NM Secretary of State asks Supreme Court to keep incumbent state Rep. Rebecca Dow off the ballot
—Joshua Bowling, Source New Mexico
Lawyers for the New Mexico Secretary of State on Wednesday asked the New Mexico Supreme Court to uphold a lower court’s decision to kick incumbent state Rep. Rebecca Dow (R-Elephant Butte) off the ballot for the June 2 primary election in a move that would leave the district with only a Democratic write-in candidate.
A state district court judge last week ruled to remove Dow from the ballot after Democrat Tara Jaramillo, who previously held Dow’s seat in the state House of Representatives while Dow mounted an unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign, argued that the incumbent inappropriately filed screenshots of her nominating petitions rather than the forms themselves.
At the time, Dow vowed to appeal and wrote on social media that the judge’s decision “came down to a dispute over paperwork—a technical issue that has now resulted in our district having no candidate on the ballot.”
Dow, who first won election to represent District 38 in 2016, appealed the decision to the state Supreme Court on Monday. In her appeal, she contended that the issue at hand is “at worst a formatting mistake.”
Jaramillo and Dow did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a Supreme Court filing Wednesday, Secretary of State general counsel Peter Auh wrote that Dow, indeed, fell “considerably short” of the requirements to make the ballot.
In addition to not being the forms required to run for office, Auh argued that Dow’s screenshots do not contain critical information to be a candidate, such as the addresses and voter registration status of the people who signed the nominating petitions.
Jaramillio’s attorney, former state lawmaker Daymon Ely, wrote in a filing that Dow “failed to accomplish this relatively simple task” of filing the correct nominating paperwork.
NM housing authority agrees to spend $5M on buying down interest rates for new homebuyers
—Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
The New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority on Wednesday agreed to direct $5 million of recent legislative funding toward reducing interest rates for low- and middle-income homebuyers, a move officials hope will spur more housing development.
The authority, also known as Housing New Mexico, received roughly $50 million during the recent legislative session toward its Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which historically has provided down-payment assistance, as well as other grants and low-interest loans, for low-income homebuyers.
But Chief Lending Officer Jeff Payne told board members Wednesday that the trust fund could have a bigger impact on mortgage affordability by targeting interest rates, which have steadily risen since the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing inflation.
The board agreed to launch a pilot program that will pay to knock 1% off mortgage rates for roughly 400 homebuyers, as long as they meet income requirements; are using the home as a primary residence; and are buying a home built within 12 months of the purchase date.
Payne calculated that, for a $300,000 home, the authority would have to pay about $12,000 to reduce a mortgage rate from roughly 6.3% to 5.3%. Doing so would save a homeowner about $180 a month, equating to savings of about $2,200 a year and nearly $70,000 over the life of the 30-year mortgage.
In contrast, an MFA program that reduced the amount of the loan for that same home by $12,000, either through down-payment or other assistance, would only reduce a homeowner’s monthly mortgage payment by about $70, or about $840 a year, Payne calculated.
The pilot program could launch as soon as July, Payne said. He said he is unaware of any other state that uses taxpayer funds to buy down interest rates, he said, and authority officials will re-evaluate the program once all the funding is spent to “tweak whatever we think is not working with some of the feedback that I’m sure we’ll receive.”
The program received enthusiastic support from board members, including State Treasurer Laura Montoya.
“The buydown is actually a game-changer for people who are middle class, that are right on the threshold,” she said. “They make decent enough money, but because of today’s market, are not able to think of the idea of having their own home and building their own home as generational wealth.”
The Legislature approved more than $110 million during the 2026 legislative session for housing assistance and homelessness prevention, the latest of several sessions that invested significant state funds in tackling a statewide affordable housing shortage. According to recent estimates, the state lacks more than 32,000 affordable housing units, and the state could lack as many as 90,000 units across the income spectrum.
