This article is an in-depth report on the State Democratic Party’s selection process to replace Maggie Toulouse Oliver for Lieutenant Governor. The article reviews the 4 announced candidates, compares the qualifications of  the two front runners concluding with a final analysis and commentary identifying the best candidate for Lt. Governor.

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS 

On June 2, two term Democrat Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver won the Democratic Party nomination to be New Mexico’s next Lieutenant Governor in a landslide primary election victory over her opponent State Senator Harold Pope (D-Albuquerque).  Toulouse Oliver  garnered 80% of the vote (168,109) to Pope’s 20% (42,127). On June 18, Maggie Toulouse Oliver  announced she was suspending her campaign and dropping out of the race due to health concerns.

On June 25, Maggie Toulouse Oliver  officially withdrew  as the Democratic Party nominee for  Lt. Governor.  On the same day Sara Attleson, Chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico sent out the official call to the Democratic Party State Central Committee to fill theLieutenant Governor ballot position.

On July 25th, 2026 the New Mexico Democratic Party State Central Committee (SCC) will convene and hold a special election to fill the vacancy for lieutenant Governor. The Spring 2026 SCC Meeting will be held as a virtual meeting with the vote to be taken online.

PROCESS USED TO FILL VACANCY

Under New Mexico primary election laws, candidate for governor and lieutenant governor run independently in the primary. The winners of these races who share the same party affiliation are then paired on a ticket for the general election. Under the state’s election code, when a candidate is elected in a Democratic Party primary election, and then drops out, it is the Democratic Party State Central Committee that has the exclusive authority to nominate and select candidates to fill the vacancy. The State Central Committee (SCC) membership are elected every two years by individual County Democratic Party Organizations. Registered voters and members of the county party can attend to elect the SCC membership. Any New Mexico Democrat in good standing is a member of their local county party organization and can run or vote for SCC. Currently, there are 480 SCC members statewide.  The 480  SCC members hail from every county in the state and include elected officials, as well as party officials. Approximately 40% of SCC membership are  from Bernalillo County.

FOUR DEMOCRATS SEEK LUIETENANT GOVERNOR SCC NOMINATION

On July 13, the Democratic Party of New Mexico emailed all State Central Committee members the following updated  list of Democratic candidates who have applied with the party and who are seeking the State Central Committee nomination for Lieutenant Governor:

1. State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard
2. NM State Senator Harold Pope, District 7
3. Toni Pinedo
4. Geoffrey P. Luehring

State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard and NM State Senator Harold Pope are considered the two leading  candidates actively contacting State Central Committee members and campaigning  for  the Democratic Party State Central Committee nomination for Lt. Governor. Toni Pinedo and  Geoffrey P. Luehring hold no public office and  have never run for office and offered no information on their qualifications to be Lt. Governor.  Stephanie Garcia Richard is a two-term State Land Commissioner and Harold Pope is a State Senator.

Following are each of the candidate’s statements which include biographical information provided by the candidates themselves to the Democratic Party State Central Committee:

1. STEPHANIE GARCIA RICHARD

Following is the application statement submitted by Stephanie Garcia Richard to the State Democratic party:

“In March of 2025, I launched my campaign for Lieutenant Governor — filled with excitement and ready, with a dedicated team beside me, to engage voters across our great state.

Then, life intervened. My husband, Eric, received a cancer diagnosis, and it quickly became clear his treatment would be more intensive than we ever imagined. So I made the only choice that mattered: I stepped back to give Eric my full, undivided attention, and last fall I suspended my campaign. It was the hardest decision of my career — and the right one for my family.

Seven months later, I’m sharing wonderful news: Eric has completed his treatment and received a clean bill of health. He’s growing stronger every day.

So when I heard that Maggie Toulouse Oliver had suspended her campaign to care for her own health, my heart broke for her. I know what that moment feels like — the fear, the uncertainty, the way everything else in the world goes quiet. Maggie has given so much of herself to New Mexico, and stepping back to focus on her health takes real courage. She and her family are in my heart, and I hope every New Mexican will hold them there too. Health and family come first. Always.

It was in the days that followed that something I never expected began to happen. My phone started ringing — supporters from every corner of New Mexico, urging me to reconsider my candidacy. I’ll be honest: it’s been a whirlwind. But I’ve come to see it as a rare gift, and a call I can’t ignore.

The chance to serve New Mexico is a privilege I would never take for granted — and I’m ready to serve again if called upon.

 Having run statewide twice before, I know what it takes to win and to govern. Before I suspended my campaign last fall, we’d already raised more than $165,000 — a testament to the belief so many of you share in what we can build together.

That foundation is still here. So am I.

It’s critical that the next Lieutenant Governor be a true partner to Deb Haaland — working in lockstep to deliver real results for New Mexico families. That decision now rests with Deb and our Democratic State Central Committee. I trust the process, and I also believe the people of New Mexico should be heard in it.

I’m ready to serve. Let’s get back to work — together.”

2026 CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS FOR STEPHANIE GARCIA RICHARD

Even though Stephanie Garcia Richard dropped out of the race for Lieutenant Governor on October 16, 2026, she was still required by law file with the Secretary of State campaign finance reports on donations raised and expenses during her brief campaign. According to the latest campaign finance reports filed on July 2, 2026 with the Secretary of State, contributions and expenditures by the Stephanie Garcia Richard campaign for Lt. Governor were as follows:

• Total Contributions:       $171,921.52
• Total Expenditures:       $147,396.98
• In-Kind Contributions:             $60.00
• Current Debt Balance       -$2,500.00
• Current Cash Balance:     $66,553.17

The link to review fiancé reports for Stephanie Garcia Richard is here:

https://login.cfis.sos.state.nm.us/index.html#/exploreDetails/VFSuNI9cIqiamRBaE6MUrn1lK5MpzTLbNw12UnzEQ-I1/6/0/125/2026

   2. HAROLD POPE

Following is the application statement submitted by Harold Pope to the State Democratic Party:

“I have been vigorously running for Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico since July of last year, and I am proud to once again officially declare my candidacy.

When I originally announced that I would run for this important office, I did so because I believe we deserve leaders who will show up, listen to, and fight for the people they serve. Every. Single. Day. That is the kind of leader I have always tried to be.

Today, as the Trump Administration systematically dismantles democracy and the inclusive American way of life, we need persistent, focused, energetic leadership more than ever. New Mexico must remain a shining beacon of resistance to Trump and his Republican enablers. This fall, we can loudly, proudly demonstrate our values by beating Republicans up and down the ballot.

My campaign slogan, “Pope for the People,” defines my vision of elected office: public officials work FOR the people. It’s not about a title, or just one person. It’s about all of us, together, making sure that every New Mexican has a fair shot at a good, safe, and happy life. I’m enormously proud that my work in the State Legislature has been grounded in what I have heard directly from people across our great state.

After flipping a Republican-held district in 2020, I became a State Senator. During my tenure in the Senate, including as the Majority Caucus Chair, I collaborated with other state leaders to pass bills that help offset the rising costs of housing, healthcare, and childcare. I’ve introduced and passed bills to battle institutional racism, support a variety of educational programs, and bring transparency into government processes. My work has supported the preservation of culture and heritage in education. I have championed water and environmental protections. Not all of these bills have been popular. But I’ve never been guided by what’s popular; I’ve been guided by what’s right and worked incredibly hard to get important things done for New Mexicans.

As I traveled all over our state for the last year, what I already knew and loved about New Mexicans was reinforced time and time again: our resilience and spirit push us onward, but it’s our hope in a better future that fortifies us.

My own history of growing up in a working-class family also informs the decisions I’ve made as a state Senator. The twenty years I spent serving our nation in the Air Force remind me that when we put people before politics, we all win. Also, being a demographic “first” to occupy spaces that were never meant for people like me is the reason I persevere. I want to give others hope that doors are open, seats at important tables are available, and exclusionary glass ceilings can and must be broken.

I saw evidence that these hopes can come true earlier this year when I was collecting nominating petition signatures. I saw other candidates struggling to meet the qualifying numbers, and I was enormously proud to have collected enough signatures to FAR exceed the requirement. As we spoke, voters from every corner of the state repeatedly shared that they supported me because they see themselves in me, they see that I represent their desire to break free of the institutions that have bound us, and they see I lead with the courage, integrity, and values that they share. The momentum we’ve built from those early campaign days to now has been phenomenal.

In the Democratic Primary election, over 42,000 New Mexicans joined our movement, and in the weeks since the vacancy in this nomination occurred, I have been so overwhelmed with support from leadership and community that my team and I (happily) have worked overtime to keep up!

We, the people, are ready to create a New Mexico that thrives, not just survives.

As your next Lieutenant Governor, I will continue to lead from the front and govern with transparency and accountability.

As your next Lieutenant Governor, I will open the doors of government to the people of New Mexico to ensure that their voices are heard in the halls of power.

As your next Lieutenant Governor, I will work tirelessly with our Governor to build a state that’s more affordable, where water and environmental protections secure our future, and public education systems are strong.

Together, we will build a New Mexico that expands access to healthcare, a future where working families can afford to stay in the communities they love, and a future where veterans are honored with action, not just words. A New Mexico that puts people first.

As a member of the State Central Committee, I thank you for your own work in your community, and I ask you to join our movement of courage, strength, and hope and cast your vote for me.”

In Solidarity,

Sen. Harold Pope Jr.

2026 CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS FOR HAROLD POPE, JR.

According to the latest campaign finance reports filed on July 2, 2026 with the New Mexico  Secretary of State office, the  contributions and expenditures by the Harold Pope campaign for Lt. Governor were as follows:

• Total Contributions:     $81,691.06
• Total Expenditures:      $80,775.82
• In-Kind Contributions:     $4,294.32
• Current Debt Balance:            $0.00
• Current Cash Balance:   $11,026.76

The link to review fiancé reports for Senator Pope is here:

https://login.cfis.sos.state.nm.us/index.html#/exploreDetails/wFnBA0EwrGh9g-C1DBB8vH1lK5MpzTLbNw12UnzEQ-I1/6/0/125/2026

     3. TONI PINEDO

Following is the application statement submitted by Toni Pinedo  to the State Democratic Party:

“I am declaring myself to run for Lt. Governor of New Mexico. Thank you.”

     4.  GEOFFREY LUEHRING 

Following is the application statement submitted by Geoffry Luehring  to the State Democratic Party:

​“I am writing to formally request an interview for the Lieutenant Governor selection. I believe my ideas and my dedication to continuous improvements can help build on Deb’s platform and address critical gaps that voters care about deeply. Specifically, I have proposals for expanding the Rail Runner, establishing permanent housing solutions for the homeless, and developing state-built, mixed-income, rent-capped housing. I also have a actionable plan to reform CYFD to ensure no child is left sleeping on an office floor, alongside the smarter law enforcement strategies Deb is seeking.”

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES  OF GOVERNOR AND  LT. GOVERNOR

The duties, responsibilities and powers of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor need to be delineated in order to determine if the applicants possess the necessary skills, credentials and qualifications to perfume the job of Lieutenant Governor.  It is Article 5, Sections 1 through 17, of the New Mexico Constitution that outlines the powers, duties and responsibilities of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico. There are very clear differences and major distinctions between the powers of the Governor and the role of  the Lieutenant Governor.

According to New Mexico law, the Governor holds the “supreme executive power of the state”  responsible for enforcing state laws and ensuring that state laws are  faithfully executed. The Governor is responsible for overseeing and managing all of  state government and its agencies. The Governor appoints all executive cabinet members and  heads of state departments and state  boards and commissions, subject to confirmation by the Senate. The Governor has the authority to call special sessions of the legislature and can veto bills passed by the legislature. In times of emergency, the Governor can take necessary actions to protect public safety and welfare, including calling out the National Guard and issuing Executive Orders.  The Governor’s responsibilities include appointing all cabinet members and  overseeing state agencies, prepare, propose and submit state budgets to the legislature, and representing New Mexico in various capacities. The Governor has the authority to appoint and remove officials, grant pardons, and reprieve sentences. The Governor acts as the commander-in-chief of the state’s military forces.

The duties, responsibilities and executive authority of the Lieutenant Governor are limited. The Lieutenant Governor is the President of the New Mexico Senate, “acting Governor” in the absence or incapacity of the Governor, holding all powers and duties until the Governor can resume them. The Lieutenant Governor is member of the  Governor’s Executive Cabinet  keeping a record of their activities and submits an annual report to the Governor. The Lieutenant Governor serves on the following boards and commissions: the Border Authority, the Community Development Council, the Workforce Development Board, the Mortgage Finance Authority, the Space Commercialization Commission, the Military Base Planning Commission and the State Board of Finance. The Lieutenant Governor is the chairperson of the Children’s Cabinet,  a body composed of department secretaries and agency heads who deal with children’s issues.

https://law.justia.com/constitution/new-mexico/article-v/

DEB HAALAND ENDORSES STEPHANIE GARCIA RICHARD

On Friday, June 25, Democratic Party nominee for Governor  Deb Haaland sent the Democratic Party State Central Committee the following email notifying them that she endorsed Stephanie Garcia Richard For Lt. Governor. Following is the email:

“Dear Distinguished Democratic State Central Committee Member: 

I thank each person who put their name forward and who participated in this endorsement process of the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor. Each candidate I spoke with has a deep love and commitment to moving New Mexico forward. This was a difficult decision to make and I’m grateful for your patience and respect. 

