Clark's Kitty

The '26 race for the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State featuring Dona Ana County Clerk Amanda López Askin and Santa Fe County Clerk Katherine Clark is off to an early and nasty start. 

ABQ Dem state Sen. Katy Duhigg, who has had differences with Clark over state legislation, unloaded on Clark on the socials, posting a snide remark about Clark's description of what the SOS job encompasses:

Tell me you don’t know the job you’re running for without telling me you don’t know the job you’re running for. 

Then came this comment from a poster supporting Askin and in the process playing the race card: 

I am so happy we have a NATIVE New Mexican Hispanic woman who is ready to take over the reigns from our current rock star SOS Maggie Toulouse Oliver.

Clark and Askin have both capably presided over elections in their home counties and are hungry for advancement. 

It's also clear that Clark understands the job she is running for and that not being a "native Hispanic woman" is certainly not a disqualification. After all Secretary Maggie, who has done ten years as SOS and is now leaving, is Anglo. Perhaps Rep. Gabe Vasquez, who has already endorsed Askin, should urge everyone to pull the claws in a bit? 

Clark has so far held her fire. Her latest social post is about her new foster cat: 

Meet Luna, my new foster kitty for the next 4 weeks. Española said they have kittens and some are injured and well, I couldn’t resist. 

Well, at least Clark doesn't have to contend with any serious clawing from Luna. 

DATELINE ABQ

In the ABQ mayoral race former US Attorney Alex Uballez was first out of the gate in criticizing Republican Darren White over the news that White took a Florida tax exemption that he wasn't entitled to. Now Mayor Keller has piled on:  

Dear ABQ Neighbor, Did you catch the story. . .about Republican Darren White claiming a $50,000 tax break meant only for full-time Florida residents?. . . White declared his beachside house as his primary residence--even while voting in New Mexico and now running for Mayor. He submitted a Florida driver’s license, utility bills, and bank records to make it official. That’s not just a “simple oversight.” It’s classic tax-dodging--and it raises real questions about Darren White’s honesty, integrity, and legal compliance. And let’s be honest: it’s straight out of the Trump playbook. Dodging taxes, playing both sides, and expecting no consequences.

White dismisses the attack, asserting he committed a "technical" violation and has contacted Florida officials to correct it.  

Also in the seven way mayoral derby, Keller says he has been endorsed by AFSCME, the labor union that represents a fair amount of city government workers. The union says: 

Mayor Keller has always shown up for the workers who show up for Albuquerque. From Day One, he’s fought to protect good union jobs, raise wages, and invest in the people who keep this city running. AFSCME is proud to stand with a mayor who stands with us — and with the workers who provide the services every Albuquerque resident relies on, from cleaner parks to timely trash pickup.

HIBERNATION OVER 

Bill McCamley, former Las Cruces state rep and Secretary of Workforce Solutions under MLG, has emerged from a long political hibernation to assume the role of campaign manager for Dem US Rep. Gabe Vasquez also of Las Cruces and who is seeking a third term next year. The lone Republican who has announced for the southern congressional seat, which also includes a sizeable swath of BernCo, is talk show host Eddy Aragon. McCamley lived in Austin after resigning his cabinet post in 2021. 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.