You may not have heard this news because media here does not cover other media--even when a tectonic shift takes place--like the sale of the entire 28 acre campus owned by the ABQ Journal in order to generate cash to keep the long struggling newspaper in business. The publisher says:

Repurposing is. . . what we’re doing with it because we’re taking our asset and making it liquid and then using that so that so we can continue on strongly.

But the sale is expected to generate millions (the asking price is private), more cash than probably needed for the paper's short-term future. Because the Journal is not a public company we don't know if they have large debt to service or whether this is a prelude to a sale of the state's largest newspaper.

The paper says it occupies about 20 percent of the space in NE ABQ. The remainder is leased out but how much of that is vacant was not disclosed.

The Journal next year marks 100 years under the tutelage of the Lang family but the sale of their treasured campus, one of the state's premier developments from the 80's, raises questions about that long run continuing.

The Journal has been slashing expenses and staff for years but with little to show for it. Subscriptions continue to tank as they do for most printed media. (That's an educated assumption since readership figures are no longer publicly available and have not been for years,)

Moving the paper to a smaller and more digitally focused headquarters, as now planned, will keep the concern going but to what purpose? Why not sell the brand to a major chain that has the financial capability to absorb some losses and conduct a turnaround?

Maybe that window has closed and there is no buyer out there? Or perhaps the controlling family is cashing out and trying to lure a buyer for a newspaper with a smaller financial footprint.

The Journal may be a shadow of its former self but is still vital to the community. Despite financial challenges the journalism remains solid even as it is displayed in a sometimes unfocused format. (The Sunday opinion pages are like a crowded wreck on I-40)

The paper has tried everything to battle the relentless forces that that have now claimed their crown jewels. Like so much about New Mexico these days, the future of locally owned daily journalism is confounding not to mention worrisome. 

IRONIC VETO

Las Cruces state Rep. Sarah Silva comes with a bemusing example of lawmaking from the recent legislative session:

It’s ironic that HB143 (which Silva sponsored) would have given us information about who lobbied the governor to veto this bill – and without it, we have no way to know. In other words, (the Governor's) veto demonstrates the need for the very legislation she killed.

The bill would have required lobbyists to file an activity report with the SOS on legislation they support or oppose before the end of a legislative session. Silva says she will try again. 

SAVE ACT 

New reader Leslie McMurtry writes:

Dear sir, I read with interest your blog post about 330,000 unaffiliated voters in New Mexico having the opportunity in 2026 to vote in primaries without having to first change their voter registration to a major party. I wonder if you have considered how the SAVE Act, just passed in the US House, would affect these 330,000 new voters (and New Mexicans generally) should it be passed in the Senate. Here is more information.

The House passed the SAVE Act that would require Americans to show proof of citizenship in person to register to vote in federal elections, which critics say could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters. Four Democrats joined all Republicans to pass the measure in a 220-208 vote. The bill would require applicants to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship such as a valid passport, a birth certificate or other forms of identification that show a person is a U.S. citizen. It's aimed at preventing noncitizens from voting — something which is already illegal and rare. 

Whether new here or around for years, we welcome your comments, opinions and existential angst.

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.        

The race for ABQ mayor is crowded and the math muddled. There are nine candidates seeking the office including Mayor Tim Keller and the latest addition, former US Attorney Alex Uballez who officially entered the race over the weekend after we reported on his impending candidacy April 2.

Some of the hopefuls will not make the ballot or will make the ballot but not have enough money to get a message out. 

A December run-off election featuring the two top candidates from the initial November election now seems highly probable. 

Uballez came with a slick video to announce his entry and will have the backing of progressives dissatisfied with fellow Democrat Keller. 

While Uballez asserts he "has been fighting" for ABQ for 15 years he is essentially a blank slate to voters, with some recognition for his prosecution of the APD DWI scandal. 

His presumed ability to qualify for $756,000 in public financing and get additional financial support from national progressives should put Uballez in the top tier of candidates and cause Keller headaches. 

But Keller retains the support of stalwart Dems like former state Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino and former Lt. Governor Denish, as well as elected progressives on the City Council and Bernalillo County Commission including Councilor Nichole Rogers of District 6, the city's most progressive district. 

He has also added legendary civil rights leader Dolores Huerta to his list of endorsers as he works to stop bleeding of progressive support to Uballez.

CARE AND LOVE

Uballez

Uballez is interesting because at the start he has mainly progressives backing him who are often seen as weak on crime. He does have law enforcement credentials that could help him from getting tagged with that label but don't look for him to be the "tough on crime" candidate. Positioning himself as a progressive prosecutor, he came with this:

I know public safety is more than locking people up. That’s why I started New Mexico’s first federal reentry court to shut the revolving door and provide a pathway for people to return to our community. 