I am proud to endorse Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard. I’ve made the decision based on a thorough process and who I believe will be the best running mate and leader to lower costs, increase access to healthcare, build safe communities, and improve our schools. Stephanie brings the energy, compassion, leadership, and proven ability to bring people together that I believe will strengthen our campaign and our ability to deliver for New Mexicans. I respect the role the SCC plays in this selection and I hope I can count on the support of Committee members for Stephanie.

The stakes of this race couldn’t be higher because of who is in the White House. New Mexico needs leadership that can deliver, but we can’t deliver on our promises unless we win in November. 

Stephanie has won two statewide elections, even when the odds were stacked against her. She is a proven leader – in the classroom as a teacher, as a member of the New Mexico House helping carve the path for universal childcare, and now as the Land Commissioner she has delivered real results for working families. While I was advancing our clean energy economy across the country, Stephanie was leading the same fight here at home. She has grown critical state funding for education, overseen job creation in our energy economy, and implemented policies that protect our air, land, and water. 

Her roots stretch across New Mexico, from growing up in Southern New Mexico to raising her family in Northern New Mexico, giving her a deep understanding of the people, communities, and diversity that define our state. Like me, she’ll always stand with our rural communities, from Silver City to Jal to Las Vegas and everywhere in between, because she knows that our people make New Mexico strong.

New Mexicans deserve a government that works just as hard as they do. They deserve leaders who will stop at nothing to fight for lower costs, provide a quality public education, expand access to healthcare, and make our communities safer. Stephanie is that leader and is the best prepared to serve. In our conversations, what impressed me most was her vision for this role. She sees the Lieutenant Governor’s office as an opportunity to build partnerships, solve problems, and help deliver on the promises we’ve made to New Mexicans. I know she’ll be an engaged, collaborative partner from day one, and that’s why I am endorsing her as my running mate.

Onward,

Deb Haaland”

HAALAND’S VETTING PROCESS AND QUESTIONARE

On Monday, June 22, 2026 Deb Haaland notified  all members of the Democratic Party State Central Committee by email that she would  get involved with the vetting of a new running mate for Lt. Governor. A  confidential source not associated with the Haaland campaign sent to www.PeteDinell.com the questionnaire sent to Lt. Governor applicants. The accuracy of the questionnaire received has been verified by the Haaland campaign.

The candidate questionnaire received is entitled “CANIDATE ENDORSEMENT QUESTIONARE FOR LT. GOV”.  The questionnaire is four pages long and contains a total of 47 questions. The questionnaires along with the applicant’s answers are confidential and were not be released to the public.

The questionnaire is broken down into the following  3 major categories:

1. Vision & Collaboration
2. Leadership
3. Due Diligence

The Six Vision & Collaboration questions were:

1. What do you think are the biggest issues facing New Mexicans today?
2. In what regard to you see New Mexico making the most progress over the next four years?
3. In your view, what is the main function of the Lieutenant Governor?
4. What would be your priorities as Lieutenant Governor?
5. Why should voters elect you as the next Lieutenant Governor?
6. Describe what a successful dynamic would look like between a Governor and Lieutenant Governor?

The Six  Leadership questions were:

1. How would you describe your leadership style?
2. What is your approach to fundraising? Have you made any public pledges?
3. What is the biggest asset you would bring to the campaign trail?
4. Please list each election you have been a candidate, including the result.
5. Please list any fellowships, scholarships, honorary degrees, academic or professional honors, honorary society membership, military awards, or any other special recognition for outstanding service or achievement.
6. Please list your community service and/or pro bono activities.

In the interest of brevity, 34 “Due Diligent” questions are not provided. The questions include a wide array of very personal and intrusive questions including biographical questions, family history questions, educational history, work history with resume requested, military service history, real estate and asset ownership history, partnership and business interests owned, all sources of income and investments, tax history, political and civic affiliations, history of political donations, lobbying activities, history of positions held in profit and nonprofit organizations, civil litigation history, criminal arrest record history, published writings and disclosure of  financial and investment interests. The last question is “Please disclose anything you believe may appear in a professional background check that could require explanation.”

It has been confirmed that Deb Haaland personally met with and interviewed the candidates and reviewed their answers to the questionnaire . The candidate interviews and their questionnaire answers were confidential. After all the interviews were conducted, Deb Haaland deliberated and then announced her endorsement of Stephanie Garcia Richard.

It is clear Deb Haaland and her campaign went the “extra mile” and conducted a strong vetting process including sufficient  background checks to determine who Deb Haaland believes is the most compatible candidate to run with her as Lieutenant Governor. Only Deb Haaland, her campaign staff, know what was discussed.

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

DEB HAALAND’S ENDORSEMENT OF  A LT. GOVERNOR CANDIDATE

Deb Haaland had every right to endorse a candidate given that she is now the Democratic Party’s nominee for Governor. Deb Haaland is essentially the titular head of the Democratic Party. She earned the  right to endorse by winning the Democratic nomination for Governor in the largest landslide in State Democratic Party history securing 72.3% of the vote (156,861 votes) to Sam Bregman’s 27.7% of the vote (60,189). Deb Haaland now  heads the Democratic Party  ticket  for state government elective offices.

Simply put, Deb Haaland needed to make her thoughts known as to who she wanted as her running mate for Lt. Governor and especially who she feels she can trust. She needs a team player. New Mexico history is replete with too many New Mexico Governors and Lt. Governors, who ran independently in the primary,  who were then elected as a ticket, who simply did not get along, who did  not like each other, who did not trust each other and where relations were strained.

With her endorsement of Stephanie Garcia Richard, Deb Haaland has made her feelings known as to who she believes  is the most compatible with her, who she feels she can trust and who she will be able to work with once they are elected as a ticket. Simply put, Deb Haaland needs a team player and that is exactly what Stephanie Garcia Richard represents.

STATE SENATOR HAROLD POPE  

Senator Harold Pope Jr., age 53, was born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. Pope was commissioned in the US Air Force and eventually became a Captain specializing in satellite programs, weapon systems, and nuclear deterrence. In 2018, Pope retired from the U.S. Air Force as a Captain.  Harold Pope retired to  Albuquerque and it is believed he has  resided in New Mexico for 8 years.  After his retirement, Pope was appointed as a “facilities transition advisor” in the administration of Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller.

Pope has three master’s degrees. He has a Business Administration Masters degree  from the University of New Mexico, an operational leadership degree from the Air Force Air Command and Staff College and a Pharmaceutical Chemistry Degree from the University of Florida. In January, 2025, Pope announced that  he is  seeking a doctorate in education at Vanderbilt University.

SENATOR POPE’S LANSLIDE DEFEAT

Just because Senator Harold Pope ran for Lt. Governor does not mean he should automatically be the replacement for Maggie Toulouse Oliver as many of his supporters and some Democrats have suggested. That is not what the state election code mandates. It mandates that the Democratic Party State Central Committee make the final selection.

Democratic Party voters have already said NO to nominating Senator Pope for Lt. Governor.  Maggie Toulouse Oliver was elected in  a landslide victory over state Sen. Harold Pope Jr., securing  80% (168,109) of the votes to Pope’s 20% (42,127) cast around New Mexico. Replacing Maggie Toulouse Oliver with her primary opponent Harold Pope she defeated in a landslide would be an insult to her legacy.

SENATOR POPE’S REPUTATION AMONGST SENATE COLLEAGUES

In the event Senator Pope becomes Lt. Governor, he will become President of the New Mexico State Senate. Discussion of Senator  Pope’s  reputation amongst his senate colleagues is therefor in order.  Pope has served  as  a State Senator for almost six years with two years remaining on his current Senate term. Confidential N.M. Senate sources have said that Senator Pope is viewed by more than a few of  his Senate colleagues as independent and uncompromising  and that he is a “loner”  and an “ideological purist” who has  a sense entitlement causing resentment.

Senator Pope has been described by Senate colleagues as a  “political opportunist” with a  “holier than thou” and “self-righteous” attitude. Simply put, Senator Pope is viewed as not a “team player.” Legislators get uncomfortable each year when Pope proposes a measure that would ban lawmakers from drinking alcohol before or during any floor session or committee meeting. It routinely fails to pass the Senate, but Pope sends the message that he believes business is being conducted during legislative sessions while elected officials are under the influence of alcohol.

“POPE FOR THE PEOPLE” POLITICAL POPULIST AGENDA

The duties and responsibilities of the Lieutenant Governor are very limited and are not as extensive as the Governor’s. The job of Lieutenant Governor is largely ceremonial, and it  pays a full-time salary of $144,000. The biggest responsibility of the Lieutenant Governor is to  presides over the State Senate serving as the President of the Senate.

According to  his words and actions, Senator Pope will advocate for his own “Pope for the People”  political populism agenda. Senator Pope has said this about his candidacy:

“My campaign slogan, “Pope for the People,” defines my vision of elected office: public officials work FOR the people. It’s not about a title, or just one person. It’s about all of us, together, making sure that every New Mexican has a fair shot at a good, safe, and happy life. … As your next Lieutenant Governor, I will open the doors of government to the people of New Mexico to ensure that their voices are heard in the halls of power.”

With these words, Senator Pope essentially  declares a political populist agenda that reflects his own personal vision and priorities.  Senator  Pope has said this from the get-go:

“I just feel like I can do more in the executive position of lieutenant governor working for the governor full time.  I think, more importantly, it’s having someone at the table on the fourth floor being a voice for New Mexicans, and that’s really what I want to be.”

A Lieutenant Governor does not work full time for the governor. The Lieutenant Governor is the President of the Senate and that is the primary job duty and function of the office. It is the Governor “on the fourth floor” of the capital who is the voice for all New Mexicans. It is the Governor, not the Lieutenant Governor who leads State Government and sets policy and appoints a cabinet.

Senator Pope has said this in social media postings:

“I believe leadership means leading from the front. It means being willing to have difficult conversations, standing up to powerful interests, and fighting for the people who too often feel ignored by those in power. … The people of New Mexico do not need political establishment deciding their future for them. They need leaders who will show up, listen, and fight alongside them. That is the leader I have always been, and it is the leader I will continue to be as Lieutenant Governor.”

When Senator Pope says “leading from the front”, “willing to have difficult discussions” and “standing up to powerful interests”,  he is sending a clear message to all, especially Deb Haaland, that if he  is elected Lt. Governor with her,  he intends to stand up and advocate for his own populist agenda. It is a clear  message of confrontation and advocating his own political populist agenda. It is a clear message that he intends to call out  Deb Haaland on any actions and policies when he disagrees with her.

When Pope says “The people of New Mexico do not need political establishment deciding their future for them” he is denying that as a State Senator and as a Lt. Governor, he is and will be  part of the very political establishment he condemns making decisions that affect the future of his constituents.

All of Senator Pope’s  comments taken together reflect that he  does not understand that a Lieutenant Governor’s primary role is strictly that as a “support role”, to be a team player to the Governor who sets the all the priorities and legislative agenda for the Governor’s administration.

STATE LAND COMMISSIONER STEPHANIE GARCIA RICHARD 

Stephanie Garcia Richard, age 52, was born in Tucumcari, New Mexico and raised in Silver City, New Mexico. Garcia Richard grew up in a family that operated ranches on the eastern plans and northern mountains of New Mexico, sparking the strong connection to our land that she holds today. Garcia Richard says she learned at a young age from her parents the importance of serving others. Her father, a WWII veteran, was a teacher and her mother was active in their church and community. After graduating from Silver High School, Garcia Richard went on to earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Barnard College at Columbia University in New York, and her teaching certificate from UCLA. She is married to Eric Vasquez and the couple have two adult children.

STEPHANIE GARCIA RICHARD’S RECORD AS STATE REPRENTATIVE

Stephanie Garcia Richard understands fully the state’s legislative process in that she  was elected three times to the New Mexico House by comfortable margins.  She served in the House for a full six years. As a State Representative she championed laws to increase access to quality education, transparency, and investments in renewable energy, job training, and economic development.

While serving in the New Mexico House of Representatives, she served on the Education and Labor & Economic Development committee and served as chair for the House Education Committee.  During her tenure in the House of Representatives, Garcia Richard sponsored 105 bills and acted as a co-sponsor for 115 bills.  Garcia Richard served all six years when Republican Governor Susana Martinez was in office  and 2 years in the minority, when the Republicans took over the House.  She was part of the House leadership team that battled Governor Martinez every step of the way and was instrumental in helping the Democrats take back the house in 2016.