Rep. Vasquez presses federal agricultural officials as New World screwworm cases creep toward border
—Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico
U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) led a letter this week from congressional lawmakers asking top federal agricultural officials to report on their efforts to curb the spread of a parasitic fly through Mexico, and prevent its penetration into U.S. herds.
The New World screwworm is named for the maggot’s behavior of burrowing into flesh and causing serious or fatal wounds in animals. Last year, it advanced northward through Mexico after being mainly contained in Central America for several decades. Before U.S. officials declared the fly eradicated in the 1960s, the wounds from parasites would kill wild and domestic animals, sometimes at a rate of one-in-five animals in an infected herd.
The April 13 letter, addressed to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, requests a formal briefing to update members of the House Agriculture Committee on the federal response to “numerous cases” of New World screwworm reported near the border, as fly activity is expected to rise with warmer temperatures.
To date, more than 20,000 cases have occurred, mostly in Mexican livestock, according to federal data, including three active cases in the northern state of Nuevo León.
Cases of New World screwworm infestations reported in Mexico as of April 15, 2026. (Courtesy of U.S. Department of Agriculture) USDA did not respond Wednesday to Source NM’s request for comment on the letter.
Last July, the USDA closed ports of entry to livestock to prevent the fly’s advance, which has cost the largest crossing in New Mexico more than $1 billion.
To combat the outbreak, agriculture officials in the U.S. and Mexico in recent weeks have dropped 100 million sterile male flies in active cases near the Texas-Mexico border and broke ground on a new facility to ramp up their production by November 2027. Since the flies have a lifespan of about 21 days, sterile flies can significantly curb screwworm numbers by ensuring eggs go unfertilized.
Vasquez, in the letter, requested an update on the status of sterile fly production and dispersal around Texas, a description on how $100 million to address the problem is being spent and which criteria USDA will use to possibly reopen the border crossing for livestock.
The letter stated that an outbreak would worsen grocery prices, noting that domestic cattle herd declines have already raised the cost of beef.
“Any outbreak in the U.S. would be devastating to livestock producers and push cattlemen and women near the border to liquidate their herds, which would compound the herd contraction that we’ve seen across the country,” the letter said.
In addition to Vasquez, six other Democratic members of Congress signed the letter, representing California, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota and Nevada.
The letter followed the April 10 announcement of the northernmost active New World screwworm case: an infested dog reported in Nuevo León, Mexico about 88 miles south of the Texas border.
The detection prompted a warning from Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who urged additional sterile fly production and more awareness for early detection. Miller criticized the federal response, saying, “the reality is the spread of the New World screwworm has not been successfully contained to date.”
He urged Texans to be familiar with the signs of infestation such as rapidly worsening, foul-smelling skin wounds with visible maggots or eggs.
“There is zero margin for delay when it comes to screwworm. Early detection is the difference between containment and a full-blown crisis that could devastate herds and livelihoods,” he said in the statement
Doña Ana County seeks answers on Project Jupiter water use - Algernon D’Ammassa, Albuquerque Journal
Doña Ana County commissioners approved an unusual resolution Tuesday seeking answers from the builders and tenants of the massive data center complex known as Project Jupiter, currently under construction in Santa Teresa.
The resolution directs County Manager Scott Andrews to verify reports last week that the project would require more water than the developers had previously disclosed, determine any changes to the project and their environmental costs, and make a public presentation of his findings to the commissioners.
In language added during the meeting, two county commissioners would be present at meetings with the developers under the resolution.
The five commissioners have been taking heat over seven months for what critics say was a rushed process to approve $165 billion in industrial revenue bonds and other tax incentives, closing a deal with BorderPlex Digital Assets and Stack Infrastructure to build the project in the county. Commissioner Susana Chaparro, the lone vote against the incentives, has criticized the process and called for greater community engagement.
Local opposition has been steady, with protesters visiting the construction site, addressing the commissioners at every meeting and pushing for a town hall to answer questions about the project’s environmental and community impacts.