The NM GOP is already attacking Uballez as being soft on violent criminals, citing this quote: 

(We are) stepping out of our traditional roles in the courtroom, stepping out of our traditional roles of kicking in doors and putting on handcuffs, and approaching them with care and with love.

 SUMMING IT UP

While conservatives rejoice over the Keller-Uballez division, their own backyard is equally messy. Former GOP Sheriff Darren White, Dem City Councilor Louie Sanchez and former Dem Sandoval Deputy  County Manager Mayling Armijo are all pursuing the tough on crime vote.

The election is ultimately a referendum on Keller. Is the city ripe for a groundswell that would end his long run? No candidate in the field yet has the obvious stature to take him out. Will one of them acquire that stature during the long campaign ahead? And what of crime and homelessness? Is the electorate primed to pin the blame on Keller or see it through a different lens? Stay tuned. . . 

FIRST ADS

Th outside committee supporting Mayling Armijo for mayor--Saferabq.com--has raised $120,000 in its first weeks and comes with the first ads of the race--billboards touting Armijo as the candidate who can take on crime and homelessness. The committee spent $32,000.

Donations include $40,000 from Armijo's sister, Mary Chauling Armijo; $40,000 from Katrina Tracy, operations manager of Four Winds Mechanical and $40,000 from the Four Winds Mechanical company whose president is apparently another Armijo relative, Lynn Armijo.

Four Winds Mechanical specializes in heating, air conditioning, electrical and building automation systems and is based in ABQ.

In her official campaign account, Armijo raised $19,606 in the first reporting period. Mary Chauling Armijo donated $6,000; Katrina Tracy gave $6,000 and Four Winds Mechanical came with $6,000.

That is quite an overlap between the PAC supporting Armijo (or Measure Finance Committee as it is officially titled) and her individual campaign account. City regulations prohibit the two entities from coordinating their expenditures on behalf of Armijo. 

Former Republican Bernalillo County Commissioner Lonny Talbert gave $50 to Armijo's personal campaign account.

Armijo's boss at Sandoval County was Manager Wayne Johnson, a longtime Republican and former BernCo Commissioner who ran for ABQ mayor in 2017. 

Other PACS supporting mayoral candidates did not report any fund-raising.

In their city accounts former GOP Sheriff Darren White reported $29,000 in donations including in-kind contributions; Keller reported $15,621 and Councilor Louie Sanchez reported $11,750 including a personal loan of $10,000.

All campaign filings by the mayoral and city council candidates as well as the outside PACS are here.

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.        

We're taking a blogging break and will return to this space next Tuesday but first. . .

 What a show. 

The Governor put one on starring her veto pen and Sam Bregman, the state's perennial political showman, donned his stage clothes to make official his bid for the Dem gubernatorial nomination. First, the MLG drama. . .

She's a lame duck Governor kicking hard and in the process has probably doomed chances for a special legislative session to again consider her previously rejected crime bills. 

That will sit fine with Mr. and Mrs. New Mexico who are not amused by the political antics over crime including MLG's bizarre deployment of National Guard troops in ABQ wearing polo shorts and stripped of any arms. 

The state is by now well aware that the bickering of the political class over more laws to fight crime is a deflection of their responsibility to address the macro reasons for crime and the ineffective management of current police resources.  Special session? Good riddance. 

A frustrated and angry Governor let it rip in her veto messages Friday, going scorched earth in criticizing the recent legislative session and legislators. In the process she did some major damage. 

(Details on the vetoes are on the SOS website.)

Foremost was her veto of a tax relief measure that would have lowered and even eliminated the burden of the state income tax on some 100,000 New Mexicans. 

It was a bill that fit the times. High inflation is deflating the state's working class and with billions in oil surplus there is plenty of money to finance the breaks.

Also in the vetoed bill (HB 14) and going down (again) was a very slight increase in the state liquor tax in a state with the nation's highest rate of of alcohol related deaths as well as a reduction in the gross receipts tax for doctors in a state plagued by a severe shortage. 

The Governor's reasoning for her veto was shakier than cafeteria jello. She maintained she actually supported those tax measures but because "the vast majority of the changes do not even take effect for two years" they could be improved upon in a future session. She said:

New Mexicans deserve thoughtful, forward-looking policy — not last-minute dealmaking that delays relief, ignores economic opportunity, and undermines fiscal responsibility.

That's a lot of gaslighting even for the the Fourth Floor

The tax bill was near and dear to the heart of House Speaker Javier Martinez who has been in prolonged talks with MLG about a possible special session on crime. Now there seems very little to talk about. 

The Speaker had been urged to go big by proposing an outright elimination of the income tax for lower income households. That is precisely what is happening in other low income states like Mississippi and Arkansas in the wake of Trump's election. The half-hearted measure approved did not put enough heat on MLG.

Reform of the Children, Youth and Families Department, stubbornly resisted by MLG since she took office, was stymied again with her veto of funding for a Child Advocate who would be placed in the AG' office. There is still some money for the post so it may survive but her failure to address the CYFD crisis will be an indelible part of her legacy and a bitter-tasting one. 

