A sea of discontent. That's what Deb Haaland landed in when she announced her '26 run for the Dem Governor nomination this week. Our observers were a bit taken aback by the extent of the scorching she received on the socials and even in some Dem quarters. But these are not settled times. And her confidants remain confident the rabid hits will not diminish her appeal with Democratic base voters.

Her campaign may have momentarily quieted the critics with the announcement of an ample fund-raising haul since she started her run Tuesday:

The Deb Haaland for New Mexico campaign announced that just one day after launching, she has raised $686,323 from 13,394 unique donations. This includes donations from every county in New Mexico totaling $232,625 in more than 2,500 donations. 

A couple of million for a Dem primary is considerable so Haaland has lived up to her notices that she will be a prodigious fund-raiser and keeps her front-runner status.  

REACTION CENTRAL

Now reaction to the Haaland bid. First from a Senior Alligator at the Roundhouse revealing some dissension in Democratic ranks:

Here we go again. Democrats don’t learn their lesson. They’re marching toward another disaster a la Kamala Harris. Haaland may have a beautiful personal narrative, but very light on substance. She’s been at the right place at the right time. That’s it. Her prior electoral wins came with a universe made up of hardcore Dem party insiders, not regular voters. The next election is way too important to give her a pass. As a longtime Democratic, rural, Hispanic voter, I hope to see a competitive primary. What was supposed to be her kickoff interview on KRQE was cringe worthy. She’s not articulate and can’t deliver a solid message.

We did not find her TV interview "cringeworthy" but she did raise numerous red flags when asked how she would handle things differently than the current Democratic administration:

I feel very confident that by listening to New Mexicans and listening to their ideas and everyone working together to find the solutions, that we can find the solutions. I know people want quick fixes all the time. Sometimes that's not possible. 

There were hints of a Kamala Harris word salad there but "cringeworthy"may be a reach.

What is more concerning is her declaration that the electorate should not be expecting "quick fixes." That's not answering how she would do things differently or signaling in any way a more forceful attack on the generational problems facing the state. In fact, it sounds very status quo. That could be a political problem.

ENDORSERS 

Emily's List came with a robust endorsement of Haaland: 

We’re thrilled to endorse @DebHaalandNM to be New Mexico’s next governor. Deb has a proven track record of fighting for her constituents. She has broken barriers throughout her career and we are honored to continue to support her in this election! 

Patricia Kurz added this on social media:

What New Mexico has been waiting for, for a long time. Well done dear Secretary, we are so proud of you! 

ANOTHER GOP VIEW

Bob Cornelius

Longtime NM and Texas GOP consultant Bob Cornelius weighed in: 

In sports, when you’re near last in all the good columns and near first in all the bad columns statistically, you find a new coach. New Mexico has that opportunity to find a new coach or in this case a new Governor. Unfortunately, although Deb Haaland would be a new coach, she’s running the same old tired plays that got New Mexico where it is today. 

“Fierce” isn’t a game plan. It’s hyperbole. Fierce doesn’t solve crime. Fierce doesn’t create jobs. Fierce doesn’t secure the border or stop the fentanyl crisis. Fierce doesn’t fix CYFD. New Mexico needs a new leader, with a new vision and new ideas willing to solve problems. The search continues. . . 

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Haaland video

Deb Haaland began her long march for the 2026 Democratic gubernatorial nomination emphasizing her storied heritage, service as Secretary of Interior, kitchen table issues and with a noticeable absence of the progressive ideology that catapulted her onto the national stage. (News release here. Video here.)

Her campaign underlined this statement from her announcement video: 

Lowering costs, making rent and housing affordable, strengthening our schools, and preventing crimes so that you feel safe raising a family here. The solutions are there if we are fierce enough to choose them.

Gone were any references to climate change, transgender rights, a woman's right to choose, threats to Democracy or other issues that appeared to cost Democrats votes in the November election particularly among Hispanic northern Democrats. 

Still, her "fierce" slogan that has been with her since her political start is back and apparently tests well with voters. The campaign also calls her "a governor who will change the game for New Mexico. 

The candidate will begin a 19 stop statewide tour Thursday but much of time this year is expected to be occupied by fund-raising. 

Her video was well-produced and the script, as you might expect, stuck to the generic and positive. But when she cited the litany of generational woes afflicting the state it raised the question of just what would be different about her approach if elected: 

Crime, poverty, homelessness, addiction. They will keep pulling us down if we do the same things and expect a different result.

Details on how Haaland, 64, intends to lead the state through that list of woes will be closely watched. Is there truly something different about her candidacy, aside from its historic nature, or will it be a blueprint of the MLG years that nibbled around the edges?

THE SHIFT

Sam Bregman

Haaland's shift to the center is a luxury she can afford. Her path to the nomination is uncluttered by any opponents in the early going and she can pursue a big tent message that has appeal in both the primary and general elections.