STEPHANIE GARCIA RICHARD RECORD AS LAND COMMISSIONER

In 2018, Stephanie Garcia Richard was elected the New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands to serve  a four-year term  and began serving on January 1, 2019. In 2022, Garcia Richard  was elected to a second four year term as Commissioner of Public Lands. Stephanie Garcia Richard is the first woman, the first Latina, and the first educator to serve in the position as New Mexico’s Commissioner of Public Lands.

As Land Commissioner, Garcia Richard has been focused on raising state funding by  administering public lands while always keeping an eye toward stewardship and preserving the land for generations to come. She believes that the state can diversify the revenue that comes into the Land Office by tripling the number of renewable energy projects, promoting outdoor recreation, and encouraging new and innovative commercial development on state trust land.

With the largest continuous oil and gas resources potential ever assessed in the world sitting in Southeast New Mexico, and land that is prime for wind and solar development, Commissioner Garcia Richard has been  committed to working to increase funding for the state while protecting the health of our public lands.

Major accomplishments by Land Commissioner Garcia Richard during her 8 years in office include expanding renewable energy on state trust lands by nearly sevenfold, launching New Mexico’s first community solar projects on state trust lands and generating more than $15 billion for New Mexico public schools and beneficiaries with her effective management of public lands

STEPHANIE GARCIA RICHARD AS A STATEWIDE CANDIDATE

Stephanie Garcia Richard has run successfully twice for Statewide office and won by very comfortable margins. She has the ability to raising an impressive amount campaign donations. Before dropping out of the race initially, she was considered the clear front runner having raised $171,921.52 . On the other hand, Senator Pope was never considered the front runner for Lt. Governor and he raised only $81,691.06.  Senator Pope did not carry his own Senate District when he ran and lost to  Maggie Toulouse Oliver by a whopping 60% of the vote or by 80% to 20%

Stephanie Garcia Richard has a much larger following and  base of support within the Democratic Party statewide than Harold Pope. She will be able to tap into her statewide organization to run a statewide campaign in conjunction with Deb Haaland. State Senator Harold Pope’s base of support is primarily the Albuquerque area where his Senate District is located.

The selection of Stephanie Garcia Richard as the Democratic Party Lt. Governor replacement nominee for Maggie Toulouse Oliver will preserve the historical significance of the Democratic party voting for the first time, in an overwhelming landslide, to nominate two women for the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

FINAL COMMENTARY

Stephanie Garcia Richard has made  it more than clear that she will be a team player as Lt. Governor when she said this:

“It’s critical that the next Lieutenant Governor be a true partner to Deb Haaland — working in lockstep to deliver real results for New Mexico families.”

Stephanie Garcia Richard is clearly  the most qualified candidate to be Lt. Governor.  She will bring a sense of stability and full cooperation and communication with Deb Haaland to the table that will  ensure the election of the Democratic Party ticket for Governor and Lt. Governor.  Stephanie Garcia Richard is more than capable and will perform the duties and responsibilities of Lt. Governor. More importantly, she  is qualified and can assume the office of Governor should Haaland for some reason leave office before her term ends.

The Democratic Party State Central Committee would be wise to vote Stephanie Garcia Richard as the party’s nominee for Lieutenant Governor.

On June 30^th, in a 6-3 majority vote, the United States Supreme Court, in the case of Trump v. Barbara,  struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship. The decision affirms that everyone child born in the United States is guaranteed  citizenship. The ruling reaffirms the more than 100-year-old understanding that nearly all of those born in the United States are citizens. With the decision, the Supreme Court has now invalidated a second of President  Trump’s signature initiatives from his second term, joining its ruling striking down many of his tariffs in February.

In a majority decision written  by Republican Chief Justice John Roberts, the U.S, Supreme Court  agreed with the challengers, as well as all of the lower courts around the country that have considered the issue, that Trump’s Executive Order  cannot be reconciled with the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution which states that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” Congress codified that language in federal immigration law, first in 1940 through the Nationality Act, and again in 1952 in the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The Supreme Court considered the meaning of the clause in a landmark case in 1898 and affirmed the rule of citizenship by birth, with rare exceptions for the children of foreign diplomats, occupying armies and members of Native American tribes. Congress in 1924 enacted legislation conferring citizenship on all Native Americans born in the U.S.

Republicans Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Democrat Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson agreed that President Trump’s executive order violates the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution. Republican Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote separately to say he believes the order violates federal law. Republican Supreme Court  Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch dissented.

Writing for the majority, Republican Chief Justice Roberts emphasized that the “children born of parents unlawfully or temporarily present in the United States satisfy both elements of the Citizenship Clause. … Under the Constitution they are citizens at birth.”

Justice Roberts explained that under early English law, children who were born in Britain automatically became British subjects. Roberts observed “This view crossed the Atlantic with the colonists and was adopted with little fanfare after the Revolution.”

In 1868, the 14th Amendment was adopted to repudiate the Supreme Court’s infamous 1857 ruling in Dred Scott v. Sandford, holding that a Black person whose ancestors were brought to this country and sold as enslaved persons was not entitled to any protection from the federal courts because he was not a U.S. citizen. In so doing, Roberts wrote  the framers of the amendment intended to “permanently enshrine” the existing understanding of birthright citizenship and that “A child born on American soil and subject to American law was made an American citizen.”

The Supreme Court then reaffirmed that principle in 1898 in the case of Wong Kim Ark, who was born in San Francisco to parents of Chinese descent. When he returned to the United States from a visit to China in 1895, immigration officials would not allow him to enter the country on the ground that he was not a U.S. citizen. Roberts wrote this:

“What the Court held in Wong Kim Ark was simple. … The Citizenship Clause incorporated the common law and granted citizenship to nearly all children born in the United States. Not surprisingly, then, in the 128 years since, we have repeatedly understood the rule [of that case] to guarantee citizenship to all children born in the United States and subject to its power.”

Roberts rejected the government’s argument that, even if birthright citizenship was the norm in early U.S. history, by the time the 14th Amendment was enacted, the key question was whether a child owed “primary allegiance” to the United States, which in turn hinged on “domicile” which is defined as the place where someone has a permanent home. As an initial matter, Roberts said, “there is scant evidence for this dramatically revisionist view.”  Justice Roberts added if Congress “intended to limit American citizenship to the children of those domiciled in the United States, nothing in the succinct language of the Citizenship Clause conveyed that design.” Roberts concluded by writing this:

“Citizenship, then and now was the right to have rights—to freely participate in our political community. The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to ‘every free-born person in this land.’ We keep that promise today.”

Republican Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed with the result that the court reached  that President Trump’s Executive Order is invalid  but he did not agree with its reasoning. In his Kavanaugh’s view, Trump’s Executive Order prohibiting birthright citizenship “does not violate the Fourteenth Amendment” but does violate a federal law providing that children who are “born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” are U.S. citizens.  Kavanaugh suggested that  Congress “could amend” that law “or otherwise enact new legislation establishing exceptions to birthright citizenship for children born to foreign citizens unlawfully or temporarily in the country”  but  he noted “Congress has not yet done so.”

DISSENTING OPINIONS

In a dissenting opinion, Republican Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito called the ruling both “one of the most important decisions in the history of the Court” and “a serious mistake.”  Alito wrote this:

“Careful analysis of the text of the Fourteenth Amendment and the process that led to its adoption shows that it does not degrade the concept of United States citizenship in this way. Instead, the Fourteenth Amendment confers citizenship on only those children who, at birth, owe allegiance solely to this country.”

Republican Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a lengthy dissent, which Republican  Justice Neil Gorsuch joined. He called the majority’s account “not historically accurate”. In his   91-page dissent, more than three times as long as Roberts’ opinion, Republican Justice Clarence Thomas  wrote this:

“The Court today takes the extraordinary step of holding facially unconstitutional the President’s Order excluding from citizenship the children of foreign temporary visitors and illegal aliens. … In doing so, the Court adds to the sad history of the Fourteenth Amendment, which was designed and understood to secure equal rights for the freed blacks but has instead been repurposed for political projects that the Reconstruction Congress did not support.”

Republican Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote a separate dissent. He appeared to suggest that Trump’s executive order might violate the United States Constitution as it applies to the children of undocumented immigrants who intend to live in the United States permanently. Gorsuch questioned “If those parents are not domiciled here, then where are they domiciled? And if the answer is nowhere, how can we reconcile that conclusion with this Court’s longstanding recognition that every person is domiciled somewhere?”  Gorsuch explained that because the challengers in this case argued that Trump’s order is invalid in all circumstances, rather than just some “these questions may not be properly before us. But their answers are undeniably important to a Nation committed to a view of citizenship open to all children born here to parents who can call this country their home.”

In separate opinions, both Republican Supreme Court Justices Kavanaugh and Justice Samuel Alito suggested that if there was an appetite to limit birthright citizenship, as President Trump attempted to do unilaterally, Congress could enact legislation doing so. Kavanaugh wrote this:

“Congress could — consistent with the Fourteenth Amendment — amend [the Immigration and Nationality Act] or otherwise enact new legislation establishing exceptions to birthright citizenship for children born to foreign citizens unlawfully or temporarily in the country. But Congress has not yet done so.”

CHRONOLOGY OF APPEAL ON TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER

It was on January  20, 2025 that Republican President Donald Trump issued his executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship shortly after he was sworn into office for a second term. It provides that babies who are born in the United States to parents who are in this country either illegally or temporarily are not automatically entitled to citizenship.  President Trump’s order was slated to go into effect 30 days after he signed it. It never did

Trump’s Executive order was met immediately with legal challenges in courts across the country. Judges in New Hampshire, Washington, Massachusetts and Maryland quickly blocked enforcement of the policy nationwide. The Trump administration pursued emergency appeals of those decisions, eventually landing the issue before the Supreme Court last year. But those cases involved the scope of the lower court orders, known as nationwide injunctions, and not the legality Trump’s effort to limit birthright citizenship.

Faced with the prospect that  President Trump’s order could be on hold indefinitely, the Trump administration came to the Supreme Court last spring, asking the justices to weigh in on whether the lower courts can issue “universal” or “nationwide” injunction orders that bar the enforcement of laws or policies anywhere in the country. By a vote of 6 to 3, the United States Supreme  court ruled that they cannot.

After the Supreme Court’s decision prohibiting universal injunctions, cases challenging the merits of President  Trump’s order continued in the lower courts. On July 10, 2025, a federal judge in New Hampshire issued a preliminary injunction that blocked the government from enforcing the order against a class of babies born after Feb. 20, 2025, who are or would be denied U.S. citizenship by the order. U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante concluded “that the Executive Order likely ‘contradicts the text of the Fourteenth Amendment and the century-old untouched precedent that interprets it.’”

The Trump administration  appealed to the Supreme Court on September 26, 2025 asking it to review Judge Joseph Laplante’s ruling without waiting for a federal appeals court to weigh in. The Supreme Court granted the government’s request on December  5, 2025 and the case was argued on April 1, 2026. On Tuesday, June 30 the Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s decision.

TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER

President Trump’s executive order sought to change the long-held definition of who is an American citizwen. Trump and his administration argued that unrestricted birthright citizenship has served as a powerful incentive for illegal immigration and birth tourism. They said the Citizenship Clause has been misread since the mid-20th century.

While the administration said President Trump’s measure would have applied only prospectively, the effects would have been far-reaching. According to the Migration Policy Institute and Penn State’s Population Research Institute, an estimated 250,000 babies born in the U.S. would be denied citizenship each year under the executive order.

In a sign of the case’s importance, President  Trump  attended the oral arguments in April, becoming the first sitting president in modern history to view such proceedings at the high court. Still, the president indicated in social media posts across the past few months that he believed he may not prevail before the Supreme Court.

TRUMP’S REACTION TO RULING

On June 30, when the Supreme  Court’s Courts ruling was released, President Trump immediately wrote in a post on Truth Social:

“The Supreme Court upheld Birthright Citizenship, which is too bad for our Country, but we can easily make it up in Congress through Legislation, with the support of the President, that has now been determined during this process. … No long and unwieldy Constitutional Amendment is necessary! Congress should start TODAY to work on ending expensive and unfair to our Country, Birthright Citizenship. They will have my Complete and Total Support!”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)  argued the case before the Supreme Court. ACLU lawyer Cecelia Wang, the lead lawyer said congressional action would go against the grain of American life and said this:

“Ask any American what our citizenship rule is, and they will tell you if you’re born here, you’re a citizen, just like everyone else, and that couldn’t be more fundamental to who we are as a nation.”

WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF PROPOSES TO BAN PREGNANT WOMEN FROM ENTERING THE UNITED STATES

On June 30, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller proposed to ban pregnant women from entering the U.S. after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship. Miller appeared on Fox News to denounce the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the long-term constitutional right to give citizenship to every individual born in the U.S. He argued that the Trump administration will now order immigration agents at airports to “think very carefully” about who they let into the country.  Miller said this:

“You have to now think very carefully about who you let into your country, even on a temporary basis, because the possibility … for birth tourism … [which is] the idea that people come here just to have babies on American soil, and that the baby gets to be a citizen for life. … So you have mothers that come in fully pregnant, have a baby, go home, and again, that baby gets Medicaid, and that baby gets welfare, and that baby gets cash assistance, and can send, you know, leave the baby with, you know, a cousin, a relative, whatever, and then just send welfare checks back home.”

Opposition to immigration has long been at the very core of  President Donald Trump’s campaigns. Trump has effectively tapped into public frustration with issues like soaring illegal border crossings during the Biden administration when border arrests from Mexico reached a record-high of 250,000 in just one month.  Trump has described birthright citizenship as a “magnet for illegal immigration,” with other administration officials often pointing to “birth tourism” networks that arrange for non-U.S. citizens to come to the country solely to give birth.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said this during his Fox News appearance:

“You can support a whole family in the third world. So yes, you can’t have the kinds of immigration programs other countries have when you can just have a baby here and now that child is an American citizen. So there’s a lot of things we’re going to have to take a hard look at.”

The link to a relied upon or quoted news source is here:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/stephen-miller-proposes-banning-pregnant-women-from-entering-the-us-after-birthright-citizenship-ruling/ar-AA26YZoN

NEW MEXICO OFFICIALS REACT TO SUPREME COURT RULING

A coalition of states, including New Mexico, challenged the order in federal court. Preliminary nationwide injunctions blocked the policy from taking effect while the litigation proceeded. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez earlier joined a coalition of 24 state attorneys general and the City and County of San Francisco in filing a friend-of-the-court brief arguing that the executive order violated the 14th Amendment. The brief also argued that implementing the order would have imposed significant legal, financial and administrative burdens on states.

Attorney General Raúl Torres praised the Supreme Court decision, calling the ruling a victory for the rule of law and constitutional protections. In a statement, Torrez said this:

“Today’s decision reaffirms one of the clearest promises in the United States Constitution: if you are born on American soil, you are an American citizen. … [Trump’s executive order is] a blatant abuse of executive authority. … [The Supreme Court]  reaffirmed that no president has the power to strip constitutional rights from children born in this country.”

New Mexico Speaker of the House Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque, called the high court’s decision to uphold the constitutionality of birthright citizenship “a critical victory — not just for our immigrant communities, but for all Americans.”

U.S. Representative  Gabe Vasquez, whose district includes New Mexico’s shared border with Mexico, said the ruling protects a law that “has paved the way for millions of successful, patriotic and proud American citizens — and as America charts its next 250 years, that law must continue to stand.”

U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., responded to the decision on Facebook and criticized Trump and his adviser Stephen Miller for making it part of their immigration policy and she said this:

“If you are born in America, you are American. Simple constitutional concept. It should not have taken the Supreme Court this long to overturn Trump and Stephen Miller’s attempts to declare who can and cannot be citizens.”

Marcela Díaz, executive director of Somos un Pueblo Unido, an immigrant and labor rights organization said this:

“It affirms a core principle: we belong here. … “Immigrant workers are essential to New Mexico’s cultural fabric and the economy, and our children deserve full rights and opportunity.  [The ruling is]  a key protection for our families and communities.”

Mike Nelson, interim chair of the Republican Party of New Mexico, condemned the Republican controlled Supreme Court and said this in a statement:

“Today, the Supreme Court decision overrode the will of the American people.  [Under former President Joe Biden] the Democrats let millions of illegal aliens pour through our borders exploiting the birthright loopholes, but President Trump’s victory in 2024 showed that the American people want secure borders.”

Links to quoted or relied upon news sources are here:

https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/06/supreme-court-strikes-down-trumps-order-ending-birthright-citizenship/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-trump-decision/

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/supreme-court-upholds-birthright-citizenship/3072952

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/new-mexico-democrats-praise-u-s-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-ruling/article_702ffad4-c29a-4b4b-a115-1f64ee0216f4.html

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

It’s delightful  that the Republican United States Supreme Court ruled that the United State Constitution is indeed constitutional. This time the Supreme Court  decided not to take away any one’s constitutional rights as they did with  a woman’s right to choose and now with birthright to citizenship. The United States Supreme Court ruling rejecting and striking down President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship can only be considered the exception and not the rule of the Republican United States Supreme Court.  The Supreme Court usually just rolls over giving Donald Trump everything and anything he wants to carry out his right wing agenda and the agenda of the Republican Party. The legitimacy of the Supreme Court is seriously in jeopardy  given how political it has become.

Historically, Supreme Courts are referred to by the last names of the Chief Justice presiding at a given time who is appointed by the President, such as the  Marshal Court, the Warren Court, the Burger Court, the Rehnquist Court and now the Roberts court. The United States Supreme Court since its very inception has been viewed with a unique sense of mystic or awe and respect because it consistently interpreted the United States Constitution as a “living, evolving document” meaning one that evolved and allowed and protected civil rights and remedies to conform with changing times, changing norms, changing viewpoints. Without such constitutional evolution, slavery would still exist in the United States, woman would not be allowed to vote, discrimination based on a person’s gender, race, color or religion would be allowed, interracial marriage would be illegal, and the doctrine of “sperate but equal” and Jim Crow laws would still be the law of the land.

Part of the greatness of the Supreme Court has always been that the public has had a tremendous respect for the Supreme Court because it has been viewed by and large as “fair and impartial” and “a political” not subservient to any president, political party, or religious philosophy beliefs. That is no longer the case. Conservative Republican Associate Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett were all appointed to the United States Supreme Court by  President Donald Trump during his first term. Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett have joined Conservative Republican Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. and Associate Justices Clarence Thomas and  Samuel A. Alito, Jr. to set aside constitutional  rights and civil rights. The six MAGA Conservative Justices have marginalize Progressive Democratic Progressive Associate Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan,  Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The 6 appointed MAGA Republican Justices have had  a tremendous and very negative impact on the  civil rights and constitutional rights of  the American people with  their judicial activism and case decisions  rendered ignoring and  setting aside historical judicial precedent.  The United State Supreme Court has issued major decisions  confirming it has become a far “right wing activist court” hell bent on setting aside and destroying basic constitutional rights and protections while giving President Trump unlimited powers.

Major Supreme Court decisions based on political dogma promoting the Republican conservative agenda include striking  down decades of affirmative action in college admissions, ruling  that  Christian business owners can discriminate and withhold services to the LGBTQ+ community based on religious grounds, invalidated President Joe Biden’s student loan debt relief plan. With the reversal of Roe v. Wade and the denial and reversal of a well settled constitutional right for a woman’s right to choose an abortion, and the decision granting President Trump  broad immunity from criminal prosecutions, the  United State Supreme Court has lost its legitimacy and credibility with the American people.

Given Trump’s reaction the Supreme Court ruling and telling  congress to get rid of the 14^th amendment and  White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller proposing  to ban pregnant women from entering the U.S. after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship, it’s clear President Trump  has no respect for the United States Supreme Court.  It’s becoming plainly clear that neither does the public.

On July 7,  a remarkable  report on President Trump’s Unfavorable and Favorable ratings taken by 15 of the nations top pollsters was published on line. The  article was written by reporter Victoria E. Freile  and originally published by  the  Rochester Democrat and Chronicle and is entitled Trump approval ratings: Here’s where the latest polls stand after July 4

Following is the full  unedited report

America’s semiquincentennial and Independence Day weekend is in the rearview mirror, but how is President Donald Trump performing as president?

In the latest The Economist/YouGov survey, voters said that President Trump has not paid enough attention to the nation’s most pressing problems.

A recent Economist/YouGov survey found that 60% of respondents believe Trump has not focused on the country’s most important issues. The findings come as Americans continue to grapple with high living costs and economic uncertainty. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said the country is headed in the right direction, while 61% said it is on the wrong track, according to the survey. 

The poll also found Trump struggling with several key issues. More than half of respondents said they disapproved of his handling of health care, education, abortion and the environment.

Donald Trump approval ratings: What polls show

Note: Polls are constantly changing and different pollsters ask different varieties of the population.

New York Times

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest New York Times poll (July 6, 2026):

• Favorable:      39%
• Unfavorable:  58%

Rasmussen

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest Rasmussen poll (July 3, 2026):

• Favorable:      40%
• Unfavorable:  58%

The latest figures include 23% of U.S. voters who “strongly approve” of the job Trump is doing as president as well as 47% of voters who “strongly disapprove,” according to the report.

Silver Bulletin

Most recent Trump approval rating according to Pollster Nate Silver’s “Silver Bulletin” newsletter (July 3, 2026):

• Favorable:       40%
• Unfavorable:    57%

RealClear Polling

Most recent Trump approval rating according to the latest from RealClear Polling (July 1, 2026):

• Favorable:      40%
• Unfavorable:   58%

 Morning Consult

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest from Morning Consult poll (July 1 2026):

• Favorable:      43%
• Unfavorable:  54%

 Civiqs

Most recent Trump approval rating according to Civiqs poll (July 1, 2026):

• Favorable:       37%
• Unfavorable:   58%
• Not sure:           5%

 The Economist

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest from The Economist (June 30, 2026):

• Favorable:      37%
• Unfavorable:   59%
• Not sure:         5%

The latest report shows that voters believe the top three most important issues Americans are facing are inflation/prices, jobs and the economy, followed by health care. This ranking has remained steady since the start of Trump’s second presidential term.

Big Data Poll

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest Big Data Poll: (June 29, 2026):

• Favorable:        43%
• Unfavorable:    53%
• Not sure:           4%

President Trump, according to the poll, has the most support on how he is handling immigration and border security and has the least amount of support on how he is handling the rising inflation and cost of living.

Quinnipiac University

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll (June 24, 2026):

• Favorable:       38%
• Unfavorable:   55%

Echelon Insights

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest Echelon Insights poll (June 22, 2026):

• Favorable:        41%
• Unfavorable:   58%

 Reuters/IPSOS

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest Reuters/IPSOS poll (June 22, 2026):

• Favorable:       37%
• Unfavorable:   62%

 CBS News

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest CBS News poll: (June 21, 2026):

• Favorable:       38%
• Unfavorable:   62%

Associated Press/NORC

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll: (June 19, 2026):

• Favorable:       37%
• Unfavorable:   62%

Quantus Insights

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest Quantus Insights poll (June 18, 2026):

• Favorable:       43%
• Unfavorable:   56%

FOX News

Most recent Trump approval rating, according to the latest Fox News poll (June 17, 2026):

• Favorable:        39%
• Unfavorable:   60%

EDITOR’S NOTE: The FOX News poll is the most significant poll because the FOX network is nothing more than Trump’s personal  propaganda news agency promoting all things Trump and given the number of  Fox News reporters and commentators Trump has hired and made part of his administration. It appears even his preferred news agency has turn on him and viewers switch. (See below article).

Links to quoted or relied upon news sources are here:

Trump approval ratings: Here’s where the latest polls stand after July 4

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-approval-ratings-heres-where-081219373.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

FOX NEWS RATINGS DISASTER AS VIEWERS SWITCH OFF TRUMP’S FAVORITE NETWORK

On July 8, TV Insider published the following report written by reporter Martin Holmes:

“The cable news ratings for June 2026 are in, and while Fox News remained comfortably in the No. 1 spot in total viewers, President Trump‘s favorite network was down significantly compared to the same period last year.

According to AdWeek, citing Nielsen big data + panel numbers, Fox News averaged 2.26 million total viewersin primetime and 197,000 viewers in the coveted Adults 25-54 demographic for the month of June. In total day, the network averaged 1.451 million total viewers and 133,000 demo viewers.

Fox News was down 5 percent in total viewers and down 6 percent in the demo during primetime compared to May 2026. And it was a similar story across total day, with a 5 percent drop in total viewers and a 6 percent drop in the key demo.

The year-over-year declines were even more noticeable, with the network dropping 19 percent in total viewers and a massive 43 percent in the demo during primetime compared to June 2025. In total day, Fox News was down 15 percent in total viewers and 40 percent in the demo.”

The link to review the full report with photos is here:

https://www.tvinsider.com/1274200/fox-news-ratings-cnn-ms-now-newsnation-newsmax/

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

From a historical perspective, the party that controls the White House loses congressional races in both the United States House and Senate.  It is always the popularity of the President that has a major impact on the outcome of the midterm elections, as was the case with Presidents Republican George W. Bush and Democrat  Barack Obama.

It’s more likely than not Trump’s unfavorable ratings will continue to tank and will reach historical lows over the next three months as the Iran War he started without congressional approval continues to drag on, as gas and oil prices continue to soar,  as the economy tanks even further and as American citizens deal with the high cost of living, consumer goods and groceries and the affordability crisis. Simply put, Trump is on track to becoming the single most disliked President in American history, despite Trump referring to himself repeatedly as “your favorite President” and labeling  his poll numbers as “fake news.” Trump will likely cost the Republicans control of congress. Let’s hope so!

