GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Ellison drops out of race, plans to run for state treasurer - Dan Boyd, Albuquerque Journal
The Republican field in New Mexico’s race for governor is down to four candidates.
GOP candidate Jim Ellison announced Thursday he had dropped out of the race after finishing in fifth place at last weekend’s Republican pre-primary convention in Ruidoso and that he plans to run instead for state treasurer.
A former state Public Regulation Commission member from Cedar Crest, Ellison said he made the decision after discussions with top state party officials.
“As a former utility regulator, I reviewed and approved multimillion-dollar rate case applications — scrutinizing financial statements, cost structures, and investment plans with the same discipline the State Treasurer's office demands every day,” Ellison said in a statement.
No Republican candidates filed last month to run for state treasurer. The office is currently held by Democrat Laura Montoya, who is seeking reelection this year.
But a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver’s office said Thursday that Ellison can still run as a write-in candidate in the race despite initially filing to run for a different contest.
Several other Republicans are also planning to launch write-in campaigns, after the GOP initially failed to field candidates in several statewide races and other candidates were disqualified from the primary election ballot.
While it’s rare for write-in candidates to win elections, it’s not unprecedented. Among other examples, Republican Joe Skeen of Roswell was elected to a U.S. House of Representatives seat in New Mexico in 1980 after the incumbent Democrat, Harold Runnels, died after filing day. Skeen went on to serve 11 terms in Congress before retiring in 2003.
Meanwhile, Ellison’s decision to drop out of the race for governor leaves four GOP candidates in the contest — though that number could change.
Two Republicans, Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull and Albuquerque small business owner Doug Turner, automatically qualified for the June 2 primary ballot due to their showings at the pre-primary convention, while Duke Rodriguez of Albuquerque said he gathered enough voter signatures to also qualify for the ballot.
The other candidate, state Sen. Steve Lanier of Aztec, has until next week to decide whether to try to collect enough signatures to remain in the race.
Whoever wins the Republican primary election could face several opponents in the November general election.
Democrats Deb Haaland and Sam Bregman are vying for their party’s nomination in a hard-hitting primary race, while former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima said last month he had decided to run as an independent instead of as a Democrat.
This year’s race for governor is an open contest, as current Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is barred under the state Constitution from seeking a third consecutive term and will step down at year’s end.
New Mexico health officials confirm state’s first hantavirus case of the year in Santa Fe - Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico
New Mexico health officials announced on Thursday that a Santa Fe County resident had been hospitalized but ultimately recovered from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, marking the first case recorded in 2026.
The resident, a man in his 60s, is now recovering at home, David Morgan, a public information officer with New Mexico Department of Health, told Source NM in a phone call.
New Mexico leads the nation in reports of hantavirus, the severe respiratory disease caused by the Sin Nombre virus, spread through contact with infected rodent droppings, urine and saliva. While many kinds of rodents can spread the disease, the most likely carriers in New Mexico are deer mice, according to the health department.
New Mexico has reported 142 cases resulting in 55 deaths between 1975 and 2025, according to the state’s health department. The disease was the cause of the high-profile death of Betsy Arakawa, the classical pianist married to actor Gene Hackman, who were both found dead in their Santa Fe home last year.
Flu-like symptoms of the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome typically develop within one to six weeks from exposure, and can progress into a severe illness, according to a news release Thursday.
“It is important to air out cabins, sheds, garages and other spaces before any spring cleaning,” NMDOH Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Erin Phipps said in a statement Thursday. “While hantavirus cases remain rare, they can be fatal, so we urge New Mexicans to take preventative measures when cleaning areas where rodents may be.”
Reducing risk
The New Mexico health department issued additional guidelines to reduce the risk of contracting hantavirus:
- soak nests and droppings with a disinfectant such as a 10% bleach solution before wiping them up with paper towels and be sure to use gloves;
- don’t sweep up rodent droppings because that can spread virus particles into the air where they can be inhaled;
- put hay, wood, and compost piles as far as possible from your home and dispose of trash and junk piles;
- trap mice and seal up homes to prevent rodents from entering.
Low and slow meets forever: US postage stamps honor lowrider car culture - By Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
From Mexican American and Chicano barrios in the American Southwest to the halls of the Smithsonian on the National Mall and even the streets of Japan, lowrider culture has become part of mainstream car culture around the globe.
The U.S. Postal Service is joining the club with a new series of stamps dedicated to the low and slow rolling works of art. The stamps — complete with pinstriping — are being unveiled Friday during a celebration in San Diego.
For the lowrider community, it's validation of the vibrant artistic expression that blossomed in the 1940s in the working-class communities of Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas as everyday cars were transformed into one-of-a-kind masterpieces.
Lowriders are known for their dazzling paint schemes, glistening chrome, luxurious interiors and gravity-defying hydraulic systems. They're symbols of creativity, craftsmanship, pride and identity.
Making history
Antonio Alcalá grew up in San Diego admiring the cars from afar, so it was an honor for him to design the stamps. The challenge was finding the right mix of cars and colors to represent the lowrider world.
