wall standing against Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Speaker Brian Egolf, and other far-left Democrats in the state Legislature looking to ban guns, legalize abortion up-to-birth and infanticide, make New Mexico a sanctuary state, legalize recreational pot, kill our Oil and Gas jobs, and raise taxes on working families and small businesses.
These proposals can be stopped by voting for Republican candidates. You can find your Republican legislative candidates here.
As New Mexicans have also seen, the New Mexico Supreme Court has become highly politicized with a far-left wing bent. Activist judges who have been appointed to the Court, such as Justice David K. Thomson appointed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, was the district judge who implemented undemocratic “ranked-choice voting” in Santa Fe municipal elections, which was a proposal championed by Teresa Leger Fernandez, a left-wing lawyer who is now the Democrat nominee for Congress in the Third District.
Electing Republican candidates to the state Supreme Court will bring balance back to the court and help take out these unelected partisan judges, such as Justice Thomson and Justice C. Shannon Bacon, two appointments by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
You can see the Republican candidates for Supreme Court by clicking here.
New Mexicans also are up against the decision on whether to vote for or against two constitutional amendments, both of which would give unchecked power to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The first would give Lujan Grisham and all governors coming after her the opportunity to appoint members of the Public Regulation Commission, the regulator of all utilities in New Mexico. There is vast bipartisan opposition to the Governor’s attempted power grab with Constitutional Amendment 1, and if it does go through, Lujan Grisham will have that much more unchecked power.
Constitutional Amendment 2 would give more power to the legislature to dictate new term limits for any state, county, or district office, other than statewide, in New Mexico, essentially giving the Legislature power to elongate or shorten terms of any office, making it unfair to voters who elected people for a term of X years, and now the will of the people will be changed by legislative fiat simply because they feel like it.
For Congress, if voters want to put balance back into Congress and take away Nancy Pelosi’s radical leadership as Speaker of the House, it is a no-brainer for New Mexicans to vote for Michelle Garcia Holmes (CD-1), Yvette Herrell (CD-2), and Alexis Martinez-Johnson (CD-3). As for the U.S. Senate, if New Mexicans want to send a do-nothing failure of a congressman who has not even been able to pass a single bill into law, they have the choice of giving Rep. Ben Ray Luján a promotion. If New Mexicans want someone who has been committed to them throughout his career and is not a career politician, the choice is clear in selecting Republican Mark Ronchetti for U.S. Senate.
Most importantly, President Donald J. Trump goes up against former Vice President Joe Biden for president, and Trump has visited New Mexico on four separate occasions for rallies in 2016 and this election cycle, whereas Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton before him failed to step foot in New Mexico while running for President. President Donald Trump has proven he cares about us and our issues.
Trump has passed critical funding to help New Mexico during COVID-19, although Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham squandered it. He helped keep our state safe by employing Operation Legend to find and arrest violent criminals who have killed New Mexicans. Trump has built hundreds of miles of border wall right here in New Mexico, helping secure our state and country from violent criminal aliens. He has stood up for our shared values of faith, family, and freedom, working hard to strengthen Religious Freedom, protect innocent human life, be that in the womb or at the end of one’s life, and elevate the voices of patriotic Americans from all walks of life.
Trump is the only president in recent history not to get America into costly foreign wars, he decimated ISIS, cut prescription drug prices, protected gay and lesbian individuals from the persecution of Radical Islamic Terrorists, defunded millions from Planned Parenthood and other abortion mills, brought manufacturing back to America, and put New Mexico on the map as somewhere he wants to succeed and grow.
Today, New Mexicans have two clear choices: radical Democrats who will destroy the very fabric of our nation brick by brick, or Republicans who will respect New Mexicans and put power back into the hands of the people, not unelected bureaucrats. New Mexico has been failing for a very long time under Democrat leadership, and it is high time New Mexicans say “enough is enough.” This election, vote Republican like it’s the last thing you do — it may just be if Democrats are elected today.
I love New Mexico, and I know you do too. Please vote Republican to save our state that we all love so much. I predict a massive red (Republican) wave.
Election sites open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. If you are in line before 7:00 p.m., you are allowed to vote even if you have to wait in line past 7:00 p.m. The Republican Party of New Mexico is offering free rides to the polls. Please call them at 505-298-2662 to set up your ride.
On Monday, Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mark Ronchetti faced off against Democrat nominee Ben Ray Luján and Libertarian Bob Walsh for a televised debate, although all three candidates debated from three separate locations. Ronchetti was the only candidate to appear in-studio, while Luján came in from his campaign office in Albuquerque and Walsh appeared from his home in Santa Fe.