According to the New Mexico Secretary of State campaign finance reporting system, Democratic Party nominee for Governor Deb Haaland currently has a 7 to 1 cash advantage over Republican Party nominee for Governor Gregg Hull before the November 3 general election.

On July 2, Democrat Deb Haaland reported to the Secretary of State that she had raised roughly $1.1 million during a four-week period that began just before the June 2 primary election. The total  fundraising brought the balance of her campaign account to nearly $2.3 million after spending roughly $11.6 million in the primary on her campaign. Following are the balances of contributions and expenditures for Deb Haaland as reflected on the Secretary of State’s campaign finance reporting system:

Date of Last Filing: July 2, 2026

• Total Contributions:      $13,873,984.99
• Total Expenditures:       $11,595,143.49
• In-Kind Contributions:         $36,594.68
• Current Debt Balance:                  $0.00
• Current Cash Balance:   $2,278,841.50

https://login.cfis.sos.state.nm.us/index.html#/exploreDetails/o-FWxlqdlSZjoP5Ut0jHQX1lK5MpzTLbNw12UnzEQ-I1/5/0/125/2026

https://login.cfis.sos.state.nm.us/index.html#/explore/candidate

On July 2,  Republican Gregg Hull reported to the Secretary of State that he raised  more than $349,000 during the recent reporting period. He enters the summer with $297,838 in his campaign account as he seeks to be elected Governor. The latest campaign finance reports covering the time period of May 27 to June 27 reveal that Gregg  Hull did not get much of a bump from his June 2 primary victory over primary opponents Doug Turner and Duke Rodriquez. Hull has yet to raise $1 million with a total of $945,140.32 raised.  Hull reported raising $349,000 for the month and he has  cash on hand of $298,000 heading into the final four months before the Nov. 3 election.
Following are the balances of contributions and expenditures for the Gregg Hull campaign  as reflected on the Secretary of State’s campaign finance reporting system:

Date of Last Filing: July 3, 2026

• Total Contributions:             $945,140.32
• Total Expenditures:              $647,302.05
• In-Kind Contributions:           $42,715.76
• Current Debt Balance:                    $0.00
• Current Cash Balance         $297,838.27

https://login.cfis.sos.state.nm.us/index.html#/exploreDetails/pyDxIVw11ZjA5jjAGYukHH1lK5MpzTLbNw12UnzEQ-I1/5/0/125/2026

https://login.cfis.sos.state.nm.us/index.html#/explore/candidate

The campaign finance  reports filed with the Secretary of State on July 3 covered the four-week period  from May 27 through June 27. These were the final reports required for the primary election cycle. Candidates for all offices on the November 3 ballot will have to file additional reports this fall as the  general election approaches.

This year’s race for governor is open because incumbent Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is barred under the state Constitution from seeking a third consecutive term. The two-term Democratic governor will step down at the end of this year.

MOST EXPENSIVE PRIMARY ELECTION IN STATE HISTORY

The 2026  race for governor is the most expensive in state history, driven primarily by hefty spending in the Democratic primary contest between Deb Haaland and Sam Bregman. According to the New Mexico Secretary of State campaign finance reporting system, following are the amounts raised and spent by the 5 candidates for Governor in the 2026 primary:

DEMOCRAT DEB HAALAND

• TOTAL RAISED:     $12,556,264
• TOTAL SPENT:       $10,952,771

DEMOCRAT SAM BREGMAN:

• TOTAL RAISED:     $3,875,124
• TOTAL SPENT:       $4,000,162

REPUBLICAN DUKE RODRIQUEZ

• TOTAL RAISED:     $1,515,798
• TOTAL SPENT:       $1,232,427

REPUBLICAN DOUG W. TURNER

• TOTAL RAISED:     $982,552
• TOTAL SPENT:       $982,752

REPUBLICAN GREGG HULL

• TOTAL RAISED:     $610,336
• TOTAL SPENT:       $577,489

The link to the news source is here:

https://login.cfis.sos.state.nm.us/#/index

HAALAND’S NATIONAL POLITCAL FIGURE STATUS

Deb Haaland won the Democratic nomination for Governor in the largest landslide in State Democratic Party history securing 72.3% of the vote (156,861 votes) to Sam Bregman’s 27.7% of the vote (60,189). Deb Haaland won every single county in the state by varying percentages. In Santa Fe County she won with 80% of the Democratic vote. In Bernalillo County Haaland won with 69%. In Dona Ana County, she won with 79%. In conservative Chavez County, thought to lean moderate Bregman, she won with 73%.

In her bid to become New Mexico’s next Governor, Deb Haaland  has received contributions from all around the United States. She is clearly a national figure driven in part by the fact that  she will be the first Native American woman ever elected governor and that she was the first Native American woman who has served as a Presidential Cabinet Secretary of Interior.  Haaland was appointed Secretary of Interior by President Joe Biden. Her latest campaign report details donors surpassing 2,400 pages.

Among the hundreds of donations received by Haaland were contributions of more than $8,200 apiece from three New Mexico hospitals  in Las Cruces, Carlsbad and Roswell owned by Tennessee-based Community Health Systems.  Former U.S. Interior secretary under President Joe Biden was also given  a $10,400 donation from the Democratic Governors Association, a Washington D.C.-based group that has also been active in past New Mexico gubernatorial races.

On July 6, Haaland’s  campaign spokeswoman Hannah Menchhoff  told the Albuquerque Journal  that  one explanation for Deb Haaland’s success at fundraising are her  plans to lower costs, improve public education and expand access to healthcare and these issues are striking a chord with New Mexicans  as  well and residents of other states. Menchhoff said this:

“That message resonates with voters because they face these issues every day, and that’s exactly why we’re seeing such strong numbers.  She is incredibly grateful for the grassroots support from across the state, and enters the final four months of the general election in a commanding position.”

GREGG HULL’S GRASSROOTS APPROACH EFFORTS

The results of the Republican primary for Governor where a lot closer than  the Democratic primary for Governor. Former three-term Republican Rio Rancho Mayor   Gregg Hull prevailed to win the Republican nomination claiming  victory over business owner Doug Turner and cannabis entrepreneur Duke Rodriguez in a three-way race for the GOP nomination. Gregg Hull secured 47% of the vote (56,412), Doug W. Turner secured 36.9% of the vote (44,319) and Duke Rodriguez secured 16.1% of the vote (19,288)

Republican former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull is describing his campaign for Governor as a grassroots effort focused on New Mexicans. However, Hull did acknowledged during the primary election cycle that his fundraising totals might make it difficult for him to launch a TV ad barrage.

The Hull for Governor campaign did receive several large contributions since winning a three-way GOP primary race, including donations from Roswell auto dealer Thomas Krumland and the state Republican Party. But his overall fundraising levels remain far below the amount raised by Republican nominee Mark Ronchetti at the same point in the 2022 race for governor.

Despite the sizable cash disadvantage, Hull pointed out he won the Republican nomination even though he spent less money than his two opponents Doug W. Turner and Duke Rodriguez.

Republican Gregg Hull said this in a statement:

“This isn’t new territory for us: Our primary opponents significantly outspent our campaign, and we still won that race handily because New Mexicans were voting on record and leadership, not bank accounts. … New Mexicans are looking for real results, real experience solving problems and experience delivering progress.  I spent 12 years as Mayor of Rio Rancho proving I can do that — and I’m going to keep making that case in every corner of this state.” 

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/haaland-holds-big-cash-advantage-over-hull-in-new-mexicos-open-race-for-governor/3077332

https://login.cfis.sos.state.nm.us/#/index

https://login.cfis.sos.state.nm.us/index.html#/explore/candidate

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Control of New Mexico’s Governor’s Office has flipped back and forth between Democrats and Republicans over the last 40-plus years. The last time a governor was elected to replace an outgoing governor of the same political party was in 1982, when Toney Anaya was elected to succeed fellow Democrat Bruce King.

In the last 30 years, New Mexicans have  elected Republicans Gary Johnson and Susana Martinez to the Governor’s Office each serving two four year terms for a total of 16 years. However, no Republican has won a statewide race in New Mexico since former Supreme Court justice Judith Nakamura did so in 2016. Today, New Mexico is considered “solid blue” Democratic state.

Democrats currently hold virtually all statewide offices and a majority in both legislative chambers. Democrats have large majorities in both the New Mexico State Senate and House of Representatives and that will not change. There are  26 Democrats, 16 Republicans in the NM Senate.  In the NM House of Representative there are 44 Democrats and 26 Republicans. All 5 of New Mexico’s federal congressional delegation of 2 United States Senators and 3 Representatives are Democrats. In the last 3 Presidential elections, Donald Trump lost New Mexico to Democrats. In  2016 Donald Trump lost to Hillary Clinton, in 2020  Trump lost to Joe Biden and in 2024 Trump lost to Kamala Harris.

It is very clear from reviewing Democrat Deb Haaland’s campaign’s donor list  she has become a national figure in American politics. It must be acknowledged that Haaland has built a  national donor network that she will no doubt  be able to draw on again to raise even more money for the general election.

Republican nominee Gregg Hull now has the daunting and very difficult task of convincing  potential donors of his electoral viability to close the money gap and ultimately win the election. Making matters even worse for Gregg Hull is the fact that New Mexico is considered a solid blue state and he is running against the head winds of very unpopular President Trump and the likelihood of a “blue wave” nationally come November 3.

 

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

— Matthew 19:13-14

On June 8,  2026, the New Mexico Voices for Children released the “2026 Kids Count Data Book, State Trends In Child Well Being.” The annual “Kids Count” Data Book is prepared by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The Casey foundation is a nonprofit based in Maryland focusing on improving the well-being and future of American children and their families. The Kids Count Data Book provides an annual detailed report of how children are faring overall compared to other states  and in the four major categories of Education, Health, Family and Community and Economic Well Being. By providing policymakers and advocates with benchmarks of child and young adult well-being, the Foundation seeks to enrich local, state and national discussions concerning ways to enable all kids and youth to succeed.

The Anne Casey Children’s Data Book with rankings was first published in 1990 or 36 years ago. Critics have suggested that the Kids Count Data Book is an attempt to promote government spending on social programs, and particularly for the poor, using public sympathy for children to generate public support for social programs that serve adults as well. Others have suggested that it  paints a picture that is far more gloomy than realistic.

Following are New Mexico’s rankings contained in 2026 Kids Count Data Book compared to all other states in all five categories:

1. Overall:        49
2. Education:   50
3. Health:          41
4. Family and Community:   50
5. Economic well-being:       47

Links to review the 2026 Kids Count Data Book are here:

https://www.aecf.org/resources/2026-kids-count-data-book

https://www.aecf.org/interactive/databook?l=35

https://www.aecf.org/interactive/databook

DATA DOWNLOAD BREAKDOWN

Though New Mexico made modest gains in economic outcomes and health, the state ranked last in Education and in Family and Community. After five years of ranking 50^th, New Mexico is now ranked 49th in the country for child well-being with Mississpi ranked 50^th and Louisiana ranked 48^th.  According to New Mexico Voices for Children, the data, which reflect conditions in 2024, suggest that many child well-being indicators continue to recover from disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The data book compares figures from 2024 using a set of federal and state databases, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics.  The report’s authors assigned New Mexico a score of 281 points out of a possible 1,000 for overall child well-being. Mississippi ranks last, with a score of 271. New Hampshire is in first place at 838. The national average is 547.

Though New Mexico made modest gains in economic outcomes and health, the state ranked last in education and in family and community. New Mexico made strides in Economic Well-Being and Health domains. However, for the 10th consecutive year, New Mexico ranks 50th in education.

SMALL UPWARD TREND  PART OF STORY

Even though there is  much room for improvement, the data showed a small upward trend from pandemic-era dips.  Emily Wildau, the Policy Director at New Mexico Voices for Children, the  nonprofit that partnered with the Casey Foundation on the data book said this:

“We saw some really positive signs of recovery.”

For others, the numbers tell only one part of the story. Merranda Marin, a child psychologist and professor at New Mexico State University said this:

“I think it’s important to acknowledge that progress whenever progress occurs, but I think that we can’t get too overly focused on the ranking itself. … We really need to ask ourselves, are the children in New Mexico healthier? Are they safer? Are they more connected to their families? Are they more successful in school than they were, say five years ago?”

47^th ECONOMIC WELL BEING RANKING

New Mexico ranked 47 in Economic Well-Being. The report measured economic outcomes using data on child poverty, parental employment status, housing cost burdens and the number of teenagers not in school or working.  While the authors of the Kids Count Data Book  said  data from 2024 doesn’t reflect today’s economic or social realities, New Mexico made some of the largest advancements in childhood economic well-being of any state that year, according to the data.

New Mexico has one of the lowest median household incomes of any state in the nation and one of the highest rates of child poverty. A whopping  22% of children in New Mexico live in poverty which is well over the U.S. average of 15%, but still the lowest number recorded in more than 15 years.