Meanwhile, after her fury was spent MLG flew off for a lengthy trade mission to Asia. Her final veto message to legislators was seen dangling from the rear of her departing plane:

"So long suckers!"

BREGMAN RIDES AGAIN

Bold and refreshing or cartoonish buffoonery? 

As usual the antics of Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman were greeted by a divided audience as he made official his entry into the '26 race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Las Vegas last week. 

A centerpiece of that entry was a nearly 3 minute video that included Bregman riding horseback and galloping through a lonely landscape while sporting his trademark black hat. 

The debut video had Bregman attacking Trump, Musk, MAGA extremists and not so subtly his primary opponent Deb Haaland as he weighed in against the "intolerance of the radical left that has divided our party."   

Bregman places himself in the political center--as California Governor Newsom has done--in an effort to reposition Dems in the wake of the Trump victory.  As we've reported Bregman will seek to nationalize the election by making it a debate on who is more electable--him or Haaland. 

The Haaland camp is rejoicing over their fundraising--$3 million and counting--but keeping a wary eye on Bregman. They had no official comment on his entry. The former Secretray of Interior remains heavily favored to win the nomination. But the operatives are sharpening their knives in case Bregman's cowboy act begins lassoing voters. From a Haaland activist:

Joe, Sam's announcement was a vanity statement and incredibly divisive. He attacked progressives for being intolerant, and attacked our Congressional Delegation outright. How is this someone who's going to bring people together at a time when that's what's needed most? Not to mention that he is completely misrepresenting his past. As a criminal defense attorney, he represented the worst of the worst in New Mexico - a child rapist, violent criminals, and corrupt politicians - and he has no record to point to as DA. It's an open secret that Sam has wanted to be Governor since the 90's, and clearly he's willing to say or do anything to try and make that happen, even if it means taking down those in his own party.

PAYNE ANALYSIS 

(Peter St. Cyr)

Former state legislator, ABQ city councilor and Santa Fe attorney Greg Payne is back this cycle to help blog readers navigate through the maze of yet another election.

Joe, Bregman is moving early to consolidate the rural conservative and moderate Democratic vote. His pitch will also have appeal to conservative independents who are now permitted to vote in primary elections, so he is targeting them as well. 

This strategy, if well-financed, could double his standing from that early poll that had Haaland leading him 50 to 18 but getting more will be akin to pulling teeth. Her standing with progressives who dominate the party is pretty much unassailable. Still, with populism in the air, Trump's narrower loss here and unpredictability being the order of the day, this race will be closely watched and not dismissed out of hand.

Thanks, Greg. In 2018 in the last open Dem Governor primary MLG scored 66 percent of the vote in a three way race.

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.        

Bob Perls

It is a major change to state elections but it may not have a major impact on election outcomes. That appears to be the consensus among the political pros as they weigh the new rules for party primaries signed into law this week by MLG. That law states:

Some 330,000 unaffiliated voters in New Mexico will now be able to participate in primary elections without first having to change their voter registration to a major party. Senate Bill 16 is a measure that would create so-called semi-open primaries in the state.

To flesh out the history of this change and the surge it will mean in eligible voters for partisan elections, we spoke with former state Rep, Bob Perls of Corrales, the founder of the state movement for open primaries:

Joe, it’s been a 10 year effort and thousands of hours of volunteer time to pass an open primaries bill culminating in the passage of SB16. I want to thank the NM Open Elections Board members who kept the momentum alive and the state legislators who sponsored various versions of the legislation over the last decade. Then in 2022 NM Open Elections had some key local supporters write some sizable checks that allowed me and our Board to hire our first paid Executive Director, Sila Avcil, who took us to the next level. Nothing is more gratifying to realize that I helped enfranchise over 300,000 voters in NM to be able to exercise their fundamental human right to vote in a public election. 

It will be fun to watch in 2026 how the major parties reach out to independent voters and the party that does it best will reap the rewards. The bill takes effect in the 2026 election cycle. As a group, our position is that it does not benefit one party over another and nationally that seems to be the case. 

I would hope candidates that might not get the full-throated endorsement of the major parties might be encouraged to run realizing they can run a primary in either party targeting independent voters who are not going to care if the candidate espouses typical party orthodoxy.  

There is good data that independents are diverse, but tend to reflect the districts they come from. In other words they are not going to be a lot further left or right than their own neighborhoods.

As a whole, they don’t want to be told who to vote for and don’t want the binary choice of the parties which have tracked further left and right over the years. They want to hear about the issues and concrete solutions. Which party will do that for them? It could lead to more moderate candidates getting elected, but there is no clear evidence of that. 