The environmental concerns include air emissions from two planned natural gas microgrid power plants that are seeking air quality permits and the amount of water needed for construction, office facilities, a promised closed-loop cooling system and the microgrids.
Last week, the Santa Fe New Mexican published an article in which the Office of the State Engineer’s general counsel, Nat Chakeres, said the gas power plants alone would require nearly a million gallons a day to operate. The Journal has been unable to verify that estimate independently.
Oracle, which plans to lease the data centers in partnership with OpenAI for training AI models, said in a statement that the center would use nonpotable water from other locations for construction and cooling, but did not directly address Chakeres’ claim in the New Mexican’s story.
“Project Jupiter’s use of community drinking water is limited to an average of 20,000 gallons per day,” Oracle’s statement read. “The water used for construction and cooling systems at the microgrids and data center is unfit for drinking and comes from existing allocated, commercial non-potable sources. Our total usage is essential to support advanced emissions control technology that improves local air quality. The rights holder’s combined water use, inclusive of Project Jupiter’s contracted volumes, remains below historical withdrawal levels. The project reallocates existing water usage, while not increasing demand.”
Under the lease agreement attached to the IRB, daily potable water use would be capped at 60,000 gallons per day and average 20,000 gallons for staff facilities. The developers have purchased nonpotable water from an external source to support construction and the cooling system.
What caught the county’s attention was the possibility of significant nonpotable water use even after construction is complete.
County Attorney Cari Neill said during Tuesday’s meeting the county needed to verify the information quoted in news reports and assess whether the facts were consistent with the IRB agreement. “Quite frankly, we just don’t have enough information,” she said, adding, “We have reason to believe there has been potential misinformation” shared with news organizations.
“There’s a lot of concern that was raised because of comments that were brought in by the media that, as far as we can tell, were not substantiated,” Chairman Manny Sanchez said.
The resolution formally stated a commitment to gather facts and confirm that the developers are complying with their commitment to the county.
If they aren’t, the county’s recourse is not clear. The massive project site appears to be active around the clock. Under the IRB, the county holds title to the project property and leases it to the developers. The deal protects Project Jupiter from property taxes for 30 years in exchange for much lower direct payments to the county, local school districts and other public investments — including $50 million to improve local water systems. Modifying or canceling the agreement would likely result in litigation.
Chaparro welcomed Tuesday’s resolution, recommending the additional language requiring two commissioners to participate. “I think we need to get facts and do our due diligence to truly investigate what is going on, regardless of what’s being posted online or whatever reports are out there,” she said.
County Economic Development Director Denisse Carter said plans were underway for a community meeting with representatives of “the four companies” — BorderPlex, Stack, Oracle and OpenAI — to take place in June. Community advocates had pushed for that meeting to happen sooner, but Carter said more time was required to line up the various representatives.
Sexually transmitted infections decline across New Mexico — Daniel Montaño
Sexually transmitted infections are on the decline in the Land of Enchantment. The New Mexico Department of Health announced the decline to coincide with STI awareness week.
The biggest drop was in cases of congenital syphilis, which fell by almost a third in just one year, from 2024 to 2025..
Congenital syphilis occurs when a mother passes it on to her infant, which has been an ongoing problem across the country. It’s a particularly dangerous version of the infection with outcomes that can include enlarged organs, skeletal abnormalities, premature birth, miscarriage, stillbirth or death shortly after birth, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Although New Mexico did see a dramatic increase for a few years, NMDOH expanded community outreach, increased testing and treatment, and promoted the use of Doxy-PEP, a medication taken after unprotected sex to reduce the risk of an STI. Partnerships with community, medical and tribal organizations helped to further spread awareness.
Officials say that’s what made the difference in bringing the numbers down for other STIs as well. Over a year, traditional syphilis infections dropped by almost 19%, gonorrhea was down just over 6% and chlamydia dropped by about 5%.
NMDOH STD Program Manager, Janine Waters, said some STIs don’t always cause symptoms, which is why getting tested is so important for anyone who’s sexually active.