Emily Wildau, the Policy Director at New Mexico Voices for Children, said this of the number of children in New Mexico living in poverty:

“It’s still high. It’s still something that we as a state can continue to work on, but it is moving in the right direction pretty consistently, and the overall improvements that we saw in economic well-being were really, really positive.”

Wildau suspects the economic gains are due in part to the lingering effects of the state’s minimum wage increases in 2022 and 2023.

New Mexico has also amended several tax rebates and credits, including its child tax credit, which allows families to claim anywhere from $26 to $637 per child in income tax refunds  which likely has a residual effect on poverty rankings.

Stephanie Schardin Clarke, Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department,  said this:

“[Tax credits for parents and working families]  are making a difference to really move the needle on poverty in families in New Mexico, especially for lower income families and families with children. ”

One of New Mexico’s biggest investments into the well-being of its children is the state’s universal childcare program, launched late last year by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and fully funded by the New Mexico Legislature.  New Mexico’s universal child care program is the first and only such program in the United States. Since the data book is two years behind, it also won’t show the full impacts of the program until later. It’ s more likely than not that Universal Childcare might mean fewer children in households with a high housing cost burden because families could have more money to spend on housing or more young children who are enrolled in school.

41^st CHILDREN’S HEALTH RANKING

New Mexico ranked 41 in Children’s Health ranking. New Mexico has one of the highest rates of homicide and suicide in the country. Despite those rates, New Mexico  made progress in its Children’s Health rankings by reducing its rate of child and teen death by 22% from 2023 to 2024.

Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in the United States, and in 2024, New Mexico had the second-highest rate of death by firearm in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The drop between 2023 and 2024 could be attributable to a drop in suicides after worsening mental health during the pandemic.

Emily Wildau, the Policy Director at New Mexico Voices for Children, said this:

“We are hopeful that that’s the beginning of a trend now that the state is really spending money on trying to really rebuild and bolster behavioral health services.”

50^th EDUCATION RANKING

New Mexico ranked 50^th, dead last, in Education in the Kids Count data book which is consistent with its performance in the last decade.

The Kids’ Count Data report  assigned each state a score from 1 to 1,000, which compared states to their own education statistics from five years prior. New Jersey, in first, scored 731 points. New Mexico scored one point, showing that not only does the state have the worst test results, it has made the least amount of progress from 2019 to 2024.

Amanda Aragon Bernabe, Executive Director of Education Policy Group  of New Mexico Kids Can said this:

“I think those two things together are the most alarming data points I’ve seen out of our education system in the entire time I’ve run this organization, which is eight years. … When I look at that data, I think it causes a glaring siren for the adults who are in charge of New Mexico’s education system.”

Aragon Bernabe said she’d like to see sweeping education policy changes at the state level, like requiring schools to tutor students who are falling behind.

POOR RANKINGS DUE IN LARGE PART TO  STATES POVERTY

Merranda Marin, a child psychologist and professor at New Mexico State University, attributes New Mexico’s historically poor rankings in part to its high rates of poverty and vast rural pockets, where access to certain services is difficult. Marin said this:

“When people are stressed out and when they’re having financial difficulties, it’s hard to really focus on nurturing healthy relationships with one’s child. ”

Though the numbers paint a bleak picture, Marin said, they indicate an abundance of opportunity and she said this:

“I think sometimes when researchers look at some of these issues, they look at it from a deficit perspective, and I think we’ve got to change that narrative a little bit.”

Despite the troubling statistics, Emily Wildau, the Policy Director at New Mexico Voices for Children, contends there is much to love about New Mexico that is unquantifiable in data and she said this: .

“I think [the Kid’s Count data] is  a very useful piece of the picture, and it’s good information to have and understand. … It also doesn’t account for our culture here, our beautiful communities, the resilience of our people, and a lot of those things that do draw people to move here, whether or not they’re aware of the rankings.”

REACTIONS TO NEW MEXICO’S RANKINGS IN 2025 KIDS COUNT DATA BOOK

New Mexico “Kids Can”  Executive Director Amanda Aragon Bernabe said this about the New Mexico’s rankings in the 2026 KIDS COUNT DATA BOOK:

“We have to be unapologetic about saying what is true today. We’re probably the only state in the nation that has ever ranked 50th in education for [10 consecutive years.] So, if you think about what that means for a child— it means that when a kindergartner started school ten years ago and now, they’re in 10th grade for that entire part of their educational journey, we’ve been last.”

“We have to be hopeful about what can be true in the future. We can replicate the changes we’ve seen other states make. We can build on some of the progress that I think New Mexico has made, that hopefully we’ll see in a year or two years from now.”

“We have to stop using Covid as the excuse. Did Covid make things worse? Yes, but that was true for every state in the country. And in fact, in this year’s analytics, they have an index score. So, where is the state today versus where they were in 2019? Pre-COVID, our score on the education index, which is a score from 1 to 1000, New Mexico score is 1 out of 1000.”  

“There are sprinkles of progress, but I think we can’t really ring the bell on that progress. We can’t claim success if we don’t start to see these rankings. Our kids are brilliant. They have untapped potential.”

Amanda Aragon Bernabe told KOAT-TV news this:

“I want to give the governor and the legislature credit for doing a lot of the things that have needed to be done. We have free meals for every kid in school, breakfast and lunch. We have done a lot around summer school and after school care, and now we’ve done early childhood. Every kid is eligible for early childhood. Great. When are we going to address those middle 13 years when our kids are in school, and what are we going to do to hold people accountable to academic results?”

NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Dr. Janelle Taylor García, Manager of the  Communication Bureau for the  New Mexico Department of Education issued the following statement in response to the New Mexico’s rankings in the 2026 KIDS COUNT DATA BOOK:

“The 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book is based on data from two years ago and does not reflect New Mexico’s recent progress in education. Since then, the state has achieved its highest graduation rate in more than a decade, while reading proficiency among students in grades 3-8 has increased by 10 percentage points since 2022, rising from just over one-third of students reading at grade level to 44% in 2025.

These gains include an unprecedented 13%  point increase among Native American students, a 10-point increase among Hispanic students, and an 8-point increase among English learners. Kindergarten students increased by 14 percentage points, the largest gain ever for kindergarten students.

These results reflect the impact of New Mexico’s strategic investments in attendance, graduation initiatives, structured literacy instruction, and universal PreK for 3-and 4-year-olds. The state’s commitment to evidence-based reading instruction and expanded learning opportunities is producing measurable improvements for students across diverse communities.

The New Mexico Public Education Department remains fully focused on accelerating this momentum and ensuring classroom interventions continue driving measurable student success far beyond these lagging national reports.”  

Links to quoted or relied upon news sources:

https://www.koat.com/article/50th-education-new-mexico/71528855

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/new-mexico-ranks-49th-in-the-nation-for-child-well-being-rising-one-spot-from-last-year/3059513

NEW MEXICO’S FINANCIAL  COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION AND CHILD WELL BEING

The fact that the 2026 Kids Count Data Book is based on data from two years ago mandates a review of the financial commitment the New Mexico Legislature has made to improve the states education system and child well being.

During the last 8 years, the New Mexico legislature has been very aggressive when it comes to increased funding to turn things around for New Mexico’s children when it comes to education and their wellbeing. Much of the legislatures efforts  have been a direct result of the 2018 landmark education case of Yazzie-Martinez v. New Mexico Public Education Department  where a  First Judicial District Court ruled the State of New Mexico violated students’ fundamental rights by failing to provide a sufficient public education mandated by the state constitution.

In fiscal year 2019, public education funding spiked. The biggest accomplishments of the 2019 Legislative session were the dramatic increases in public education funding, creation of the Early Childhood Department (CYFD), the mandates to Children, Youth and Families and Public Education departments, not to mention raises for educators and increasing CYFD social workers by 125 were clearly the biggest accomplishments of the 2019 Legislative session.

2019 EDUCATION BUDGET FUNDING

Funding spiked in 2019  and was up to $306 million, including the following:

• $64 million for Pre-K to better prepare children for elementary school.
• $45 million for family, infant, toddler programs to help families with children with developmental delays.
• $30 million for K-3 Plus to add 25 days to the school year.

New Mexico is 1 of just 4 states with a stand-alone department dedicated to services targeting children through age 5. The initial operating budget for the new department was $419 million for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. The new department is tasked with overseeing the state’s growing investment in prekindergarten, home visiting programs for new parents, childcare and similar services that previously were scattered across several departments. One of the key goals is to better coordinate the state’s network of early childhood services by housing them in one department rather than having them overseen separately by other departments.

2020 AND 2021 FUNDING HIGHLIGHTS

In 2020 the New Mexico Legislature created a $320 million early childhood education trust fund. In 2021, lawmakers and the governor agreed to up the spending on early childhood programs to $500 million.

2022 EDUCATION BUDGET FUNDING

During the 2022 New Mexico Legislative session, a trio of bills were enacted  to fund programs to help Native American students succeed in school. The house bills provided more than $70 million to tribal entities to help offer culturally relevant lesson plans and access to virtual and after-school programs for those students.

The first bill appropriated $20 million from the state’s general fund to the Indian Education Act to be used to create culturally relevant learning programs, including Native language programs, for students in the K-12 system.

A second bill appropriated $21.5 million to help tribal education departments develop learning plans and programs for students, extend learning opportunities and support tribal school libraries.

The third bill was aimed at higher education and  appropriated $29.6 million to four state colleges and three tribal colleges for 53 initiatives.

In the summer of 2022, the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) released updates on the progress made in response to the Yazzie-Martinez ruling. The report highlights various initiatives undertaken by the state, including increased funding, expanded access to pre-kindergarten programs, and targeted support for struggling schools.

“According to the report, the state’s spending on public education has received a substantial boost. In fiscal year 2018, New Mexico’s education system was funded at the tune of $2.69 billion; in fiscal year 2024, the education system is being funded at $4.17 billion. That is an increase of $1.3 billion over five years. State funds have been channeled toward reducing class sizes, hiring additional teachers, improving professional development programs, and enhancing resources for English language learners and special education students.”

In November 2022, voters approved tapping the state’s Land Grant Permanent Fund for roughly another $240 million annually for early childhood education and K-12 schools. The additional distribution of funding from the Permanent Land Grant Fund goes into effect on July 1.

2023 EDUCATION BUDGET FUNDING

The enacted 2023-2024 New Mexico State budget contains major expenditures for  education and child wellbeing.  Those expenditures include:

• $220.1 Million for extended in-classroom learning time by increasing the number of minimum instructional hours per year in public schools.
• $30 Million to provide healthy universal school meals and to eliminate school meal costs for every New Mexico child.
• 9 Million to the Children, Youth and Families Department for 60 new protective services staff, to be supported by additional federal matching funds.
• $277.3 Million for continued investments in affordable, high-quality child care.
• $131 Million to maintain and expand access to high-quality pre-k education.
• $40.4 Million for the continued expansion of early childhood home visiting.
• $111.1 Million to provide a four percent salary increase forall school personnel.
• $157.4 Million for the Opportunity Scholarship program.

2023 EDUCATION BUDGET FUNDING

The 2024 enacted New Mexico budget includes the following funding  for public education:

• $4.43 billion in recurring funds for public schools. Annual spending on K-12 education increased by 6.1% to $4.43.
• $19.6 million to expand Pre-K
• $50 million to the tribal Educational Trust Fund
• $20 million to pilot and evaluate evidence-based strategies to improve the Children, Youth and Families Department
• $49 million for literacy, career technical education and community school programs
• $14 million in early literacy support
• $55 million for culturally relevant and bilingual materials
• $62.7 million for 2% salary increases, bringing all school personnel up to $15 per hour
• $43 million to expand early childhood care
• $750,000 to support adult literacy programs
• $2 million for attendance programs

2024 EDUCATION BUDGET FUNDING

On February 12, 2024, the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year state budget was passed by the New Mexico Legislature. It contains  a 6.5% increase in recurring funds from the  2023-2024 fiscal year.  The largest slice of the general fund goes to public schools, which are slated to receive about $4.3 billion for the fiscal year. That includes more than $94 million to give a flat 3% raise to all public-school employees, an amount that was trimmed by a Senate Finance Committee. Before public school employees were looking at a total average of 4% raises. The final version the budget approved by the Senate includes $30 million for summer reading intervention programs, $14 million for early literacy and reading support and $5 million to train secondary educators in the science of reading.

2025 EDUCATION BUDGET FUNDING

During the 2025 legislative session, several bills were approved during the 60-day legislative session that will likely benefit New Mexico’s children and their well being. The legislation includes a $10.8 billion budget bill that directs over $100 million to transitional housing and the state’s Early Childhood Education and Care Department. The legislature also  created a new state Medicaid trust fund that could help the state weather federal funding decreases, legislation expanding childcare assistance for prekindergarten children and established an outside oversight office to review complaints involving CYFD

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

The 2026 Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Book does a real disservice to the State Of New Mexico by simply spewing out its rankings without any detailed  analysis on what the state is doing to turn things around and with no substantive  discussion of funding commitments made by the state implying nothing is being done at all.