Centrist Democrat and Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman is making noise about a run and depending on how that develops could keep Haaland in check when it comes to her attachment to the progressives who launched her career. In 2018 they gave her a resounding win over moderate Democrat Damon Martinez and others for the Dem nomination for the ABQ congressional seat. 

Those votes are probably secure with no need to shout her affinity from the rooftops. Her challenge will be to walk the tightrope between the Left and the Center with an uncertain political climate created by the Trump presidency. 

That's where her appeal as possibly the first Native American female governor in US history comes in as does a calm, nonthreatening demeanor and a personality that has proven voter-friendly.

In some respects it reminds us of former Dem US Senator Jeff Bingaman (1983-2013)who had one of the most liberal voting records in the senate but his personal appeal and low-key approach triumphed over divisions. He had a 30 year run.

Haaland paraded with AOC and company during the peak of progressive politics on the Hill but she had to pull it back when moderate President Biden put her in the cabinet. The change served her well.

GOP STRIKES

Republicans are keenly aware of Haaland's vulnerability on the woke front. They came with this hit from GOP Chair Amy Barela:

Deb Haaland represents more of the same, but worse for New Mexico. . .She had one of the most liberal voting records in Congress and consistently peddled the same failed, progressive ideas that have produced nothing for New Mexicans. As Secretary of the Interior, she made it her mission to target New Mexico's number one industry—oil and gas—impacting the livelihoods of many Navajo allottees. . .She . . . consistently could not answer basic questions about her job. . .Another Democrat in the Governor's Mansion spells disaster: more jobs gone, crime on the rise, endless failures, and New Mexicans left in the dust—again. A Republican governor is the change our state needs, someone who will finally put New Mexicans first. 

That dig about Haaland being able to answer questions is another soft spot. Her less than successful appearances before congressional committees as Interior boss is likely to be a focus of her GOP foes. Conservative critics are already calling into question her intellectual abilities.  

THE GHOST 

The ghost of former Republican Governor Susana Martinez also lurks in the Haaland candidacy. She was the nation's first Hispanic female Governor. She charmed her way into office on a thin record as a District Attorney and a relatable campaign personality that had Hispanic Democrats abandoning their party in droves. Unfortunately, Martinez presided over a mostly failed eight years.

For Haaland, the record is not thin--a former state Democratic party chair, a congresswoman and Secretary of Interior. She has been able to bring people together. The question is whether she can transcend her symbolism and also be an agent of change? Does she want to? Her long campaign march could tell the tale. 

HOLGUIN ANALYSIS

Longtime Dem consultant Neri Holguin came with this analysis of the Haaland run: 

Among the Democratic base, she’s beloved and well known across the state. It’s also hard to imagine who else will be able to compete with her ability to fund-raise nationally and locally.

Scott Forrester. another veteran Dem consultant and recently Chief of Staff for ABQ US Rep. Melanie Stansbury is Haaland's campaign manager. 

THE BOTTOM LINES

We had a heavily caffeinated conversation with Sanra Fe radio host Richard Eeds Tuesday in which we talked about Haaland's candidacy the legislature and more La Politica. . .

On the Monday blog a quote from a TV news report incorrectly stated that APD Chief Harold Medina began his tenure in 2022. Here is the correct time line: Medina was named interim Chief of Police in September 2020, and appointed by Mayor Keller to serve as permanent Chief of Police in March 2021.

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It's not a perfect storm but close enough. The multiple scandals afflicting higher education opens a window of opportunity for legislators looking to make substantial changes in the governing of the state's universities.

The WNMU scandal is widely known with former President Joseph Shepard awarded a nearly $3 million hyper-controversial buyout by the school's regents. He resigned after getting called out for misspending school funds. The outrageous buyout is being challenged by the Attorney General. 

Then there's the con job at NM Tech in Socorro where the regents placed over $46 million in school funds in a very low yielding account at First State Bank. It was the attorney for that bank who was also a NM Tech regent who engineered a whistle blower's firing as president. The sweetheart deal has cost taxpayers millions in interest income. Ex-President Stephen Wells is fighting his firing in court.

NMSU in Cruces had a whopper of a scandal in their athletic department that dragged on for years and was not resolved until a new president took over. 

While not a scandal, unconfirmed word is now circulating at the Roundhouse that MLG has appointed her 64 year old brother, a part-time student, as the new student regent at NM Highlands University in Las Vegas. If so, that is a PR black eye whose timing is kind of jaw-dropping coming as it does on the heels of the WNMU disgrace.

Eliminating some of the state's universities is a goal discussed for over 100 years but it's not going to happen. However, streamlining the governance of the schools is seen as possible by one Santa Fe Wall-leaner long on experience and wisdom:

Joe, there are dozens of Regents and the state Senate doesn't have a vetting process that is thorough enough before their appointments by the Governor are approved. Reducing the number of regents to a dozen to supervise all the schools would get us that needed vetting. This plan is superior to measures that would require Regents to receive training. That is not the issue. The problem we are seeing with the Western and Tech scandals is not training--it is too many Regents appointed who shouldn't be. And that's because they're being approved without enough probing by the Senate. 