The biggest change will simply be having 330,000 new potential voters--23 percent of all registered voters-eligible to vote in state primaries. Given that 50% of veterans and young people are registered as independent voters nationally and 30% + of Native American communities, there is a chance those groups could have an impact on primary elections. The main thing is that their constitutional right to vote is finally protected. 

Thanks, Bob. Just how many of the independents will decide to vote in the primaries is uncertain. Turnout for independents is usually lower than for voters in the major parties. We'll start to get some answers next year beginning with the June primary where candidates will compete for an open gubernatorial seat and many other offices. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.        

Sen. Lujan

It's assumed that Dem Senator Ben Ray Lujan will stand for re-election next year but he has not officially announced. At the end of last year his campaign account held $1.213 million, an ample amount at this stage of the cycle. 

He spent a total of $7.5 million in winning the seat over Republican Mark Ronchetti in 2020 who spent just $3.5 million. But Lujan only won that race by 6.1 percent, a performance that brought criticism of how the campaign was managed. 

While Lujan, 52, has not yet officially announced his plans, Republicans are not beating down the door to get into the race. None has announced and there are no prominent names circulating.

The fact that the last Republican elected to the Senate here was Sen. Pete Domenici when he was re-elected in 2002 is not helping to lure ambitious Republicans into the contest. 

So what would happen in the unlikely event of Lujan deciding not to run for another term? Certainly Republicans would emerge but the Democrats would have no problem getting a top tier candidate. 

The most obvious would be ABQ Dem Rep. Melanie Stansbury although her left-leaning politics might be a hurdle. However, consultants say votes from ABQ, Santa Fe and Las Cruces would be more than enough for her to keep the seat in the D column. 

Another possible is Attorney General Raul Torres but generally the edge goes to those already in the House. Think Lujan and Heinrich who moved from the House to Senate seats. 

IN THE WINGS

Rep. Stansbury

Stansbury, 46, took heat when she held up a sign at Trump's February speech to Congress that said: "This Is Not Normal." Critics called it for not being serious and a PR stunt.

But Stansbury is actually quite serious about what is happening in DC as she takes to heart a major role in oversight of the administration:

Rep Stansbury, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, led Committee Democrats in introducing a Resolution of Inquiry to investigate DOGE’s unsanctioned use of government data and artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on American privacy and national security. “The American people demand to know why Elon Musk and DOGE are hacking our private and sensitive data and what they are doing with it. This includes Social Security, IRS, Treasury, and other highly sensitive data, I have dropped an oversight resolution demanding the Administration provide answers about what it is doing with our data and how it is using Artificial Intelligence to data mine our systems. It is our duty to fight for answers and get to the bottom of what exactly DOGE and Musk are doing. . ."

Not that she will get much of an answer from the administration but her determination to take a lead role in the nitty gritty of urgently needed oversight, not only protesting with a sign, puts her in the league of possible future US Senators. (Not that Ben Ray is going anywhere. Not that we know of.)

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.        

Contarino

The '26 race for the Democratic nomination for governor is getting more serious. 

The veteran Democratic consultant who helped bring home two gubernatorial wins each for Governors Bill Richardson and Lujan Grisham has picked sides for next year's contest and he's going with Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman.

That word from a reliable source close to Bregman's campaign who said the addition of Dave Contarino as the chief strategist "will help level the playing field" with front-runner Deb Haaland who announced her candidacy in February.  

He added:

Contarino will work to nationalize this race and make it about who can win the general election.

Bregman is expected to announce his candidacy Thursday afternoon at an event in Las Vegas.  

Contarino is nearly legendary in state political circles, although years ago he moved to Louisville from where he practices his trade today.

He became widely known when he brought home a win for Bill Richardson in 2002 and then presided over his 2006 re-election bid to score another victory.

In addition, Contarino, 63, served as Richardson's chief of staff during his first term.

For MLG, Contarino helped engineer a hard-fought 2012 Democratic primary win for the ABQ congressional seat and then aided her 2018 and 2022 gubernatorial campaigns.

In between he has teamed with longtime Dem consultant Amanda Cooper to run a PAC financed by labor that has delivered consistent wins in state legislative races. 

In Kentucky, in 2023, he headed a PAC for the re-election bid of Gov. Andy Beshear who won a second term.

OLD TIES 

Gov. Richardson

Bregman was good friends with Big Bill who died in 2023. They shared a passion for sports and politics. 

In 2009 when Richardson's foes were dragging Contarino into the scandals surrounding the administration, attorney Bregman was at his side. 

Contarino brings deep experience to the Bregman bench including in advertising, polling, organization and overall strategy. 

His hiring is also a sign that Bregman anticipates having sufficient funds to be competitive with Haaland who has already raised $2 million. 

MLG has not endorsed any candidate. She appointed Bregman in 2023 as BernCo DA to fill a vacancy. He then went on to win election to the post last November.

She also apppointed him as chairman of her Organized Crime Commission and worked with him on crime bills that failed to get approved at the '25 legislature. 