The 2026 rankings offer no real change in the state’s rankings. The most glaring problem that discredits the 2026 rankings is the fact they are  based on data from two years ago and since then great strides have been made in improving our education system. The Annie E. Casey Foundation makes no substantive recommendations on what the state needs to do to improve rankings.

For years, the ranking are harped upon by  government officials, elected officials, politicians running for office, politcal parties, business leaders and civic organizations on how New Mexico is a failure and coming in dead last despite its repeated efforts to improve. There is no doubt that the states rankings will be a major topic of discussion in the 2026 race for  governor and the legislative races. Hope springs eternal that voters will see through all  the negative political rhetoric and realize significant progress is being made.

 

The Bribery Of Law Enforcement to Dismiss  DWI Cases is the single largest government corruption scandal in the City of Albuquerque’s and the State Of  New Mexico’s  history involving the 3 largest law enforcement agencies in the state consisting of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD), the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department (BCSO)  and the New Mexico State police.

A total of nineteen (19) law enforcement officers were implicated and have resigned, retired, been terminated or federally charged or plead guilty to charges  since the FBI executed five searches in January 2024 at three APD  officers’ residences, the home of a private investigator, and the law office of prominent DWI attorney Thomas Clear III.  Private Criminal  Defense Attorneys Thomas Clear and Rudy Chavez have plead guilty to federal charges and have been disbarred. Clear’s private investigator and paralegal Ricardo “Rick” Mendez also plead guilty to federal charges.

All defendants who have plead guilty are awaiting sentencing as the investigation appears to have come to an end but no announcement has been made by the United States Attorneys Office nor the FBI on the case status. Late June, Clear and his attorney appeared in court on a status conference and his sentencing was once again continued until the fall.

REVELATIONS REVEALED IN UNSEALED FEDERAL DOCUMENTS

On June 16 and June 17, news outlets began to report the contents of newly unsealed federal documents and transcripts that  detail the FBI’s wiretapped phone conversations between Albuquerque Police Department (APD) officers and attorney ringleader leader Thomas Clear III  as they were conspiring  in the bribery of law the APD  officers  to dismiss  DWI cases. The federal transcripts reveal conversations in the weeks leading up to the federal raids on police officers’ homes and the office of attorney Thomas Clear III. By then, Clear and those he was working with were beginning  to suspect that the FBI was  investigating them.

The newly-unsealed documents give  insight into the FBI investigation that broke open the DWI bribery scheme that rocked the 3 largest law enforcement agencies in the state. Hundreds of documents show what FBI investigators were looking into in the months and years leading up to a raid in Los Lunas in January 2024 at the home of former APD officer Harvey Johnson, Jr. That includes search warrants from 2023 in which FBI special agents detail knowledge of extensive communication between law enforcement officers and defense attorney Tom Clear’s paralegal Ricardo “Rick” Mendez.

It was on December 21, 2023, one month before the public would begin to learn of the massive corruption scandal,   private defense attorney and ringleader  Thomas Clear III,  and Clear’s paralegal Ricardo “Rick”  Mendez had a three way  phone call with APD and DWI police officer Honorio Alba. They sought a explanation as to why  the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office dismissed DWI cases for Alba and three other officers, without any explanation. Clear asked “These aren’t new cases… what are they doing?” Alba replied, “That’s what we’re trying to figure out… the hard part is I don’t know if [they’re] playing stupid but I tried asking.”

FBI agents would search the homes of Mendez, Alba, Johnson and Montaño, Clear’s office and the APD substation on Wyoming, near Paseo del Norte, where the officers worked. At Mendez’s home agents seized TVs, jewelry, clothing, cash, 40 guns, documents and his phone, which appeared to have been set on fire. Inside Clear’s office and the homes of Johnson and Alba, agents found, among other items, other people’s belongings, namely, wallets and driver’s licenses.

The December 21, 2023 phone conversation was a red flag for the conspirators  engaged in a decades long scheme to take bribes to get DWI cases dismissed, with the group repeatedly discussing  and  then brushing off signs that they were being investigated for months something  even suggested by Clear himself.

It turns out that the FBI was in fact listening to conversations and had seen text messages. Less than a week after the three-way call, on January 18, 2024, agents raided Clear’s office and the homes of Mendez, Alba, and officers Joshua Montaño, Harvey Johnson and Nelson Ortiz.

CHRONOLOGY OF TAPPED PHONE CONVESATIONS

The FBI tapped all the scheme’s major players’ phones.  Recent unsealed search warrant affidavits detail calls and texts among the group, showing they continued the extortion and bribery as the snare tightened around them. Even after a civilian complaint was filed and  then quashed against Alba and as prosecutors began asking for doctor’s notes for missed hearings.

Trust  soon began to erode in their front man attorney Thomas Clear. In one recorded call, Alba and Mendez spoke of putting a tail on Clear or tracking devices on his vehicle. They spoke of finding something to blackmail him with to keep quiet, believing he would “roll over” on the entire criminal conspiracy if he were caught.  Alba told Mendez:

“We all know that [expletive deleted] Tom’s not stand up, bro, he’s not going to stare down the [expletive deleted]  barrel of a gun anytime soon.”

According to federal search warrant affidavits filed in U.S. District Court for New Mexico, the FBI’s investigation of the bribery scheme began in earnest in the fall of 2023, despite previous unheeded tips from local attorneys. The case picked up steam after the agency recruited a DWI suspect “motivated to work with the FBI out of a desire to see justice served.”

At the behest of FBI agents, the suspect-turned-confidential witness arranged a bribe with Mendez to have his case dismissed and then he  paid $6,500 in FBI agency money. Mendez picked up the money while riding passenger in Alba’s patrol vehicle, who the FBI had already heard suspicions of from a local attorney.

In November, another DWI suspect filed a complaint with the City of  Albuquerque  Civilian Police Oversight Agency (CPOA) against Alba, saying the officer told him to call “Rick,” who could ensure no case was filed. The CPOA, unaware of the FBI’s probe, told Alba of the complaint and interviewed him.

Alba and Mendez spoke on the phone repeatedly.  Because of all the mounting evidence,  a federal judge granted the FBI a wiretap on Mendez’s phone on December 5, 2023. It didn’t take long to pay off as one day later  Clear called Mendez to tell him Montaño needed to “figure something out” to miss a hearing for a dismissal.

On December 7, Mendez texted Alba that “Tom” was being suspicious and “called me mysteriously to go meet him somewhere to talk.” Mendez told him Clear didn’t specify where to meet or why, and Alba said he didn’t trust Clear. If it were him, Alba said, he would be doing “countersurveillance.”

The men discussed whether Clear was worried about the CPOA complaint against Alba while Mendez wondered about being fired. Alba said he and the others are “not [expletive deleted] playing ball” without Mendez. Alba said this:  “I consider Tom too much of a liability to do business with him. … Hopefully Tom isn’t stupid enough to … [expletive deleted] up business though, bro.” In the call, Alba suggested Mendez use “leverage” against Clear or find something to blackmail him. Alba said this: “Does he realize … there’s too much stuff for him to play innocent?” expressing that Clear “would roll over” under any investigation. Alba asked Mendez if he wanted to have Clear followed or place trackers or audio devices on his vehicle.

Mendez wondered if Clear found out they were taking bribes to get cases dismissed without his help, adding “that’s the only thing he’s been a crybaby about.” The pair wondered if any suspects who paid bribes would complain. Alba said this  “That’d be like somebody gave you a [expletive deleted] winning lottery ticket and then you go [expletive deleted] the person over. ”

On December 7, 2023 to protect the FBI investigation, APD’s Internal Affairs sent a letter to Alba saying the complaint was closed. Alba sent a photo of the letter to Mendez in a text message. Mendez told Alba that Clear had also sent him a message saying  “All is good.”

The pair spoke of how Clear would know it was dismissed before anyone else.

Mendez then gloated of his contribution to Clear’s firm and how, before he joined, Clear charged $1,300 per DWI. Mendez said Clear increased his fee  up to $3,000, then $5,000 and $6,000. Alba said “You can’t tell me [expletive deleted] Tom didn’t like seeing that sort of cash on the table. ” Mendez replied  “Of course he loves it, he loves it.”

As the case expanded, so did the wire taps. On December  18, 2023, Alba and Montaño in a call spoke of the sergeant requiring DWI officers to book suspects and not allowing the issuance of summons, a key part of the DWI scheme. The pair wondered if people were talking about the operation.

Alba said “Because, honestly you can do almost whatever you want in this unit, bro. But if you don’t broadcast it, if you don’t tell the whole world.” Montaño replied:  “Well that sucks dude because now it destroys the whole [expletive deleted] system.”

Alba then shared more bad news.  Mendez and Clear were “butting heads.” Alba said “they always have issues like lover’s quarrels, bro.”

On December  21, 2023, Mendez told Alba that Clear thought he was being set up in court after a public defender brought up that Montaño gave a DWI suspect’s bracelet to Mendez. Mendez told Alba that Clear was worried the FBI was “listening at the office and monitoring our phones.” Mendez was unconcerned, adding, “I’m like, ‘You’re retarded.” Alba replied. “Let’s be real… if they’re monitoring phones, that’s the least of anyone’s (expletive deleted) concerns.”

 The group hit another snag in early January 2024, when prosecutors insisted on a doctor’s note if an officer was going to miss a hearing, another crucial aspect to the scheme. In a call, a prosecutor asked Alba for verification of a doctor visit he had to take his father to.

On January 10, Alba talked to the prosecutor again, telling them he vomited all over himself and couldn’t drive his father to the doctor, blaming McDonald’s Hot ‘n Spicy sandwich. “I’m running a fever right now. I don’t even know if I can go to the courtroom,” Alba said. Later, Mendez called to tell Alba that prosecutors “told Tom the trial is still on.”

“I dont know how, I called in,” Alba said. He later called Johnson to share an old “scam” he used which was that  a monthly membership to a local chiropractor who would write a note on day’s notice.

Then DWI cases filed by Montaño, Johnson and Alba started being dismissed.

In a phone call, Johnson told Alba, “Dude yesterday and today is just very, very fishy.” The pair discussed how to figure out if anything is going on or if “they have nothing.” Alba tried to reassure Johnson by mentioning his CPOA complaint that got dismissed.  “I got a letter sent to IA from the [expletive deleted] district court,” Alba said. “And mine was … case gone.”

On January 12, 2024 agents listened in on a call between Clear, Mendez and Alba.

Alba told the others how the cause for the dismissals is listed, simply, as “in the interest of justice.” He said the prosecutor was “not really wanting to talk.”

 Alba said Johnson also tried to ask the reason for the dismissals, but was stonewalled. Clear said, “So they’re looking. I guarantee you they’re looking.” Clear relayed the story of a hearing where he moved to dismiss a case due to Alba being sick and a prosecutor who appeared to be “taking notes.” Clear said “I think she wanted to see if I was coming in ready for trial or if I acted like I knew anything.” Alba mentioned how the prosecutor was persistent that he get a note. Clear asked, “So they’re dismissing all the DWI unit’s cases. Is that what they’re doing?” Alba told him it was only cases filed by himself, Johnson and Montaño.

PLEA AGREEMENT SECURED AVOIDING ALL TRIALS

During the last three years since, federal prosecutors have secured guilty pleas from Clear, Mendez, Albuquerque attorney Rudy Chavez, nine Albuquerque Police Department officers and one Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputy. Other law enforcement officers, including one from the New Mexico State Police, have either been fired or retired. None have gone to trial, and all 13 defendants prosecuted on racketeering- and extortion-related charges are awaiting sentencing.

Links to quoted or relied upon news sources are here:

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/unsealed-federal-warrants-reveal-results-of-raids-on-attorneys-and-apd-officers-in-dwi-scandal/

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/albuquerque-metro/fbi-documents-reveal-new-mexico-dwi-bribery-scheme-involving-apd-officers/

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/fbi-placed-wiretaps-on-dwi-officers-phones/3064338

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/search-warrants-reveal-paralegal-being-234825360.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

HOW DWI ENTERPRISE BRIBERY AND DISSAL SCANDAL WORKED

According to criminal complaints, indictments and plea agreements filed in Federal District Court by the New Mexico United States Attorney and the US Department of Justice, the DWI Enterprise scheme was very simple and straight forward and it went on for upwards of 3 decades. Arresting officers would give contact information on motorists they arrested on DWI charges to Private Investigator Carlos Mendez who worked for defense attorney Thomas Clear or Clear himself. In exchange, the officers would receive cash, gifts and legal services and intentionally fail to show up to required pretrial interviews, court hearings. The officers  would also withhold evidence in cases where the suspects hired Clear. Clear would then file motions to dismiss the charges, and judges had no choice but to dismiss the cases for “lack of prosecution” as a sanction against the prosecution.