He pored over tons of photographs before whittling it down to five: a 1946 Chevy Fleetline, three classic Chevy Impalas and a 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. Each brings its own flare, from curvaceous body lines and low stances to a hint of the mechanics that make the cars hop.
"It's a real thrill," said Alcalá, the postal service's art director. "The postage stamps are supposed to represent the best of America. They're kind of a way that the United States signals to the rest of the world these are things that we find important about our people, our accomplishments, our culture, etc. So to have it commemorated on a stamp is a big deal."
Alcalá watched a video of Danny Alvarado pinstriping a car, and his heart stopped as the brush effortlessly glided over the metal flake paint leaving behind intricate swirls. He knew that would be the final touch for the corner of each stamp.
Alvarado, an illustrator and sculptor, has spent about 50 years perfecting his craft and is now teaching others how to spin the brush just right. For him, the stamp project has special meaning — his father worked as a mail carrier for more than 20 years and it marks another corner turned as lowrider culture gains new fans and more respect.
Cruising ahead
In the 1980s, some cities imposed anti-cruising laws and height restrictions, often seen as targeting Chicano youth and associating lowriders with gangs despite the community's emphasis on artistry and family.
But with the Hispanic U.S. population increasing and lowriding becoming more popular, restrictions have been rolled back in recent years. California repealed cruising bans in 2024, and just last year New Mexico lawmakers celebrated Lowrider Day at the state capitol, even though a proposal to enshrine the lowrider as New Mexico's state vehicle didn't gain enough traction.
Founder and president of the San Francisco Lowrider Council, Roberto Hernández began cruising in the late '70s when cruising was banned in California. With the stamp unveiling, Hernández feels "like we got the final stamp of approval as lowriders."
Alvarado agrees, adding that widespread recognition of the positive aspects of lowriding has been a long time coming.
"It's a big hit. I mean the lowriding community is so excited about these stamps," Alvarado said from his home in Monrovia, California. "Everybody I've talked to already knows about them, so they just can't wait till they come out."
Melting pot
Alvarado mentioned car clubs in Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Chicago, Dallas, New York and the ones that are popping up overseas — from London to Hungary, New Zealand, Australia and Japan.
Humberto "Beto" Mendoza, whose photographs were used as the basis of three of the stamps, ticked off his own list, describing lowrider culture as both a family affair and a big melting pot.
He has traveled far and wide photographing many of the iconic masterpieces that have graced magazine covers. That includes "El Rey," a red 1963 Chevrolet Impala that is featured on one of the stamps and is on display at the National Museum of American History.
Mendoza was a fan of lowriders long before he built a career photographing them for a living. When he was a boy, his father, a Mexican immigrant, taught him how to frame images with a point-and-shoot and then eventually bought him his first real camera. From there, Mendoza hustled, carrying with him a photo album of his work as he persuaded more lowriders to document their fancy rides.
The stamp project was unexpected, Mendoza said, noting that it couldn't have come at a better time. He had just suffered a stroke in 2022 and was in a dark place. The project was a ray of light for him and for the wider lowrider community.
"We're usually outcasted, you know, so them acknowledging us in this community is historic," he said. "We feel accepted now."
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Associated Press reporter Fernanda Figueroa in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.
New Mexico announces agreement to test Curry County dairies’ groundwater for toxic chemicals - Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico
New Mexico environment officials on Thursday announced agreements with four Curry County dairies to conduct tests of groundwater contaminated by a plume of so-called “forever chemicals” stemming from Cannon Air Force Base.
The state says the agreement marks “a significant step toward full remediation.” Zachary Ogaz, the general counsel for the environment department, told Source NM the agreements grew out of environment officials “spending a lot of time out in Clovis with the folks who have been really impacted.”
The contamination was first discovered In 2015, when the state identified what is now a 4-mile-long plume of firefighting foams containing per-and-polyflouroalkyl substances, called PFAS. These manmade chemicals resist breaking down and can accumulate in water, soils and the bodies of humans and animals around the world — including in Clovis.
Since then, the U.S. U.S. Air Force says it has spent $74 million treating the contamination. Nonetheless, state environment officials said in a Thursday news release the Air Force has not responded to a request to jointly develop a clean-up plan, citing ongoing litigation.
An Air Force spokesperson said in a statement Thursday that officials will “continue to prioritize actions to address cleanup at locations that pose the greatest risk to human health and will continue to accelerate cleanup efforts nationwide in accordance with the federal cleanup law.”
The State of New Mexico remains mired in litigation with the U.S. Air Force over the scope of the PFAS cleanup, including a case in Denver federal appeals court over New Mexico’s authority to to require the federal government follow state hazardous waste laws; and multi-state litigation in South Carolina that includes a combined 10,000-plus cases against military and civilian PFAS contamination. Both of those cases remain pending judicial decisions, Ogaz said.
The state has spent $12 million in reimbursement for investigations, damages, legal costs and cleanup of PFAS, according to an NMED news release Thursday. Ogaz said the state is seeking reimbursement for those and future costs.
In addition, lawmakers last year approved $12 million for a new drinking water source for nearby private wells in Curry County that were contaminated with PFAS.