Ronchetti came out of the gate pushing Luján on his record and offering himself as a clear “outsider” candidate who will get to work for all New Mexicans, while Luján repeatedly tried to defend his record, although he has never passed a bill during his 12 years in Congress.
Ronchetti was pressed on his support for President Donald Trump’s successful COVID-19 response, which he replied, “ What I said at the time was that knowing what we knew, that we moved ahead as well as we could. Look, there are a lot of people in this process and I give our leaders some grace on this, including Nancy Pelosi. We have a lot of people in Congress who looked at this and we didn’t know what we were looking at here, but we have made some real progress here. But have things gone wrong? Absolutely. Have we done as well as we should have? Absolutely not.”
However, Ronchetti did mention many policies President Trump has implemented that have helped slow the spread of coronavirus, namely the implementation of the Defense Production Act to produce ventilators, a critical component in treating COVID-19, as well as the China travel ban, which blocked off those coming from and going to the infected source of the virus. He also touted the President and his COVID-19 taskforce for working to streamline the process to produce a vaccine.
He also pointed to Luján’s support for supporting the HEROES Act, citing H.R. 6800 and H.R. 925, which would release violent criminals early and tax breaks for those who “absolutely do not deserve them.”
In solving the COVID-19 crisis, Ronchetti offered up solutions, such as liability protection for businesses and help for businesses left out of the original CARES Act. “Congressman Luján is right in the middle of this. He can go to Nancy Pelosi and say take this stuff out, let’s get something done,” said Ronchetti
.@MarkRonchettiNM taking Ben Ray Luján to task on House Dems' COVID relief obstruction and liberal wish lists.
"Congressman Luján is right in the middle of this. He can go to Nancy Pelosi and say take this stuff out, let's get something done." #NMsenpic.twitter.com/WxvJjuHEBT
When asked about Native American communities, Luján claimed a bill he “authored” was signed into law regarding Native American infrastructure, although no such bill with his name on it as hte primary sponsor has been passed. He also claimed he has been “leading initiatives with investments” regarding a “broadband gap.”
Ronchetti noted that he wants to see new technology, not necessarily broadband, help bring high-speed internet to people in the Navajo Nation, and getting them the support they need to be successful. Walsh argued that no government entity should be responsible for helping Tribal communities.
As well, Luján defended Obamacare, which has raised premiums for New Mexicans and in the process closed down many physicians’ practices. Ronchetti, who said he is on Obamacare, was not able to get the quality of care for his daughter, Ava, who has a pre-existing condition.
On the topic of Law Enforcement and policing, Luján said he doesn’t “want another Portland.” At the same time, Ronchetti made clear his commitment to Law Enforcers and touted his multiple endorsements from Police unions and other associations tied to keeping communities safe. Ronchetti said, “Well, guess what? This isn’t Portland. Someone’s got to tackle violent crime. Our families are crying out for it. And in this case, it needs to be the federal government because you get longer sentences when the feds step in.”
“When I had a chance to visit with our U.S. Attorney, Mr. Anderson, I made it clear to him that what was happening in Portland was not welcome here or anywhere in the country. As soon as he told me that that would not happen, I asked him yet again that day ‘How can that $9.7 million dollars the Trump Administration had been holding up be released immediately?’ The same $9.7 million that I voted for to be released for the City of Albuquerque to provide more support for Law Enforcement to fight crime on our streets here at home, Mark, and it still has not been released as far as I know,” said Luján.
Ronchetti replied, “The reason that $9.6 million has not been turned loose is because we are a sanctuary city and that is the problem. And that is the real issue here. In fact, Congressman Luján supports that as well…. For far too long, we have had these approaches, and unfortunately Congressman, right in your answer there, you gave it. The portland thing — that’s the first thing you said instead of saying ‘I’m going to stand up for the people of my city and state,’ your first response was ‘Portland.’ Your first response should be ‘Let me look out for the people of New Mexico.’ ”
For New Mexico’s voters, the contrast between the candidates is stark. Luján offers years of D.C. experience, with powerful friends at the top of the Washington food chain, although he has not much to show for those years legislation-wise. Ronchetti offers a fresh approach to governing, and one that looks to speak with all sides to bring results to New Mexico’s problems. Walsh offers a hands-off, self-admittedly anti-government approach, with proposals to disband major government programs and support abortion-on-demand, as he said in his answer regarding the 1973 Supreme Court case Roe. v. Wade legalizing abortion-on-demand.
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.