The Governor also has close ties to Haaland and one of her top aides--Caroline Buerkle--has endorsed the former Sec. of Interior. 

Haaland's camp has signed longtime Dem consultant, Scott Forrester, as well as Dominic Gabello who was campaign manager for Lujan Grisham.

All these Dem consultants are friends so it will be interesting to watch as they try to out fox each other in what is fast becoming an entertaining primary. The stakes are high. The winner will be favored in the general election.

HUERTA FOR HAALAND

Haaland & Huerta

Haaland marched Saturday in ABQ with longtime civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, 95, at the Annual César Chávez Celebration during which Huerta endorsed Haaland, saying:

Deb Haaland is a true public servant who always places the needs of working people first. She stands strong in the face of adversity and continues to be on the front lines fighting for justice. New Mexico needs a proven leader with the courage to fight for all New Mexicans. Times are tough but we will continue to thrive alongside leaders like Deb Haaland whose work lets us remain hopeful and dedicated to creating a more fair and just New Mexico. 

Haaland and Huerta were also at Saturday's ABQ Hands Off rally held to protest Trump's policies. The event drew several thousand to Civic Plaza

MAYOR'S RACE

Reader Carrie Garcia's comments on the ABQ mayoral race Thursday drew responses from two of the city's progressive leaders. This from Oriana Sandoval of the Center for Civic Policy: 

Joe: Your reader “Carrie Garcia” mentioned the Center for Civic Policy (CCP) in your April 3 post. CCP is a 501(c)(3) organization that does not engage in political activity, including electioneering and candidate recruitment. The claim that CCP is engaged in recruiting mayoral candidates. . .is blatantly false.  

And from Andrea Serrano of Olé:  

Hi Joe, It’s interesting your reader “Carrie Garcia” wrote so confidently about OLÉ - and missed the mark completely. OLÉ is a member-based 501(c)4 organization and while it is true that we endorse candidates who: A. complete our questionnaire and B. are aligned with our values, we have not endorsed in the 2025 Mayoral race and will do so later this spring. Focusing on issues that affect workers and families, we support candidates who deliver for New Mexicans and not corporations. I invite “Carrie” to email us at info@olenm.org if she has any further questions about our process and our organization.

Meanwhile, this news lurks over the campaign:

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.        

Those Tuesday election results from Florida and Wisconsin that have Democrats grinning from ear to ear are reverberating in the November ABQ mayoral race.

Elections are about energy and if the concern over Trump continues into the fall among Dems--(and why would it not?)--nationalizing the election could be a path to victory. 

That was partly the case in 2017 when Tim Keller won his first term. Dem turnout spiked in protest of Trump who had taken office that January and Keller, running as a progressive, won handily.

Flash forward to 2025. Again Trump began a presidential term in January and an ABQ mayoral election is slated for the fall. 

Keller is already zeroing in on the Trump factor, holding a townhall and issuing news releases to detail possible funding threats to the city by the White House and his plans to limit the damage.

By far the major issue cited when voters are asked about the city is crime, but Trump's policies could be a strong motivator for progressives. 

While Keller is accused of playing politics over Trump--and he is--but unlike 2017 the President's policies this time are much more threatening to the city. Who can best handle that threat as Mayor is a legitimate issue. 

That is a challenge to the three prominent conservatives in the field--White, Sanchez and Armijo--who need the election to be about Keller and crime and not Trump.

If no other candidate backed by progressives is motivated to take on Keller and split the progressive vote with him--as the conservatives are doing with their vote--Trump will remain a serious policy hurdle for Keller but also a political gift. 

UBALLEZ AND THE LEFT

Reader Carrie Garcia comes with her analysis of the chatter over former Dem US Attorney Alex Uballez possibly becoming a progressive mayoral contender:

Joe, Alex Uballez is aligned with far left non-profit activist groups and those are the ones pushing him to run—think ACLU, Center for Civic Policy, OLE. For them, Tim Keller is not progressive enough. The leaders of these groups are well-paid ideological purists. They hold Democratic elected officials like Tim Keller to impossible standards and they end up losing, regularly (read: Paid Family Medical Leave this past legislative session). So it’s not about younger and older progressives being divided. Most voters, even Democratic voters, have never heard of Alex Uballez. This is about these well-funded, unaccountable progressive groups wanting a candidate under their control. 

We received this from Oriana Sandoval of the Center for Civic Policy: 

Joe:  Your reader “Carrie Garcia” mentioned the Center for Civic Policy (CCP) in your April 3 post. CCP is a 501(c)(3) organization that does not engage in political activity, including electioneering and candidate recruitment. The claim that CCP is engaged in recruiting mayoral candidates. . .is blatantly false. 