“All STIs are preventable and treatable,” Waters said, “and most are curable.”
NMDOH recommends always using new protection for the entirety of every sexual act, and getting vaccinated for things like Hepatitis B and HPV.
The state provides free STI testing and treatment at its public health offices, and can give prescriptions for Doxy-PEP and similar medications through its nurse helpline,1-833-SWNURSE (1-833-796-8773).
Support for this coverage comes from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
New Mexico environmental groups seek federal regulators to deny pipeline for Project Jupiter - Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico Several New Mexico environmental groups on Monday filed a formal challenge with federal regulators, urging a more exhaustive review of a proposed 17-mile gas pipeline to fuel a controversial data center in Southern New Mexico.
The protest marks the latest objection lodged against the $60-million “Green Chile Project,” which would pipe 400,000 dekatherms of gas from El Paso daily to the private power plants fueling the proposed Project Jupiter, according to documents filed with the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Monday was the final day to file a challenge or submit public comment.
In a Jan. 29 application to federal regulators, Dallas-based developer Energy Transfer — which owns Transwestern Pipeline Company — asked FERC regulators to expedite the process to approve the project, seeking to break ground in April in order to complete the project by August.
Last month, state regulators denied permits to develop segments of the pipeline and other infrastructure on 0.63 miles of state trust lands in Doña Ana County. Public lands officials told Source NM at the time that approving applications “would not be in the best interest of the state’s trust,” and barred construction.
One consequence of that decision, New Mexico environmental groups argued Monday, is that the developers must present a new route to federal regulators, and analyze the civil, environmental and cultural impacts, as well as cost for that route.
Energy Transfer Vice President for Corporate Communications Vicki Granado said in a statement to Source NM the company will “continue to work with FERC so all necessary requirements are met as we move through this process.”
The objections raised by attorneys for the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club and Food & Water Watch said that any approval by federal regulators to fast-track the process would be “premature and inappropriate,” and would violate federal law.
“Transwestern’s efforts to fast-track this proposed pipeline without environmental review are inappropriate given the massive impacts and uncertain future of the sole client it would serve, the Project Jupiter data center,” said Morgan O’Grady, a staff attorney at the Western Environmental Law Center, who helped write the motion to intervene.
State decision-making on the project also remains pending. New Mexico environmental officials pushed back a decision on air quality permits for the twin gas-fired power plants to July, in part to accommodate requests from southern New Mexico lawmakers to hold a public hearing.
The uncertainty of the state’s upcoming decisions and objections by the community to the project should be “reason enough” for FERC to reject the pipeline, Camilla Feibelman, director at the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter, told Source NM.
“Overall, we are talking about a project that stands to essentially wipe out seven years of progress on reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and trying to protect New Mexico from drought and extreme heat,” Feibelman said. “To have this huge-scale project potentially sapping up water, its emission and piping in gas to feed that big demand seems counter to what New Mexico needs right now.”
Forest Service awards $11.2M in Secure Rural Schools funds to New Mexico, helping mitigate wildfire risk - John Miller, Albuquerque Journal
The U.S. Forest Service on Tuesday announced it will issue $248 million in payments to help rural schools surrounding national forest lands maintain critical infrastructure and ensure wildfire preparedness, with $11.2 million going to New Mexico counties.
“These funds support critical infrastructure, while advancing active forest management and restoration that keep forests resilient and communities safer,” Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said. “We remain committed to deliver this support directly to rural communities that depend on these resources.”
The funds come through the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, which the Forest Service has reauthorized annually since 2000, awarding a total of $2.4 billion to rural schools over the past decade alone.
The allocations can be used “to sustain public schools, maintain local roads, and support other essential services in rural communities,” according to an agency spokesperson, who responded to the Journal on Tuesday. “Wildfire preparedness can be a significant focus area that gets funded through this mechanism, but this funding is not solely allocated for wildfire preparedness.”