On Sunday, Max Walker of Santa Fe started a GoFundMe page to raise funds for him to rebuild after leftists destroyed his homemade Donald Trump signs, which were ripped to shreds by a lone vandal he caught on camera taking off the sign.
Walker’s GoFundMe page is called “Stop campaign suppression,” and looks to raise funds to buy new signs and better surveillance to catch the hoodlums destroying his private property. As of Monday at 8:50 A.M., the page has raised $92 of the $500 goal.
Across the state, other Republican political candidates have been faced with left-wing vandals destroying their signs. Rep. Rebecca Dow (R-Truth or Consequences) has faced multiple attempts by violent leftists supposedly aligned with the militant hate group Black Lives Matter, which has written, “F*ck Trump” and “BLM” on the signs.
Sen. Gregory Baca (R-Belen) has also faced vandals taking to his signs, in apparent support for his opponent, Democrat Paul Baca. The gangbangers painted over the name “Greg” and wrote “Paul” above it.
Sen. Baca said of the incident, “The opposition has resorted to criminal activity to dissuade our campaign, but we will prevail. Your vote counts!” Others have reported their signs, specifically their Trump signs, being stolen in Rio Rancho, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and other places in the state.
The fascistic approach Democrats and leftists have taken to rip down opposing viewpoints is nothing new. In 2016 during President Trump’s first campaign for the presidency, vandals repeatedly destroyed and stole signs in support of President Trump all across New Mexico. In some cases, vandals cut out the “T” and “P” in the signs or stole them altogether.
During the 2018 midterm elections, leftists defaced Republican political signs, either by ripping them to shreds, slapping racist stickers displaying divisive things like “White Male Republican” on them, cutting out letters, or plowing the signs down with vehicles.
With the election is a little under two months away, Republicans will have to be much more vigilant of the “tolerant” leftists with a penchant to suppress support for Republicans by taking down their free speech, even if by force.
On Friday, after the Mayor of heavily Democrat Española, Javier Sanchez, sent a scathing letter to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for making an example of the city for allegedly not wearing masks, Lujan Grisham released a half-hearted “apology.” But the attempt at reconciliation begs the question of why she isn’t apologizing to other communities she has belittled, such as Hobbs.
As Piñon Post first reported on, Lujan Grisham said during her presser, “Last week, I traveled to Northern New Mexico, and in traveling to Northern New Mexico, I went through Española. I saw a lot of activity in Española and traveling through Main Street going North. I didn’t see a single mask, not one. Not in a parking lot, not in a grocery store that we passed, not at a convenience store, not at a gas station, not by someone in a car, not hanging on a rearview mirror, not on a wrist, not as people were walking, nowhere! Not one. The only masks I saw were in the car I was in, and we have to do better than that because if we don’t, we cannot successfully introduce risk.”
.@GovMLG mask shames Españolans at press conference: “by I didn’t see a single mask, not one. Not in a parking lot, not in a grocery store that we passed, not at a convenience store, not at a gas station, not by someone in a car, not hanging on a rear view mirror…” pic.twitter.com/4eQ0hWxjoK
Mayor Sanchez rebuked the Governor’s comments, writing in a letter, “Are we truly to believe that the governor slowed down enough to see into our dark tinted windows to find no masks hanging from rear view mirrors? At this rate of condescension, I would be very surprised if the governor’s vehicle even slowed down to a rolling stop at the red lights. How empty those words sound coming from behind the windows of an air-conditioned vehicle while peering in at us like we are children who haven’t cleaned our rooms.”
“My comments were taken as a lack of respect for Española and the work the community has done to fight this virus. I apologize for making that impression. That was not my intent, and I take responsibility for the way my words were conveyed and heard,” wrote Lujan Grisham.
“It is true that I did not see any masks that day on my way through town north and south, but that doesn’t mean I should have made the point that I did in the way I did it. If my intent was to highlight where we can improve and what we can do better, and it was, then I could have communicated that in a different way, and I should have,” she continued.
However, the Governor has refused to apologize for mercilessly ridiculing a restaurant in Hobbs, New Mexico, scolding them for allegedly not wearing masks. The snitch photo she presents looks to demean and criticize the small business that she claims were defying her health orders. But she praised Taos County for wearing masks, a county she won in 2018 with 81.5% of the vote.
But why did she hand-select Espanñola to send her apologies, while other rural communities still suffer from the ramifications of her shaming? The answer is simple: politics.
In 2018, Lujan Grisham won Rio Arriba County, where Española is, by a margin of 73% to 27%, or 46%. The county is also 84% Hispanic/Latino, and the criticism of the county may be seen as possibly racially-charged.