And this from Andrea Serrano of Olé:

Hi Joe, It’s interesting your reader “Carrie Garcia” wrote so confidently about OLÉ - and missed the mark completely. OLÉ is a member-based 501(c)4 organization and while it is true that we endorse candidates who: a. complete our questionnaire and b. are aligned with our values, we have not endorsed in the 2025 Mayoral race and will do so later this spring. Focusing on issues that affect workers and families, we support candidates who deliver for New Mexicans and not corporations. I invite “Carrie” to email us at info@olenm.org if she has any further questions about our process and our organization.

AND ANOTHER 

Take two on Uballez:

 Joe, Don’t know that I agree with the Keller camp about Alex Uballez. I think he will run and he will try to capitalize on his recent TV coverage from the DWI scandal. But he is counting on voters believing he spearheaded the investigation when he is simply prosecuting the players who were investigated by the FBI. 

He will also open the door to scrutiny from his time at the DA’s office, where he prosecuted DWI’s. All the while, Tom Clear was bribing APD DWI officers without anyone noticing. He probably should have recused himself in the federal prosecution. 

As for being tough on crime, what happened to prosecuting gun crimes in Downtown Albuquerque. Uballez stood with Keller at a news conference promising to take a federal hammer to teens and guns in the heart of Albuquerque.

VOX POPULI

A Santa Fe reader comments on our coverage of the very early going in the race for the '26 Dem Guv nomination:  

Joe, Deb Haaland won’t be served well by going negative early. That's the job of the consultants and she should stay well away from it. If Sam Bregman sticks to “all Crime all the time “ and can avoid being smeared by his clients' dubious records ( not his he certainly can’t be faulted for his record in defending the worst of the worst) he will be Okay, But Ok doesn’t win. He will have to crack the liberal bastions in the cities where Haaland has high popularity.

Reader Mitchell Freedman asks:

Hi Joe, I saw your post where It talked about a poll among likely primary voters where State Treasurer Laura Montoya was included as a gubernatorial candidate. I have never heard of her running. Is there an exploratory committee for Laura? 

Treasurer Montoya is not running. Her name appeared to be included in that poll to test the strength of a lone Hispanic candidate running with Haaland and Bregman. The survey was conducted in early December by PPP. Who commissioned the poll has not been publicly disclosed.  

More on the race. . .

Hey Joe, this is Freddie Lopez. With Sam Bregman entering the gubernatorial race, the Democratic primary is going to be absolutely brutal with the contrast between progressives and moderates. Haaland seems on course to beat Bregman when it comes to fundraising with her early haul of over $2 million so Bregman will have a huge challenge. On messaging, Haaland will have to take a more centrist stance on the issues but her record says otherwise. Bregman can use that to his advantage if he can defend his own record. This is going to be very interesting to witness.

Thanks for tuning in. 

Reporting from ABQ, I'm Joe Monahan

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.        

Councilor Sanchez

The ABQ mayoral field continues to grow as does uncertainty over how many candidates will make the November ballot.

One of them could be westside ABQ City Councilor Louie Sanchez who has announced an exploratory run but not yet an official candidacy. 

He has put up a website seeking $250 in "seed money" donations as a prelude to his effort to qualify for $756,000 in public financing that will require 3,780 individual $5 donations from city voters. To get them will require a decent campaign organization.

A candidate can make the ballot by gathering 3,000 signatures from registered voters but must get the individual donations to obtain public financing.

So far it appears Mayor Tim Keller, former Sandoval County Deputy Manager Mayling Armijo, former BernCo sheriff Darren White and the aforementioned Councilor Sanchez are positioned to get the ballot signatures. Candidates Eddie Varela and Patrick Sais are question marks.

Keller has previously qualified for public financing and is set to do so again. 

It is unclear at this early stage whether any of the other current contenders will make the grade for that big pile of public money. 

RUMOR MILL

Alex Uballez

Meanwhile the rumor mill is throwing out the name of former US Attorney Alex Uballez as a possible mayoral hopeful.

Dem political consultant Sisto Abeyta says the entry of Uballez could worry Keller as he would be the first progressive challenger to Keller who is seeking an unprecedented third consecutive term. 

As US Attorney for New Mexico under President Biden, Uballez spearheaded the investigation into the historic APD DWI bribery scandal that continues to roil the city with numerous guilty pleas from APD cops and others. The scandal will remain in the headlines through the duration of the mayoral campaign and would be a reminder of Uballez's accomplishments--should he run.

The push for him to run appears to come from younger progressives as older ones stick with Keller. The Keller camp says they don't see a Uballez candidacy happening.

As for Louie Sanchez he, like Armijo and White, will be angling for conservative/moderate voters and perhaps in the process dividing them up and leaving Keller in a sweeter spot. 

One other angle: the Keller crowd will be very interested in getting one of their own in the Sanchez District 1 west side seat. He is a Democrat but has opposed Keller at nearly every turn.

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.        

