There may be a strong antipathy in some quarters toward the powerful oil and gas industry but the news is not filled with reports of a ban on fracking or a hike of the royalty rates the industry pays. Maybe, just maybe, that has a little something to do with the financial support the industry gives many of our 112 lawmakers in Santa Fe.That conclusion is hard to escape when scanning a list ..read more

Nella DomeniciNew Mexico has not seen a candidate with this kind of money in the modern era. Now the question is how much of the vast personal fortune of Nella Domenici and husband Patrick McDonough will the state see deployed in her campaign against Democratic US Senator Martin Heinrich and to what effect?In her US Senate candidate financial disclosure report this week Domenici, 63, and making ..read more

Keller and Lewis A virulent form of anti-Kellerism has taken hold at the ABQ City Council and has led to sweeping proposals to reduce the power of the Mayor in favor of the nine member body.Mayor Keller immediately labeled them politically motivated:Our community expects, and deserves, us to be focused on tackling crime and finding solutions to curb homelessness, not wasting time on distractions ..read more

Sen. Correa HemphillA bright star of the state Democratic Party stable is hanging up her saddle and giving the Republicans a solid chance of taking over a coveted state senate seat.State Senator Siah Correa Hemphill has announced she is bowing out and while her name will appear on the June 4 Democratic primary ballot she will withdraw the day after. Members of the Democratic Party ..read more

With little or no competition for the state's congressional seats and no statewide offices on the ballot, three battles for District Attorney in three of the state's four largest cities largest cities have taken the primary spotlight. Coming in the middle of an ongoing crime crisis and with the Governor calling a special legislative session for July to tackle more crime bills, that seems ..read more

The Heinrich household is back on the legislative campaign trail. This time it's Sen. Martin Heinrich's wife, Julie Heinrich, doing the endorsement honors. She comes with a pitch for progressive Dem Heather Berghmans who is trying to take out Dem state Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto in District 15 in the ABQ NE Heights. Around here the Senator has earned the moniker "First Endorser" for his ..read more

Haaland (New Yorker)If Deb Haaland has any plans to run for governor--and all signs say she does--an encyclopedic profile from the liberal but authoritative New Yorker Magazine on her life, times and trials and tribulations will only ramp up the pressure on Sen. Martin Heinrich to publicly put aside any '26 gubernatorial aspirations he harbors. The over 9,000 word piece (you read that number ..read more

Progressive legislative candidates are striking back against the new kid on block--the self-described anti-progressive PAC The NM Project--that seeks to elect conservative and moderate legislative Democrats and that is headed up by businessman and Dem politico Jeff Apodaca. He announced here last week that the group has raised "close to" $1 million to battle the left of his party but donors ..read more

Time for another timely and always highly anticipated edition of Reader Vox Populi. We start with that hot as a pistol race for state Senate District 15 in ABQ's NE Heights where Dem Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto faces a primary challenge from progressive Heather Berghmans.Reader Barbara Gay writes: I have worked within the Legislature for many years and had always respected Sen. Ortiz y Pino’s ..read more

Jeff ApodacaAn advocacy group called The New Mexico Project is unleashing vigorous attacks against the state's progressive Democrats and advocating for a field of conservative candidates in the June 4 primary. Their message is that the dominant progressives have failed to improve the state despite having the reins of power in Santa Fe and elsewhere and in the process have sidelined ..read more