Latest Stories

Guv says little, but chatter about his future continues

By |

This article has been updated. Gov. Bill Richardson continues to say little about repeated chatter regarding what job, if any, he’ll hold in the Obama administration. And though sources continue to insist to me and others that Richardson has a meeting set with Obama or Obama staffers in Chicago later this month to discuss a potential role in the administration, Richardson staffer Pahl Shipley says no such meeting exists. Despite that, the talk won’t die down, and there’s no reason it should: Richardson has a penchant for insisting nothing is going on until a big announcement is ready to be made. For example, he continued to insist he loved his job as New Mexico governor and would finish out his term until he was ready to formally announce his presidential exploratory committee early last year. Continue Reading

Kilmer confirms that he may run for governor

By |

Actor Val Kilmer has finally confirmed rumors that he’s seriously considering running for governor of New Mexico in 2010. “There’s sort of a rumor around that I’m maybe thinking about running to be governor of New Mexico? Well, it’s sort of true,” Kilmer was quoted by the New York Post as saying. “It’s been my home 25 years. I really love my state. Continue Reading

Rawson mum on Fischmann’s apparent victory

By |

Barring some sort of legal challenge, Democrat Steve Fischmann has unseated Senate Minority Whip Leonard Lee Rawson, R-Las Cruces.With only eight provisional ballots from Sierra County left to be considered, Fischmann leads Rawson by 544 votes. Fischmann has 13,131 votes, or 51.1 percent of the vote, to Rawson’s 12,587 votes, or 48.9 percent. The new tally, which includes Doña Ana County’s provisional ballots, was first reported by the Las Cruces Sun-News. The Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners is set to meet Wednesday to certify the county’s election results. The outcomes of no races changed as a result of the provisional ballots that were considered over the weekend. Continue Reading

Voters in non-scientific poll split on future of GOP

By |

Voters in last week’s non-scientific poll on this site were split about what will be the future of the Republican Party. Of 229 voters, 64, or 28 percent, said the party will slowly rebuild over several years, while 63, or 28 percent, picked “What future?” as their vote. Some 41 voters, or 18 percent, predicted a return to the party’s core principles; 34, or 15 percent, said Republicans will sweep the Democrats out of power in 2010; and 27, or 12 percent, predicted a radical shift in ideology. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading

A dream come true

By |

By Carter Bundy For many of us, Nov. 4, 2008, will go down as one of the greatest days in American history. There are so many ways in which this election is a watershed moment for this country, and even for the world. The racial component of the election of the first African American president (bi-racial, which is a growing and overlooked component of the American population) is simultaneously the most superficial change but also the deepest. For a nation with 250 years of slavery and 100 years of apartheid to elect an African American after a mere 44 years of legal equality (and less of de facto equality) is stunning. Continue Reading

Mama said there’ll be days like this

By |

© 2008 by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. “The Republicans all went home last night and slept like babies… they woke up crying every two hours.” – Gloating coffee shop comment the morning after the 2008 election The morning after the election, the first song I heard was the 1961 Shirelles hit, “Mama said there’ll be days like this.” No, my Mama never told me there would be election days like this. At the coffee shop my Republican friends were way past despondent. In the local, state and national elections the Republicans, Greens and independents were whipped like rented mules by the Democrats. The debates, the facts, the ads, the individual campaign efforts put into each race did not matter; in every case only Democrats won. Naturally, my Democratic friends could not stop smiling and hugging themselves with delight. Continue Reading

Judge dismisses defeated legislators’ lawsuit

By |

A lawsuit alleging an illegal conspiracy to defeat three incumbent lawmakers in the June primary was tossed out by a district judge on Thursday because the lawmakers failed to state a proper claim and have no basis to sue many of the defendants named in the suit. The Center for Civic Policy (CCP), one of the groups named in the lawsuit, hailed the dismissal as vindication of its claim that the lawsuit was frivolous. “We are pleased with today’s news and we certainly feel vindicated,” Matt Brix, policy director for the group, said in a statement released Thursday evening. “This lawsuit was nothing more than an attempt to muzzle nonprofit organizations from educating the public about how their legislators vote. We look forward to continuing our work, including educating the public about how elected officials vote and from whom they receive contributions.” In dismissing the lawsuit filed by outgoing Sens. Continue Reading

