Dem governor candidate Haaland marches with group in addiction recovery in final days before primary election

Joshua Bowling, Danielle Prokop and Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico

This article was originally published by Source New Mexico.

The campaign season for New Mexico’s June 2 primary election is nearly over, as early voting ends Saturday.

So far, nearly 140,000 people across the state have cast their ballots early, according to the latest figures from the New Mexico Secretary of State. That represents nearly 10% of the state’s registered voters.

Deb Haaland, the former U.S. Interior secretary who’s seeking the Democratic nomination for governor, spent Thursday afternoon with residents of an Albuquerque recovery and workforce development program and told them she’d be “honored” to earn their votes. Many of the 60 people who live at Grand Summit off of Tramway Boulevard and Central Avenue undergo intensive outpatient treatment for mental illness and substance use disorder.

Haaland, who said she’s been sober for more than 30 years, told a crowd gathered in the facility’s courtyard that sobriety will open new doors in their lives and that, if elected, she’d do “whatever I can to support your journeys.”

“I just want you to know that I believe in each and every one of you,” she told them. 

Haaland marched with them across Central Avenue to an early voting location, where many registered to vote and cast their first ballot.

Tyson Benally, 39, told Source NM he was an active participant in Grand Summit’s workforce development program and was drawn to the fact that, like him, Haaland knew what it was like to struggle with addiction and undergo the difficult recovery process.

“Everything she’s talking about — I’m really for it,” he said before casting his ballot for Haaland.

Haaland faces Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman in the primary election. Former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, communications professional Doug Turner and former state cabinet secretary and current cannabis CEO Duke Rodriguez are competing for the Republican nomination.

1 in 4 Republicans still undecided in governor’s race

One in four Republican primary voters remain undecided in the New Mexico governor’s race, according to a new poll.

The poll, commissioned by 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Ronchetti for his podcast, reported that former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull continues to lead the three-way race with 33%, while communications professional Doug Turner has narrowed the gap between him and Hull significantly at 30%.

Former state cabinet secretary Duke Rodriguez, who’s now a cannabis CEO, had 12% and the remaining 25% of voters were undecided, according to the poll.

While Turner has closed in on Hull in the days leading up to the June 2 primary election, Hull’s total share of the vote has grown. An Emerson College Polling/KRQE News 13 poll released in April found that 61% of Republican voters were undecided in the race, giving Hull frontrunner status with just 21%.

The share of undecided voters has narrowed since then. Turner’s camp says that’s because they’re winning over those voters.

“Voters are looking for strong conservative leadership and real-world experience, and we believe the remaining undecided voters will continue breaking our way as Election Day approaches,” Turner campaign manager Rachel Kjellman said in a statement to Source NM.

Last-minute mud in the SOS primary

The contentious primary between two Democratic county clerks vying to be New Mexico’s next secretary of state is showing no signs of cooling off in the final days before the June 2 election.

Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark filed a complaint May 16 with the Secretary of State’s Office regarding an advertisement from her opponent Doña Ana County Clerk Amanda López Askin. The Albuquerque Journal was first to report on Clark’s allegations earlier in May.

Clark alleges López Askin failed to include “a full spoken disclaimer” in the ad, which highlighted her endorsements from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and outgoing Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver.

In a response letter sent Friday, López Askin’s campaign manager Michelle Mayorga called the complaint “meritless” and said the ad followed the law.

Mayorga also invoked Clark’s own ad fracas. Earlier this month, Clark’s campaign was required to remove Democratic Party of New Mexico logo and language that the party had “chosen her.. Both DPNM and Clark’s campaign said the issue was resolved after the changes were made. 

Lindsey Bachman, the director of communications, legislative and executive affairs for the Secretary of State, told Source NM Friday morning the office is still reviewing the complaint. 

Clark’s supporters this week also referenced a 355-page critical audit of Doña Ana County government to attack López Askin.

New Mexico State Auditor Joseph Maestas wrote the audit is an “outcome of systemic failures in governance, internal controls and organizational structure across the County as a whole.” He said the  clerk’s office needed to “establish clearer expectations” for maintaining county records.