The majority of funds New Mexico received were awarded to Catron County, which received $3.29 million. Catron contains schools surrounding three national forests: the Cibola to the northeast, the Gila to the south and the Apache along the New Mexico-Arizona border to the west.
New Mexico contains five national forests, totaling just over 9 million acres. The state ranked modestly among its Western neighbors for single-highest allocations for the funds, which were allocated from fiscal year 2025 budgets but will be awarded in the current fiscal year.
Oregon received the single-highest allocation of all 50 states and Puerto Rico, with an award of $53.19 million to serve school districts surrounding more than 15 million acres of national forests.
While Secure Rural Schools funds can be used for more than wildfire mitigation, the Forest Service announcement on Tuesday emphasized the need to mitigate fire risk this year.
The monies can be used to support Firewise Communities education programs, reimbursements for emergency services on national forests and supporting the development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans, according to a Forest Service news release.
The announcement comes during a high-risk early start to wildfire season across the western U.S., with record-low snowpack throughout the region keeping forest managers and acequia leaders in New Mexico on high alert. Several national forests have enacted burn bans, and the New Mexico Forestry Division last week issued its own set of fire restrictions for non-municipal, non-federal and non-tribal lands.
The funds awarded this year come from the fiscal year 2025 Title I, Title III and 1908 Act, which Congress ratified to support rural communities whose tax base shrank as federal lands expanded in the 20th century.
The act was updated in 2000 with the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, which set aside annual allocations to communities surrounded by federal lands that had previously benefited from shares from the timber industry.
Since 1908, roughly a quarter of Forest Service revenue from timber sales, mineral leases, livestock grazing, recreation fees and other sources has been shared with states and counties containing national forest lands.
NM Supreme Court affirms state House District 30 Democratic candidate can stay on primary ballot - Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
The New Mexico Supreme Court on Monday agreed Democrat Veronica Mireles should remain on the state House of Representatives District 30 primary ballot, where she’s challenging incumbent Rep. E. Diane Torres Velásquez (D-Albuquerque).
Rebekah Proper, an Albuquerque attorney, filed a court challenge against Mireles on March 20, alleging that when Mireles filed 13 pages of signatures to run for office, she neglected to write her name at the top of all but one of them.
But Second Judicial District Court Judge Joshua Allison on April 6 ruled that Mireles had collected more than enough valid signatures to qualify. She received at least 82 valid signatures, according to the judge’s ruling, when only 64 are required.
Proper appealed Allison’s decision to the state Supreme Court, but the Supreme Court on Monday sided with Mireles.
In a news release Monday evening, Mireles, who is also an Albuquerque attorney, celebrated the court’s ruling as a victory for democracy.
“At its core, this was an attempt to discount valid signatures and silence voters,” she said. “The courts saw through that and made clear that disenfranchisement has no place in our democracy. Every signature represents a voice, and those voices matter.”
Proper referred Source NM’s request for comment Tuesday to her attorney, David Ring, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
District 30 covers a swath of Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights neighborhood. Velásquez has represented the seat since 2025.
Suspect in custody after police shooting in Bernalillo - Nakayla McClelland, Albuquerque Journal
Authorities say a man is in custody after getting into a shootout with officers early Tuesday morning near Bernalillo High School.
No officers were injured in the shooting, according to the Bernalillo Police Department, and it is unclear if the suspect was struck by gunfire. BPD has not released the name of the suspect or said how many officers fired their weapons.
The suspect was near Bernalillo High but did not enter school grounds, according to Bernalillo Public Schools spokesperson Mikaela Maldonado.
The shooting led the district to cancel classes Tuesday and forced the suspension of Rail Runner Express service. A Facebook post from the commuter train system said passengers would instead be bused between the Downtown Albuquerque and Santa Fe Depot stations.
In a Facebook post, Bernalillo police said officers responded around 4:50 a.m. to reports of gunshots near U.S. 550 and North Hill. BPD said that officers confronted the man and chased him north of the Rail Runner station along U.S. 550. Officers lost sight of the man and cordoned off a search area.