Hobbs, however, which is located in Lea County, is a Republican area, where she lost the county by massive numbers, losing by 55% in the county, or 22.2% to 77.8%. She has also gone after the Lea County Sheriff, having her Attorney General, Hector Balderas file a lawsuit against the department for visiting a local restaurant and eating indoors, a violation of her strict anti-indoor dining mandate. Lujan Grisham’s recent actions show yet again that she is ready and willing to pick on the entire state, while only apologizing for offense when the area she’s berating is heavily Democrat.
Just 74 days before the November 3, 2020 election, New Mexico’s largest conservative Facebook group has been taken down by the California social media giant.
On Friday evening, former Republican candidate for New Mexico House of Representatives Audrey Trujillo and founder of “#NewMexit” Melinda Rivera, two administrators of the Facebook group “TURN NEW MEXICO RED 2020” announced that the massive community has been disabled for not following Facebook’s “community standards.”
Rivera writes, “Facebook is Silencing Conservatives in New Mexico…. I’m an Admin with my amiga Audrey Trujillo on the largest NM Conservative Group Page with over 20k followers and it’s been Disabled! It’s wrong!”
Trujillo shared a screenshot of the notification from Facebook, which read “Your group has been disabled because it doesn’t follow our Community Standards.” The Facebook group had 20,000 members at the time of its removal.
It is unknown if Trujillo and Rivera will rebuild the group, however, there are other conservative Facebook groups New Mexicans can access, however, the timing of the ban is noteworthy, as the November 3 election is right around the corner.
“This is just another example of the censoring of conservative opinion by the Left. ‘Community standards’? Meaning: not following leftist/liberal dogma?” writes conservative blogger Armand Vaquer.
Over the past few weeks, multiple instances of conservative suppression by Facebook have been noted, including an advertising ban on one of the largest pro-Trump Facebook pages with nearly 1 million likes, The Committee to Defend the President, which is barred from advertising until after the November election. Questions of election interference have been raised by many.
74 days counts from Friday, August 21st, when the page was disbanded, not the day of this article’s publication.
According to an email sent by New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver to county clerks, she is relying on an expected spread of COVID-19 to push through partisan election changes in the upcoming special session of the Legislature starting on June 18th.
In the email obtained by the New Mexico House Republicans, Toulouse Oliver writes, “I (and others) have been working closely with the Governor and her staff to ensure that she will place election matters on the call for the special session.”
“I know we all felt hamstrung by the current Election Code during the Primary and, given those limitations (and the likely budgetary implications) heading into the fall when we may have a resurgence of the virus, I think she understands that we as election administrators need more flexibility to manage the election effectively this fall,” continued Toulouse Oliver.
Toulouse Oliver also said the bill she is working with Democrat Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto on to push for election changes, will closely reflect an April letter signed by her and multiple county clerks urging for an all mail-in primary election, with the option for voters to hand-deliver their absentee ballots and the in-person voting options for those with physical disabilities, with COVID-19 as the reason.
According to the latest numbers, COVID-19 has been on a downward decline nationwide, with New Mexico’s cases increasing by over 50%.
The New Mexico House Republicans blasted Toulouse Oliver for utilizing the health pandemic to force through an all mail-in election, writing, “If you thought [New Mexico Democrats] would pass up an opportunity to hyper-politicize our budget instead of focusing solely on solving the economic crisis CREATED by the forced shutdown, YOU’D BE MISTAKEN.”
🚨🚨If you thought @nmdems would pass up an opportunity to hyper-politicize our budget instead of focusing solely on solving the economic crisis CREATED by the forced shutdown, YOU’D BE MISTAKEN. Here's a note from @NMSOSMaggie trying to politicize the crisis. #nmpol#nmlegpic.twitter.com/IWgsYwY6qm
The New Mexico Supreme Court in a unanimous decision rejected Toulouse Oliver and Ivey-Soto’s partisan petition to have an all mail-in primary election, citing the lack of statutory law to allow such a measure.
Now, during the Governor’s special session to fix her irresponsible budgeting in the 2020 Legislative Session, she and Ivey-Soto will likely claim changing the Election Code is a budgetary issue, hoping to sneak in all mail-in elections that way, with the hopes of a new COVID-19 resurgence in the Fall. Although legislators will be meeting for the special session in Santa Fe, the Capitol will be closed to the public, and no in-person testimony on the critical measures will be allowed. A bipartisan group of legislators is currently petitioning the New Mexico Supreme Court to allow in-person testimony.