The camp of Deb Haaland is sharpening their knives as Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman prepares his entry into the Dem gubernatorial race. A campaign spokesman issues this warning to their rival:

Sam has never been vetted. He's about to be. His work as a defense lawyer is damaging, especially now that he is adopting a lock them up mentality when it comes to crime. 

For good measure the spokesman dropped a cliche that will be heard often as Bregman crisscrosses the state sporting his now trademark black hat:

"He's all hat and no cattle," offered the Haaland spokesman.

Haaland, the former Secretary of Interior under President Biden, also shares a title with Bregman--former chair of the state Democratic party. 

The initial scoffing over Bregman's chances has waned. One of our Senior Alligators explains:

Bregman will have a clear and defining message--tough on crime--while Haaland has had a soft opening with no clear message. She says 'she is listening' to voter concerns. That contrast will give Bregman a boost with moderate Democrats who will form his base of his support while Deb dominates the progressive wing. She will be the favorite but Bregman's chances have improved.

In addition, there's the money. Haaland, a national political figure has, already raised over $2 million but Bregman collected $500,000 for his successful bid for DA last year. In addition, he made good money as a prominent defense attorney.

Add to that his multimillionaire baseball star son, Alex Bregman, who signed a three year contract with the Boston Red Sox for $120 million, and $2 million seems a much easier hill to climb. Of course, he will still have to show it in this race.

THE POLLING 

A poll conducted last December 4-5 by Dem leaning firm PPP and that is floating in political circles showed Haaland with 50 percent support among the 557 likely primary voters surveyed. Bregman received 18 percent, State Treasurer Laura Montoya 6 percent and undecided was at 27 percent. 

With over a year to go, the polling is of interest but far from definitive and obviously not inhibiting Bregman from entering the contest as Haaland supporters had hoped.

THE BACK AND FORTH

Deb Haaland

While Haaland's camp knocks Bregman, he will tread carefully in criticizing her but his supporters aren't holding back. One came with this:

There's a lack of energy in Haaland's candidacy. She's uncertain about her positioning, like a boxer swinging at air. Many Democrats appear to have passed peak progressiveness and are looking for something different--something that delivers.

The Haaland campaign counters that their candidate has been drawing large crowds, that her politics are well-known and popular among primary voters and take note of Bregman's long record of losing elections.

Bregman is expected to announce in Las Vegas April 10, according to his mailer. That decision is a blatant appeal to northern Hispanic Democrats (especially men) as well as rural Dems statewide. Many of them are culturally and politically moderate. That's why his black hat is staying put--at least for now. 

The cities--ABQ, Las Cruces and Santa Fe--are Haaland's stomping grounds. 

The disconnect of the early campaign is how crime dominates the news in those cities while Dem voters there appear to resist the "get tough" message. Meanwhile in the rural stretches, impacted less by crime, voters are much more receptive.

The primary isn't until June 2026 but the approaching summer of '25 will not be spared the political heat.

FIGHTING IRISHMAN DIES

Bill O'Neill

The career of veteran state lawmaker Bill O'Neill may be most remembered for how he showed a spine of steel and repeatedly defied the demand from GOP Gov. Susana Martinez that the legislature approve a bill stripping undocumented immigrants of their driver's licenses. 

This passage from our January 26, 2012 blog explains why we dubbed him "The Fighting Irishman.":

He is in a district he hangs on to by a thread, and when ABQ Dem State Rep. Bill O'Neill defied the Republican Governor by voting against her bill to repeal driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants, he felt her wrath and that of her operatives. They flooded his district with robocalls in hopes of softening him up for November. Now O'Neill, aka, "The Fighting Irishman," is looking for some armor for the next round of hits he will take on the emotional issue. His office reports: 

Representative Bill O’Neill, House District 15, introduced a bill today that represents the simplest and most effective solution to the volatile driver’s license issue. His bill calls for issuing a provisional driver’s license to foreign nationals who do not have a social security number.

O'Neill, went on to win that battle with a compromise finally crafted near the end of the Martinez years.

O'Neill, who grew up in Ohio, attended Cornell in New York and served as Executive Director of the NM Juvenile Parole Board, died of cancer Monday at a Santa Fe hospital.

He left his ABQ North Valley House seat to run for the state Senate in 2012 and escaped the wrath of the GOP machine. He won and served there through 2024 when he was defeated in the Democratic primary after Senate District 13 was drastically change under redistricting.  

Besides being a politician O'Neill was a noted novelist and playwright, authoring the well-received play Save the Bees that explored bipartisanship in an era of division.

ABQ Dem state Senator Moe Maestas of ABQ said O'Neill was one of the most "authentic" people he has ever served with. O'Neill was popular among his colleagues, chairing a nonpartisan karoke caucus that included lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who met up to relax and blew off steam. 