“We have stood in solidarity with our dairy industry since the toxic PFAS contamination was discovered in their water, land, herds, workers, and family members,” Environment Secretary James Kenney said in a statement, noting that the two entities would “learn how to manage and treat the toxic PFAS contamination under Curry County” that he said would otherwise remain unaddressed until 2032 under the federal government’s cleanup timeline.
Art Schaap of Highland Dairy outside of Clovis, one of the dairies to sign an agreement with the state, told Source NM he was “optimistic” about the state investigation, saying it was a response to what he characterized as “an operating procedure to delay and deny” cleanup off the base by U.S. Air Force officials.
“We’re gonna work together and we’re going to actually bypass the Air Force base, and get the funds to start pumping and cleaning this water,” Schaap said. “It’s not that complicated. We just need action.”
Schaap’s wells were some of the first to be impacted by the plume. In 2022, he had to dump 15,000 gallons of PFAS-contaminated milk daily and euthanize 3,600 of his cows. Other dairies were able to install filtration systems and prevent the contamination, according to the New Mexico Environment Department, but asked not to be identified for fear of lost business.
Schaap said he “doesn’t blame them,” saying the contamination has already lowered property values and impacted perceptions of area dairy.
“They ruined my business, they’ve ruined any future for this farm. And that’s why the other farmers are apprehensive of being public — they just don’t want to be in the same predicament that I’m in,” Schaap told Source NM.
Ski Santa Fe announces early closure due to warm weather - Santa Fe New Mexican, KUNM News
Ski season will be ending early in the southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Ski Santa Fe announced today it will shut down for the season after close of business on Sunday, March 22 due to unseasonably warm weather.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports this is about two weeks prior to the resort's planned April 5 closing date.
A news release cited unusually warm temperatures, a thin snowpack and no anticipated new snowstorms as reasons for the early closure.
Ski Santa Fe says those who bought lift tickets or skiing lessons for March 23 through April 5 can receive refunds online through their skisantafe.com accounts.
Data released from federal drought monitoring scientists Thursday shows most of New Mexico in some stage of drought as winter draws to a close.
The first day of Spring is March 20.
The western half of the state is the driest, with extreme drought conditions recorded in parts of San Juan and Catron counties.
The entire Middle Rio Grande Valley is classified as being in severe drought, with severe drought conditions extending along the river through Bernalillo, Valencia, and Socorro counties.
State regulators open probe of $400M stock sale between New Mexico utility and private equity firm - Joshua Bowling, Source New Mexico
New Mexico Public Regulation Commission hearing examiners have ordered the state’s largest utility company and the private equity firm looking to acquire it to show evidence that a $400 million stock sale did not violate state law.
The order comes after a chorus of interested parties — ranging from the Albuquerque anti-poverty nonprofit Prosperity Works to New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez — raised questions about the sale’s timing and legality.
TXNM Energy Inc., which owns PNM, and private equity firm Blackstone Infrastructure jointly announced an $11.5 billion acquisition requiring regulatory approval last May. In a recent filing, the New Mexico Department of Justice argued that TXNM signed over $400 million worth of stocks to a Blackstone affiliate last June and raised questions about whether that violated the state Public Utilities Act, which charges the PRC with overseeing stock sales.
PNM and Blackstone have denied any wrongdoing.
In a Wednesday filing, PRC hearing examiners ordered both PNM and a Blackstone affiliate to defend their positions that the sale did not violate state law. The order notes that it “initiates a formal investigation” into whether or not the stock sale violated state law and should not be mistaken for a final determination on that question.
“This is a significant victory for the rule of law and for the people of New Mexico,” Mariel Nanasi, executive director of the Santa Fe clean energy advocacy organization New Energy Economy, said in a statement. “If the applicants ignored the law and executed a stock transaction that required prior approval, the consequences are clear: the statute states that such transactions are void and of no effect.”
A Blackstone spokesperson in a statement to Source NM said the stock sale did not give the firm control over PNM.
“We appreciate the hearing examiners’ decision to thoroughly review the stock transaction and look forward to the opportunity to demonstrate why this stock transaction is consistent with law and in the best interests of New Mexicans,” a Blackstone spokesperson wrote. “Stock transactions are the primary way that all utilities, including PNM and TXNM, raise money to fund investment. As we have explained, the stock transaction provided $400 million to fund TXNM’s existing budget, did not allow Blackstone Infrastructure to exercise control over PNM and was not conditioned upon approval or closing of the take-private of TXNM.”
TXNM Vice President of Investor and Community Relations Lisa Goodman in an email to Source NM reiterated what hearing examiners wrote in their Wednesday filing — the order was not a final decision in the case.
“The order calls for review, not a final determination, of the statute along with the legal — and practical — consequences of the stock issued last year,” she wrote. “We continue to be forthcoming and transparent in our intentions for this financing, which did not have an impact on shareholder approval, to fill the current funding need for grid developments that are bringing reliable, affordable and clean energy to New Mexicans.”
The Wednesday order set an April 6 deadline for PNM and Blackstone to respond,