Republican voters may have one less candidate to choose from on their June primary ballot after one candidate failed to show up to file paperwork confirming his eligibility for the primary ballot. State Senator Steve Lanier, a first-term legislator from San Juan County, and Duke Rodriguez, a former health department secretary and cannabis business owner, […]
Category: Elections & Politics
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Whatever happened to Daniel Chavez, mayoral candidate charged with touching staffer?
By Jesse Jones, City Desk in The Paper. — In September, City Desk reported that prosecutors charged Albuquerque mayoral candidate Daniel Chavez after a campaign staffer accused him of inappropriate touching, a misdemeanor battery charge. Prosecutors have now dismissed the case. The 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office dismissed the case on Feb. 20, 2026, in […]
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Former sheriff will file to run against BernCo sheriff John Allen in Dem primary
A 27-year law enforcement veteran will file to run against Bernalillo County John Allen in the June 2nd Democratic primary election, City Desk has learned. Phil Snedeker tells City Desk he will file qualifying paperwork and signatures Tuesday morning on local filing day. He has served in the criminal justice system for 47 years, according […]
Posted inElections & Politics
NMGOP scrambles to qualify a write-in against Ben Ray Luján. Who is he and how does that work?
When the Secretary of State’s Office closed on the deadline day for candidates to qualify for 2026 elections, Republicans had qualified at least one candidate in most competitive races except one very big one: U.S. Senate. Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include detail on the write-in rules for qualification and the write-in […]
Posted inElections & Politics
Here’s everyone running for Congress in New Mexico this year
Democrats and Republicans both met this past weekend to pick their nominees for U.S. Senate and all three Congressional districts up for election in 2026. Candidates vying for a spot on the ballot were first required to collect thousands of signatures from qualified party voters (2,351 for Republicans, 2,531 for Democrats). They are then required […]
Posted inElections & Politics
State Republicans pick Hull, Turner to lead ’26 ticket
The state Republican Party’s convention in Ruidoso narrowed the list of five men vying for New Mexico’s biggest political prize in 2026 down to two: Rio Rancho Mayor Greg Hull and advertising executive Doug Turner — but that may not keep the other candidates from using a backdoor to get their name on the ballot […]
Posted inElections & Politics, NM Political Report
The rise of New Mexico’s purple voters
New Mexico voters are not shifting left or right — they are walking away from the two major parties, giving rise to “purple voters.” These residents, who are not affiliated with either party, now make up more than a quarter of the state’s electorate a new analysis by New Mexico Political Report found. City Desk […]
Posted inColumns & Columnists
Bregman polling: Epstein stories lowered Haaland support in Dem. gov primary
Columnists in NM Political ReportPat Davis is the founder and publisher of NM Political Report, City Desk ABQ and the nm.news network. He is a recovering politician having served eight years as an Albuquerque City Councilor and, in another life, served as a police officer and nonprofit organizer. Last week, I wrote about new polling […]
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Can ranked choice voting save Albuquerque a fortune? Supporters will try again for next city election
The Albuquerque City Council uses ranked choice voting (RCV) for its own internal seats. Now, Councilors Tammy Fiebelkorn, Nichole Rogers and Stephanie Telles have introduced Ordinance O-26-13 to extend that same system to citywide elections by November 2027. Under RCV, voters rank candidates by preference. If no one secures a majority, the lowest vote-getter is […]
Posted inColumns & Columnists, Elections & Politics, NM Political Report
New poll shows Haaland still comfortably ahead of Bregman as Dem. primary for gov heats up
Columnists in NM Political ReportPat Davis is the founder and publisher of NM Political Report, City Desk ABQ and the nm.news network. He is a recovering politician having served eight years as an Albuquerque City Councilor and, in another life, served as a police officer and nonprofit organizer. With the legislature in the rearview mirror, […]