Senate Democrats said:

He championed many legislative reforms regarding juvenile justice, including prohibiting life sentences for juveniles, and probation and parole measures.  He helped establish Dismas House, a transitional living program in Albuquerque for men on probation or parole. His legacy will be remembered through the countless lives he touched and the policies he advocated through his dedicated service. . .

Bill O'Neill was 68. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.        

CNN Screenshot

Attorney General Raúl Torres is seen regularly before TV cameras promoting lawsuits against corporate interests but now he finds himself ensnared by those same interests. 

CNN explored Torres' acceptance of a lavish trip to South Africa (video here) along with other attorneys general, both Democrats and Republicans, and that led to this questioning of Torres:

Reporter: New Mexico's Attorney General Raul Torres is on his way into a public meeting.

Torres: We gotta run.

Reporter: We've reached out to your office. We haven't heard back. 

Torres: Sure, let me do this (meeting) and we can have a talk.

Reporter: (Torres) did not stick around like he promised to respond to our questions.

The NM AG's office is part of a multi-state case against Amazon and CNN points out the company had a representative invited to the South Africa trip from the corporate-funded Attorney General Alliance (AGA).

The South Africa trip is just one of the expensive international strips the group sponsors for their members who are also invited to bring a guest such as a spouse.

The exclusive trip to South Africa in 2023 that Torres took featured a safari, rooms at a five star hotel, wine tours and gourmet restaurants that served waygu steaks. 

AGA covered the cost including a flight allowance of up to $26,000. 

South Africa Safari

The guest list included more than a dozen attorneys general along with corporate lawyers and lobbyists from  companies like Amazon, Uber, Pfizer and Albertson's. Some of those companies have been sued by the attorneys general.

The AGA said:

Foreign delegations have a key role in strengthening bipartisan relationships. . . and educate all delegates on pressing civil and criminal issues. Asked about the safari the group said the visit included discussion on combating the illicit trade of endangered species."

Not all attorneys general take part. Arizona's Democratic AG Kris Mayes said:

It's intentional on my part to put my focus here in Arizona. I will leave it at that. 

In a statement to CNN Torres' office pointed to lawsuits filed against private companies and said AGA's programs "promote. . .equal enforcement of the law. "

Torres' role as a fighter for the regular guy could be called into question next year when he stands for re-election. But no Republican has won the AG's office since the 1980's and the Democratic attorneys general preceding Torres have also had questionable relationships with powerful corporate interests and the law firms that represent them. Still, the politically ambitious TorRes can't be please that he stepped in a mud puddle.

Mr. Attorney General, for dodging a reporter's questions about your luxurious South Africa junket paid for by the corporate elite while promoting consumer rights, you are hereby the victim of an Alligator Strike. Congrats. . . or something. 

 SANCHEZ SURFACES

Here's former Lieutenant Governor John Sanchez with former NMGOP Chairman Ryan Cangiolosi celebrating at Friday's Bernalillo County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner and renewing speculation that Sanchez may embark on a run for the '26 gubernatorial nomination. 

Sanchez, one of the state's more affable political personalities, is an an old political warhorse who knows that his surfacing will be seen as a near declaration of a candidacy. 

Sanchez, a moderate, is liked in the GOP. 

Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull is the only Republican publicly exploring a possible run. 

This could be Sanchez's time, if he dives in. Hispanic movement toward Trump in the north, Sanchez's high name ID and his personal fortune are all factors. 

GOP ON FIRE

A fire that damaged the entrance to state GOP headquarters in ABQ early Sunday morning has set off an arson investigation and heated reaction from Republicans. 

Besides flames at GOP headquarters there was graffiti drawn on a wall that said  "ICE=KKK." That sent GOP Chair Amy Barela over the top:

Let us not forget: it was the Democrat Party that once supported the formation of the KKK, pushed Jim Crow laws, and defended slavery. Today, we see the same dangerous tendencies play out in new forms — attempts to suppress free speech, silence dissent, and use fear to control the political narrative. 

She also tried--absurdly so--to implicate Dem US Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez in the incident after the congresswoman urged her constituents at a Santa Fe townhall Saturday to "agitate" for change.  

The GOP's scorching rhetoric may serve to do more damage than the fire. The first order of business in the wake of such incidents should be to turn down the temperature, not to add kerosene. 

There is no evidence that a Democrat set the fire. It could have been an anarchist or someone entangled in the immigration process. Or even a disgruntled Republican. No matter. It was wrong. That everyone can agree on and that's enough. But the polarization and the lure of the national TV cameras along with red-hot social media makes divisive sensationalism the order of the day across the political spectrum.

And in the style of the day, the NMGOP quickly started a fund-raising drive, citing the "cowardly act of arson" at their headquarters as an incentive to donate.

The GOP blaze comes after earlier this month Solomon Pena, a former GOP candidate for the state House, was found guilty of hiring people to shoot at the homes of elected ABQ Democrats in 2022 and 2023.

Have a nice day. 

This Is The Home of New Mexico Politics.