Clients whose cases were dismissed would typically pay more in legal fees of between $5,000 and $10,000 depending on if the charges were DWI, aggravated DWI other charges in addition to DWI. Law enforcement officers would be recruited by Clear and Mendez to participate in the scheme over many years. The conspirators would also profile people as to their ability to pay higher fees. Defense attorneys customarily charge between $3,000 and $6,000 to defend DWI cases depending on if the case is a person’s first, second, third or even fourth offense, misdemeanor or felony DWI. There is no charge if a defendant  qualifies and is defended by the Public Defender’s Office.

DWI DISMISSAL SCANDAL SCORE CARD

Nine APD officers and one Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Deputy have plead guilty to federal charges of taking bribes. Additionally, two Albuquerque defense attorneys, and one private investigator have plead guilty in the ongoing federal investigation into a nearly 30-year conspiracy in which a group of DWI officers received cash, free legal services and other benefits for helping get DWI cases dismissed.

NINE  APD COPS AND ONE BERNALILLO COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF PLEAD GUILTY AS CHARGED

The nine APD officers and one Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Deputy who have plead guilty to federal charges of taking bribes are:

1. On February 7, 2025 former APD Officer Honorio Alba plead guilty to racketeering, bribery, extortion and conspiracy. (Article link: Took a plea deal on February 7, 2025.)
2. On February 7, 2025 former APD Officer Joshua Montaño plead guilty as charge to  racketeering, bribery, extortion and conspiracy.(Article link: Took a plea deal on February 7, 2025.)
3. On February 12, 2025 former APD Officer Neill Elsman plead guilty as charged  to 5 counts of  conspiracy, extortion, and bribery.  ( February 12, 2025.)
4. On March 24, 2025 former APD officer Nelson Ortiz admitted to his role in the DWI Enterprise bribery scandal and pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Interference With Commerce By Extortion Under Color of Official Right. He faces 20 years in prison.
5. On April 29, 2025 former APD Police Officer Harvey Johnson plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit “Interference With Commerce By Extortion Under Color Of Official Right”. He is facing 20 years in jail.
6. On May 27, 2025 former APD Officer Lucas Perez plead guilty to “conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by extortion under color of official right.” It was on March 24, 2024 that APD announced it had placed Lucas Perez  on leave as a part of its internal investigation into its DWI unit and the federal investigation. Perez had been with the department since 2016 and served in the DWI unit to become the unit sergeant.
7. On June 23, 2025 former APD Officer Louis Henckel plead guilty in federal court, admitting to his role in the conspiracy with criminal defense attorney Thomas Clear and his employee  Ricardo Mendez to accept bribes to get DWI cases dismissed. Henckel plead guilty to one count of “conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by extortion under color of official right.” The maximum penalty is up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.
8. On December 15, 2025, retired APD Officer Timothy McCarson plead guilty to one count of “conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by extortion under color of official right.”
9. On February 25, 2025,  BCSO DeputyJeff Hammerel resigned from BCSO and  plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, two counts of extortion and two counts of bribery. (Took a plea deal on February 25, 2025.)
10. On January 20, 2026, former APD Lieutenant Justin Huntplead guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Commit Interference With Commerce By Extortion Under Color of Official Right.”

TWO RING LEADERS PLEAD GUILTY AS CHARGED

Former DWI Criminal defense attorney Thomas Clear III and his private  investigator Ricardo “Rick” Mendez  plead guilty as charged to paying bribes to law enforcement to get their client’s DWI cases get dismissed.

On January 24, Ricardo “Rick” Mendez, 53, the private investigator for attorney Thomas Clear III, plead guilty to all the charges contained in the criminal Information including racketeering, bribery of an agent receiving federal funds, aiding and abetting, interference with commerce by extortion under color of official right and to conspiracy. Mendez is facing 110 years in prison on the charges. On April 29  Ricardo “Rick” Mendez was scheduled to be sentenced connection with the DWI scandal. In a surprise move on the day of his sentencing it was simply vacated by the federal court. The  likely reason for the delay is that Mendez is providing new information about the DWI scandal and identifying more suspects to be charge.

On February 12, DWI defense attorney Thomas Clear III, 67 plead guilty as charged to nine federal charges including racketeering (RICO) conspiracy, bribery, and extortion. Clear faces up to 130 years in prison and $2 million in fines. Clear has been permanently disbarred from the practice of law by the New Mexico Supreme Court and the Federal Court. A forfeiture action against a home Clear used as his offices has been taken as an asset and as part of the racketeering charge.

DEFENSE ATTORNEY RUDOLPH “RUDY” CHAVEZ PLEADS GUILTY

On July 10, 2025, private criminal defense attorney Rudolph “Rudy” Chavez plead guilty to a federal extortion charge admitting he bribed an Albuquerque police officer in 2023 to help get his  client’s drunken driving case dismissed. Chavez  plead guilty to one count each of interference with commerce by extortion and lying to FBI agents investigating the payoff in March 2024.

In his plea agreement,  Chavez admits he contacted Clear’s assistant Recardo “Rick” Mendez after he was hired by his client who had been arrested in April 2023 by Albuquerque Police Department DWI officer Honorio Alba Jr. Through Mendez, Chavez paid Alba to intentionally not appear in court on the DWI case.  Chavez admits this in his plea agreement:

“I admit that when coordinating the scheme, I knew that Alba was a necessary witness and because Alba planned to fail to appear, I knew that the case and proceedings would likely be dismissed.”

Chavez states in his plea agreement he agreed to be interviewed by FBI agents on March 26, 2024. During his FBI interview, Chavez was warned of the potential criminal consequences of lying to federal law enforcement officers. During his interview with  FBI agents, Chavez denied knowing Alba was not going to appear in court.

In his federal plea agreement, Chavez admits he  lied to  FBI agents and admits he had phone calls with Mendez ahead of the court hearings to ensure Alba would not attend. Chavez  admits  in his plea he spoke on the phone with Mendez after the dismissal “during which I thanked him and asked him to thank Alba.”

CHRONOLOGY 16 APD OFFICERS IMPLICATED, CHARGED OR PLEADING GUILTY

A total of 16 APD Police officers have been implicated in the largest corruption scandal in APD’s history. APD Commander Kyle Hartsock oversaw the Internal Affairs  investigations. One by one, the accused APD officers turned in their badges and resigned  or retired  rather than talking to Internal Affairs investigators about an alleged public corruption scheme involving DWI cases. The names and dates of the 16 officers who have resigned, placed on leave, who have been terminated, retired, charged or plead guilty are:

1. On February 7, 2024 Justin Hunt, who started at APD in 2000, resigned. On January 20, 2026 Hunt plead guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Commit Interference With Commerce By Extortion Under Color of Official Right.”
2. On February 29, 2024, Honorio Alba, who started at APD in 2014, resigned. On February 7, 2025 he plead guilty to racketeering, bribery, extortion and conspiracy.(Article link: Took a plea deal on February 7, 2025.)
3. On March 13, 2024, Harvey Johnson, who started at APD in 2014, resigned.
4. On March 15, 2024, Nelson Ortiz, who started at APD in 2016, resigned. On March 24, Nelson Ortiz  admitted to his role in the DWI Enterprise bribery scandal and  plead guilty in federal court to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Interference With Commerce By Extortion Under Color of Official Right. He faces 20 years in prison.
5. On March 20, 2024 Joshua Montaño, who started at APD January 2005, resigned. On Friday, February 8, Montaño plead guilty as charge to  racketeering, bribery, extortion and conspiracy. (Article link: Took a plea deal on February 7, 2025.)
6. On May 2, 2024 Daren DeAguero, who started with APD in 2009, resigned.
7. On May 9, 2024, Matthew Trahan was placed on paid leave as the investigation played out. Trahan has been with APD since 2006, was with the DWI unit from 2014-16 and recently worked as a detective.
8. On July 30, 2024 APD Officer Neill Elsman, who had worked in the DWI unit within the past several years, resigned before returning to work from military leave. On February 12, 2025 Elsman plead guilty as charged  to 5  counts of  conspiracy, extortion, and bribery. (Article: February 12, 2025.)
9. On August 1, APD announced that it fired Mark Landavazo, the APD Commander of Internal Affairs for Professional Standards, who started with APD in  2007 and was with the DWI unit from 2008 through 2013.
10. On October 16, 2024 Deputy Commander Gustavo Gomez placed on paid administrative leave. Gomez was with the DWI unit from 2010 to 2013.
11. On January 24, 2025 APD announced they placed officers Matthew Chavez on leave.
12. On February 28, Kyle Curtis announced his retirement after he was placed on leave on February 24 amid being targeted in the Internal investigation involving DWI arrests.
13. In 2022, Timothy McCarson retired from the Albuquerque Police Department  and he has been implicated in the DWI scandal. The last week of January, 2025,  the FBI asked that he be added to the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office‘s Giglio list, which classifies potential court testimony as unreliable. On December 15, 2025, McCarson plead guilty to one count of “conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by extortion under color of official right.”
14. On May 12, former APD officer Steve Hindi was placed on the Giglio list of officers whose credibility is compromised after being implicated in the scandal.
15. On March 24, 2024the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) announce it  has  placed Lucas Perez on leave as a part of its internal investigation into its DWI unit and the federal investigation. Perez has been with the department since 2016 and served in the DWI unit to become the unit sergeant. On May 27,2025 Lucas Perez plead guilty to conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by extortion under color of official right.
16. On June 26, 2025 it was reported that former APD Officer Daniel Carr who served with APD for nearly 20 years and who then became a lateral hire and went to work for the Durango Police Department, became the 16th former APD officer to join the ranks of officers listed on the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office ‘Giglio list‘ of officers who are no longer trusted witnesses in court. He was implicated in the DWI bribery and conspiracy case to dismiss cases. Carr immediately resigned from the Durango Police Department after the Department was notified of the action. Carr has not been charged with a crime.

THREE BERNALILLO COUNTY SHERRIFF DEPUTIES IMPLICATED

The names and dates of the 3 BCSO officers who have resigned or placed on leave by Sherriff John Allen or who have plead guilty to charges are:

1. On February 25, 2025  BCSO Deputy Jeff Hammerel resigned from BCSO and  plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, two counts of extortion and two counts of bribery.
2. On February 24, 2025, BCSO Undersheriff Johann Jareno was asked to resign by  Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen.
3. March 7^th, BCSO Deputy Jeffry Bartram was placed on leave on after early findings that he may have been involved in the scheme. He has been with BCSO since February 2010 and was on the BCSO DWI Unit from July 2014 to August 2020.

ONE MEXICO STATE POLICE OFFICER

On February 14, 2025 the New Mexico State Police announced it placed Sgt. Toby LaFave on administrative leave after he was implicated by the FBI as accepting bribes in the DWI Enterprise to dismiss cases.  Sgt. Toby LaFave was placed on paid leave as the agency did  its own internal investigation into allegations. LaFave was featured for years in state ENDWI campaigns and was referred to as the DWI King. LaFave was officially fired for his alleged role in November, but he has not yet been criminally charged.

LaFave, who joined State Police in 2012, said in an online public service promotion video that he has made 3,000 arrests during his 20 years in law enforcement. Court records show LaFave has filed at least 1,300 felony and misdemeanor DWI cases from 2009 to February, 2025. Of the 31 DWI cases where LaFave was the arresting officer and Clear was the defense attorney, 17, or 57%, were dismissed by the courts.

The link to a quoted or relied upon news sources are here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_97483524-eb17-11ef-9c15-8320a7b16191.htm/

NO AGREEMENTS AS TO SENTENCINGS

Review of all plea agreements reveals there are no agreements as to sentencing, meaning it will be up to the federal judge assigned who will decide the sentences of each defendant. A pre-sentence report will be prepared by sentencing, probation and parole authorities for each defendant, and a recommendation will be made as to sentencing to the judge. Depending on the actual number of charges plead to by each defendant, they are facing jail sentences between 5 years and 20 years and as much as130 years in federal prison and could face fines  as low as $20,000 or in excess of $1 million dollars.

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

There is absolutely no doubt that APD’s reputation was  trashed to a major extent because of this scandal. APD was viewed by many as again having just another bastion of “dirty and corrupt cops” who have brought dishonor to their department and their badge and to the department’s professed values of “Pride, Integrity, Fairness and Respect”.  There is little doubt that this whole DWI dismissal bribery scandal has shaken the public’s faith in our criminal justice system and APD to its core especially with the involvement of the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office BCSO and New Mexico State Police Officers.

The only way that any semblance of faith can be restored and for people to begin trusting APD and law enforcement in general again is if all the police officers involved in this scandal are held accountable and the lawyers involved are held accountable. That will only happen with aggressive prosecutions, convictions, and lengthy prison sentences for the law enforcement officers and attorneys involved in the “DWI Enterprise” scheme. Justice will not be served until all are sentenced. Sentencings delayed means Justice has not been served. The biggest question that remains to be answered is when will sentences be imposed?