A mandate for cooperation and bipartisanship

By |

We’ve known since the first rebuking of the GOP in the 2006 election that 2008 was going to be a Democratic year. We all knew the party of the right would lose some additional ground in the U.S. House and Senate. But, as the dust settles in New Mexico, it’s becoming clear that this was a complete slaughter. Barack Obama won nearly 57 percent of the vote in a state that went to George Bush in 2004. Democrat Tom Udall took the retiring Republican Pete Domenici’s U.S. Senate seat with 61 percent of the vote. Continue Reading

Doña Ana County to investigate absentee problems

By |

Doña Ana County commissioners asked today for an investigation into what caused the absentee ballot snafu that means an unknown number of people who requested ballots weren’t able to vote in Tuesday’s election. Lynn Ellins, the county’s election supervisor and clerk-elect, promised to investigate what caused the situation and come up with solutions. “I have all kinds of ideas for improvement,” Ellins said at today’s meeting of the commission. But first comes the canvass of the county’s election results, which will begin Friday and should be wrapped up by Sunday. Some 2,100 provisional ballots must be considered. Continue Reading

A Rawson loss appears increasingly likely

By |

The probable defeat of the Senate minority whip could shift the balance of power in Santa Fe With all votes counted except whatever provisional ballots are deemed valid, it appears increasingly likely that state Senate Minority Whip Leonard Lee Rawson is going to lose, and that could mean a shift in the balance of power in the Senate — and in Santa Fe. Democratic challenger Steve Fischmann currently has a 505-vote lead over Rawson, R-Las Cruces. Fischmann has 12,853 votes, or 51 percent, to Rawson’s 12,348 votes, or 49 percent. That led Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, to call Fischmann a senator-elect in a news release, and for Gov. Bill Richardson to call him a newly elected legislator in a statement released by his office. But Fischmann said he’s not ready to declare victory. Continue Reading

The day after: Here’s where things stand

By |

There’s a lot to sort through from yesterday’s election, so I thought I would make it easier to navigate what’s on this site by hitting the highlights in one posting. Click on a headline to go directly to that article. There’s a lot more on this site than these few articles. If you want more depth, scroll down the page instead of clicking on these headlines. • Rawson/Fischmann race is too close to call • Voters saw Teague as ‘one of their own’ • Obama says change is coming to America • In conceding, McCain says it’s time for unity • Guv says Hispanics deserve credit for Obama win • Udall calls for unity, has kind words for Republicans • Otero County defeats spaceport tax I’m planning to have an update on the Rawson/Fischmann race and analysis of what all this means later today, so check back. Continue Reading

Rawson/Fischmann race is too close to call

By |

The hottest race yet to be decided is the state Senate District 37 contest between Republican Leonard Lee Rawson and Democrat Steve Fischmann — and it may not be over any time soon. With all votes in Sierra County in and all but absentee ballots counted in Doña Ana County, challenger Fischmann leads the Senate minority whip by 136 votes. Fischmann currently has 11,330 votes, or 50.3 percent, to Rawson’s 11,194 votes, or 49.7 percent. In addition to the unknown number of absentee ballots that haven’t yet been tallied in Doña Ana County, both counties have yet to consider any provisional ballots that were cast to determine whether they should be counted. And then there’s the situation with those who requested absentee ballots but ended up not being able to vote because they didn’t receive them in time and didn’t or couldn’t take advantage of any alternative method of voting. Continue Reading

Most voters in poll accurately predicted a Dem sweep

By |

The majority of voters in the last non-scientific poll on this site accurately predicted that no Republican federal candidate would win in New Mexico. Of 499 voters, 275, or 55 percent, said none would win, while 73, or 15 percent, said 2nd Congressional District candidate Ed Tinsley would win; 62, or 12 percent, said 1st District candidate Darren White would win; 54, or 11 percent, said presidential candidate John McCain would win; 28, or 6 percent, said U.S. Senate candidate Steve Pearce would win; and seven, or 1 percent, said 3rd District candidate Dan East would win. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading

Voters saw Teague as ‘one of their own’

By |

Lt. Gov. Diane Denish said Harry Teague’s victory in the 2nd Congressional District race tonight boils down to a simple fact: “I think it is old-fashioned hard work. He has lived here for 50 years. They saw him as one of their own,” she said. Teague, a Democrat, presented himself during the campaign as someone who could relate to voters in the district because he is one of them. And he attempted to portray his opponent, Republican Ed Tinsley, as someone who spent most of his time living in Santa Fe and lobbying in Washington. Continue Reading