Fewer Regents. Better legislative oversight. Let's see if there are any takers. 

TOSS-UP OR LEAN D?

Herrell and Vasquez

It's still a nail-biter, says the in-the-know Cook Political Report in DC of the state's southern congressional seat. Dem US Rep. Gabe Vasquez was re-elected there last November by a margin of 10,000 votes over Republican Yvette Herrell. (Monahan post-election analysis here.)

CD 2 is among just 18 districts that Cook ranks as a toss-up going into the 2026 cycle. 

We moved the seat from toss-up to "lean Democratic" during the heat of the '24 campaign. In '22 Vasquez won over Herrell by only 1,350 votes. His increased margin this time was due to his better performance in the Dem counties of Bernalillo and Dona Ana. 

Vasquez is an improved candidate and that means the Republicans are going to need a stronger act to hold the Dems back. Not that the next race won't be close or that an upset is long odds. However, unseating a first-termer is one thing but with two elections under this belt, Vasquez has improved his weight class from lightweight to middleweight. We'll stick with "lean Dem."

SANTA FE SILLINESS

Yikes! After the legalization of marijuana turned into a quagmire the legislature is now looking at legalizing psilocybin, a hallucinogenic drug used for "therapeutic purposes." 

That's just what the doctor did not order--more drugs unleashed on a population vulnerable to drug abuse and a state bureaucracy that is barely managing to regulate legal pot. 

Maybe the sponsors of this bill ought to have some therapy?

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US Attorney Uballez

The US Attorney appears to be on his way to making major inroads in cleaning up the ABQ police department, crafting plea bargains with two crooked cops and adroitly utilizing stool pigeon Rick Mendez. But a major question lingers.

Mendez was the wingman for the attorney alleged to have gone bad and who masterminded the scandal. The "DWI Enterprise"--as the Feds call it--had greedy officers take the lawyer's bribes in exchange for not showing up for his clients DWI court cases, all to the delight of the attorney, the suspected drunk drivers and the paid-off police. 

But the major question our Legal Beagles have is how far and wide will the USA's dragnet go? Enough to punish members of APD leadership who were part of the years-long Enterprise or engaged in covering it up?

Look at these money lines from one of the plea bargains:  

(Officer) Alba admitted that he, (attorney) Clear and (Clear private investigator) Mendez also asked senior APD officers who had been involved in the scheme “to use their positions and influence” to ensure the officers involved were not exposed, according to the plea agreement. Alba asked these senior officers for help in the fall of 2023 when a complaint was filed against him with the Civilian Police Oversight Agency, his plea agreement stated.

That's the climb up the food chain that has to be making APD Chief Medina and other higher-ups doing some Midnight pacing. For if the Feds do get to the top rungs of the APD ladders it could mark an historic turning point in addressing the cultural rot that has so long infected APD and gone untreated. 

This lack of consequences has fostered more scandals and more looking away by various mayors, city councils, legislatures and a large swath of the public unable to confront the betrayal of trust as crime is feared more than rancid corruption.

While US Attorney Alexander Uballez has done enough so folks can finally pronounce his name and nod with approval, but how impactful will his time at the helm seem years from now? If history is any guide and the APD scandal is put to bed by confining the legal action to rank and file DWI officers, it may be seen as a nice try but no cigar.

WATCHDOG BARKS

APD watchdog and former police sergeant Dan Klein digs a bit deeper: 

Chief Medina placed command staff officers who were part of the DWI Enterprise into ranking positions in Internal Affairs, a commander and major, both of whom resigned or were terminated during the investigation. It clearly shows Medina allowed the fox into the hen house. He assigned command staff officers who were directly involved in the DWI Enterprise to the highest level positions in Internal Affairs where these ranking officers then helped to cover up the DWI Enterprise.  

For his part, Medina continues to deflect when it comes to demanding accountability for the past, present and future of his long-troubled and provably corrupt agency:

Medina, who has led the department since 2020, pointed out (the DWI scandal) didn’t start under his leadership, but ended under his leadership.“This isn’t about blaming the past. This is about this point in time, this chief, this administration got this resolved. We found out about it, we exposed it, we investigated it, and we held people accountable,” said Medina. The chief said he is not blaming past mayors or chiefs, explaining that he had a tough time uncovering the DWI scheme, saying those accused of being involved did well hiding it. According to Medina, the blame should be placed on the officers who participated in the scheme.

The Chief is essentially saying of the past wrongdoing "move along, nothing to see there." The tragedy is that it sounds so familiar and is the culture that has boost record high crime levels.

DAYS OF UBALLEZ

The Trump administration has not yet  given Democrat Uballez his walking papers but he is on the clock.  In his first term, President Trump asked for the resignation of then-USA Damon Martinez effective March 10, 2017, less than two months after his inauguration. Trump will do the same again and appoint a GOP US attorney but when is unknown.

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