BernCo candidate defends wearing Confederate flag as symbol of ‘open rebellion’ against the government as he pushes ‘America only’ agenda in campaigns

By Kevin Hendricks, Route 66 Independent & NM Political Report — District 5 Bernalillo County Commission candidate Thomas Riley says he wears a ring bearing the Confederate flag as an act of “open rebellion” against the federal government, and he wants the county’s Sheriff’s Office to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to […]

Can New Mexico, not Blackstone, just buy PNM? It turns out, we can’t. Here’s why.

With more than $70 billion available to invest for the benefit of New Mexico, why doesn’t the State Investment Council just buy PNM instead of letting them sell to Blackstone, a private equity company? This story was originally published at New Mexico Political Report, a nonprofit news service covering politics and policy in the Land […]

Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., NM Political Report

Senate Republicans agree to Dem demands funding DHS without ICE ops; House approval uncertain

The United States Senate voted by unanimous consent overnight to break the impasse and fund the Department of Homeland Security without ICE deportation operations, sending the package to the House of Representatives where passage is still uncertain. Democrats had offered support for this funding strategy for weeks but President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans had […]

Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, New Mexico State Gov., NM Political Report

New Mexico jury finds Meta guilty of putting profits over child safety, ordering $375 million fine

After hearing more than seven weeks of evidence, a Santa Fe jury took less than two days to decide that Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, prioritized profits over the safety of children who were targeted and exploited on its platforms. The jury set a fine of $375 million, a maximum available of […]

Posted inCongress & Federal Gov.

Heinrich, breaking with most Dems., will vote yes on Mullin to lead DHS

New Mexico’s U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich will be one of the few Democrats to support Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to succeed Kristi Noem as President Trump’s homeland security secretary. In a statement shared with NM Political Report over the weekend, Heinrich said he has a good working relationship with Mullin and hopes to establish […]

Posted inElections & Politics, New Mexico Statewide News, NM Political Report

Oops! Candidate for Gov forgot to file paperwork to make the ballot. Now what?

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, […]

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 inNew Mexico Legislature #nmleg, New Mexico Statewide News, NM Political Report

From malpractice caps to homebuyer help and new crimes: Here are more than 50 new laws Lujan Grisham signed in her last session in office

By Jesse Jones — The 2026 New Mexico legislative session is officially in the books. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed 48 dozens of (Editor’s note: this story has been updated with additional bills signed after the initial list was published on Fri. Mar. 6) bills into law from her final 30-day session, addressing issues from […]

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