DA Bregman Gets Dem Challenger, BernCo Commission Gives Details On Replacing Rep. Trujillo And ABQ's Bad Drivers

Swonger

Appointed BernCo District Attorney Sam Bregman, who recently reversed himself and announced he will seek election to the post next year, will not be going it alone in the June Democratic primary. We get this from his first Dem challenger, longtime Public Defender Matthias Swonger:

Hello, Mr. Monahan, I wanted to introduce myself to you, and let you know that I am running for Bernalillo County DA as a Democrat in 2024. I am a strong believer in transparency, and as you cover the race going forward, I would be happy to talk to you about my campaign and the issues facing our community.

Swonger, a native of Rhode Island and graduate of NYU Law School, says BernCo needs a DA who reduces incarceration rates, arguing that mass incarceration has failed to dent crime. 

It appears he will be running to the left of DA Bregman, a native of Washington DC, who has donned his black hat and is saying he is a tough on crime DA. Bregman, like Swonger, is a longtime criminal defense lawyer. 

Here is Swonger's campaign website. No Republican has yet announced for the position. 

REPLACING TRUJILLO

Commissioner Quezada

Here's the full story from the BernCo Commission on how they will go about filling the vacancy left by the retirement of Dem state Rep. Christine Trujillo:

The Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners has set a special meeting to address the vacant New House  District25 seat. The meeting will be Friday, August 11 at 10 a.m. in the Ken Sanchez Commission Chambers, BernCo @ Alvarado Square, 415 Silver Ave SW. Instructions to participate remotely will be on the final published agenda. 

The commission continues to accept applications from individuals interested in filling the seat. The commission will appoint a replacement with a term ending Dec. 31, 2024. Rep. Christine Trujillo resigned from House District 25 effective July 1, 2023. Submissions from interested individuals in Bernalillo County will be accepted until Friday, July 28, 2023, at noon. 

Applicants must submit a letter of interest and résumé to the Bernalillo County Manager’s Office, Attention: Julie Morgas Baca, County Manager, 415 Silver Ave, SW, 8th Floor, Albuquerque, NM, 87102 via in-person, mail-in, or email to: manager@bernco.gov. Interested persons must be at least 21 years old and live within the boundaries of House District 25 as defined in the district map attached. The district straddles central I-40, mainly in the Northeast Heights, including neighborhoods between Carlisle and Louisiana in Bernalillo County. 

And there's some interest in who will fill that seat which will no doubt be a Democrat. We get this:

The Ward Chairs of the HD25 wards (25A, 25B, 25C, and 25D) have announced a candidate forum scheduled for Wednesday, August 2, at 6:00 pm at the American Federation of Teachers office at 530 Jefferson Street NE, Albuquerque. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to cast a non-binding ballot using ranked choice voting. Balloting will be facilitated by the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County. Results will be presented to the Bernalillo County Commission in advance of their vote. Anyone interested in submitting questions for the candidates can submit up to three questions to Paniotis, Ward Chair 25D (pandemmuse@gmail.com).

BAD DRIVERS 

With summer traffic flowing in full force this news from reader James P. O'Neill finds its way onto the blog:

Not terribly surprising news. According to Consumer Affairs, among cities with 100,000 or more population, Albuquerque has the third worst drivers. Only Baton Rouge and Memphis beat us out. Since traffic laws get at best sporadic enforcement here, incidents like the drunken crash into the food truck patrons, have to be expected. 3. Albuquerque, New Mexico 

And here's what the magazine says about our poor drivers:

Albuquerque has a high rate of total fatal crashes, fatal crashes caused by bad driving, pedestrian fatalities and accidents that involve speeding. New Mexico also has some of the most distracted drivers, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration analyzed by QuoteWizard. Anecdotally, we’ve talked to several car rental and insurance customers from New Mexico who describe bad car accidents: victims of hit-and-runs, those with family members on life support and folks involved in six-vehicle collisions. In the Land of Enchantment — and elsewhere — it might be time for tougher distracted driving laws. 

FORE!

Besides summer reading there's summer golf and here are the top ten New Mexico courses to enjoy this season, according to Golf Digest. You'll need an acquaintance who's a member to play on three of the top ten because they're private. Otherwise, Fore!

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023