A pro-Clark campaign text message attributed to Sen. Antonio “Moe” Maestas (D-Albuquerque) this week seized on that message to contend that López Askin “failed to maintain a complete record.”

López Askin told Source NM she was surprised, saying Maestas was “at very best, misinformed” on the audit findings and defended her office.  

She said that “weaponizing something that is supposed to build public trust is deeply disappointing.”

Maestas did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.

Land commissioner weighs in on Democratic primary

New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard told Source NM this week that she is not endorsing any of the three fellow Democrats running to replace her, but she does encourage voters to look at how the candidates differ on one particular issue. 

“I would really encourage folks to look at the candidates’ public statements on things like whether or not they’re going to be accepting oil and gas contributions,” she said. “The individual who sits in this seat is going to be sitting across from oil and gas companies, and I wouldn’t want anything to compromise their ability to advocate on behalf of New Mexicans.”

The three candidates are Rep. Matthew McQueen (D-Galisteo), Jonas Moya and Juan de Jesus Sanchez III. At a recent candidate forum, only McQueen said he would refuse oil and gas donations to his campaign, saying that the State Land Office is a “de facto regulator” of the industry.

At the same forum, Sanchez said he has not solicited oil and gas industry donations but wouldn’t “close the door” on them if he wins the primary because of how much money he expects a Republican commissioner candidate would raise in the general election. 

Moya, whose fundraising has lagged behind McQueen and Sanchez, said he would accept oil and gas money to ensure he can continue to advocate for rural New Mexico in the primary race. 

The winner of the primary that concludes Tuesday will face Republican Michael Perry in the general election. Perry has received at least $10,000 from oil and gas companies or executives so far this election cycle, according to filings.

Heinrich spokesperson says he had no involvement in super PAC support of Sanchez

A spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) told Source NM this week that the senator had no knowledge of or ties to an out-of-state super PAC that is spending an unknown amount of money to support Sanchez in the land commissioner race.

The super PAC — the American Energy Action Fund — is the subject of a recent State Ethics Commission complaint over its failure to report any of its spending on Sanchez to the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office.

Mailers from the super PAC have noted that Heinrich endorsed Sanchez, who formerly worked as Heinrich’s political director. 

“While Senator Heinrich has no ties to and is not involved with these ads, the mention of his endorsement in them is unsurprising given what it signifies: the Senator’s wholehearted support of Juan for Land Commissioner,” Heinrich spokesperson Caty Payette told Source NM in an email.

Payette’s statement says Heinrich’s support of Sanchez is based on his record as a conservationist and renewable energy advocate “who will balance the needs of our people and economy while protecting our land, water, and wildlife.”

Dark money group urges Democrats to vote with help from hall-of-fame wrestler

New Chapter, New Mexico, a dark money group that has spent more than $315,000 this primary election cycle on an array of state House Democratic candidates, paid for a text message campaign Thursday evening that, for some reason, featured professional wrestling hall-of-famer Mick Foley.

“In the ring, I learned you can’t win by sitting in the crowd while somebody else fights your battles,” Foley says in the 40-second video. “Right now, there’s a lot of noise, a lot of attacks, and too many people trying to divide us. But this election is about something bigger, fighting for working families, good jobs and a stronger future for New Mexico. So, on June 2, vote in the Democratic primary and make your voice heard.”

The dark money group is at the center of a State Ethics Commission complaint regarding House District 30 candidate Veronica Mireles and her fiancé, Vincent Chavez, who was once on the organization’s board. 

New Chapter’s sources of funding remain unclear.

The group on Thursday submitted filings showing that it has spent more than $200,000 over the last month supporting both incumbents and challengers in state House races. The group has roughly $100,000 remaining of the $414,000 it has raised, according to the filings. 

While Foley was born in Indiana, his wrestling persona in the 1990s — Cactus Jack — hailed from Truth or Consequences. According to Foley’s website, he offers personalized videos for $99.

Joshua Bowling is a senior reporter for Source New Mexico. Danielle Prokop covers the environment and local government for Source New Mexico. Patrick Lohmann is a reporter for Source New Mexico.