“During the search for the subject, officers located him, at which point a firearm was pointed at officers,” BPD said. “Officers engaged the suspect with gunfire.”
A gunfight ensued between him and police, according to BPD. Around 7:10 a.m., the man was taken into custody. No other details were released.
Democratic NM governor candidate Haaland raises millions more than Bregman ahead of June 2 primary - Joshua Bowling, Source New Mexico Former U.S. Interior Secretary and New Mexico governor candidate Deb Haaland in the last six months raised nearly four times as much money as her opponent, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, as the two Democrats prepare to compete for the party’s nomination in the June 2 primary election.
Monday marked the deadline for candidates to file campaign finance reports that detail the last six months of fundraising efforts. Haaland’s campaign finance report showed that she raised more than $4.1 million in that time period. By comparison, Bregman’s campaign finance report showed he raised more than $1.2 million in the same time period.
The Secretary of State’s website posted many candidates’ campaign finance reports shortly after receiving them ahead of Monday’s deadline. Haaland’s did not properly load until nearly 2 p.m. Tuesday — and the report was nearly 13,000 pages long. The office, last October, told Source Haaland’s donation records had overwhelmed its system.
Since launching her bid for New Mexico’s highest elected office, the Haaland campaign said it raised about $11.1 million and still has more than $4.3 million on hand. Bregman’s filings show he raised a total of about $3.7 million and has about $853,000 left. That gives Haaland a nearly five-to-one advantage over Bregman in terms of cash on hand.
“I understand how hard it is to earn a dollar — and I appreciate everyone who believes in my vision for New Mexico and has supported my campaign for governor,” Haaland, who has spoken on the campaign trail about her experience as a working single mother, said in a statement. “As the most experienced candidate, I will stand up to Donald Trump, protect New Mexicans from harmful ICE policies, and lower costs so families can afford both rent and groceries in the same month.”
Her campaign said in a statement that more than 23,000 contributions came from New Mexicans.
While Haaland outperformed Bregman nearly three-to-one at the Democratic pre-primary convention in March and has consistently raised more money, a spokesperson for Bregman’s campaign said more of his support comes from New Mexico donors.
Spokesperson Joanie Griffin in an email to Source NM said she believes more than 80% of Haaland’s donations came from outside New Mexico. Approximately 20% of Haaland’s reported campaign contributions in her report last October came from New Mexico residents, with the rest coming from nearly every state in the U.S., and a healthy chunk from her congressional campaign account.
“Elections aren’t decided by who starts with the most money. They’re decided by who connects with voters and earns their trust. Eighty percent of our donors are from New Mexico, and Sam is building a broad, statewide coalition rooted in working families, small businesses and New Mexicans who are frustrated with the status quo and politics as usual,” Griffin wrote. “We’ve raised nearly $4 million and that’s something to be proud of. Sam isn’t a celebrity or a national figure with built-in networks. That support has been earned, piece by piece, from people who believe in his record and his leadership.”
Republicans post smaller fundraising figures
The three Republicans running to be New Mexico’s next governor reported smaller fundraising efforts in their Monday reports.
Public relations professional Doug Turner reported raising nearly $503,000 in the last six months. In a statement, he said he has more cash on hand than both of his opponents combined.
“What we’ve built in 12 weeks is just the beginning,” Turner said in a statement. “This is a clear sign that our message of cutting personal and gross receipts taxes, fixing education, and making our communities safe is resonating with New Mexicans. Our campaign is igniting a powerful coalition that stretches from our largest cities to our smallest communities.”
Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, who won 55% of the delegates at the Republican pre-primary convention, raised nearly $145,000 in the last six months, according to his campaign finance report. Former state cabinet secretary and hospital executive-turned cannabis CEO Duke Rodriguez reported raising just more than $501,000 — though his report shows $500,000 of that came from Rodriguez himself.