As New Mexico readies for primary election, more than 180,000 voters have already cast ballots - Dan Boyd, Albuquerque Journal
New Mexico's primary election has finally arrived, after more than a year of campaigning and record-setting spending levels in the state's open race for governor.
With Election Day set for Tuesday, a total of 181,934 voters across the state cast ballots via early or absentee voting before the end of early voting on Saturday, according to Secretary of State's Office data.
Early vote turnout was higher among both registered Democrats and Republicans than it was in the state's 2022 and 2024 primaries. And that's before factoring in the 18,402 independent voters who have already cast a ballot in the state's first semi-open primary under a law approved last year.
Unlike in past years, those voters can request a Democratic or Republican ballot without having to change their party affiliation. Nearly 77% of such voters have chosen a Democratic ballot so far this year.
While independent voters only made up 10.1% of the total votes cast through Monday, longtime New Mexico political observer Brian Sanderoff said that figure could increase on Election Day.
He also said growing awareness of the state's semi-open primary system could lead to higher independent turnout in future years, saying, "I think over time more independents will be participating in primaries."
Several groups have worked to raise awareness of the new system, as candidates have said many independent voters still don't know they are eligible to vote in the primary election.
"For too many years, hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans were locked out of primary elections," said Alissa Barnes, the executive director of ProgressNow NM, which is among the groups seeking to educate voters. "This historic change means democracy works better when everyone has a seat at the table."
However, while the new system could lead to a record-high number of voters casting a ballot in this year's primary election, it could also mean a lower turnout percentage since the overall pool of eligible voters is now larger.
Entering Election Day, voter turnout in New Mexico for Tuesday's primary election was slightly higher than 13%, according to a data analysis by Sanderoff's Albuquerque-based firm, Research & Polling Inc.
Even without independents, Democrats have voted at an especially elevated rate in this year's primary election, with a hotly contested gubernatorial primary race between Deb Haaland and Sam Bregman likely motivating many voters.
A total of 106,891 registered Democrats cast ballots via early or absentee voting as of Monday — significantly higher than in either of the two most recent state primary elections. In 2022, about 70,000 Democrats cast ballots via early and absentee voting, while roughly 73,800 registered Democrats did so in the 2024 primary election.
"Democrats are turning out at a much higher rate than Republicans or independents," Sanderoff said.
In addition to the gubernatorial race, Sanderoff said a number of contested Democratic state House primary races and county-level races could also be contributing to the higher turnout.
Overall, Democrats have cast about 58.8% of the total votes in early and absentee voting, while they represent roughly 40.3% of the state's total 1.4 million voters, according to Secretary of State's Office data.
Republicans have cast about 31% of the votes cast so far, with independent voters making up the rest.
While this year is a non-presidential election year, all statewide offices are up for election in New Mexico — as are the state's three U.S. House seats and the U.S. Senate seat held by Democratic incumbent Ben Ray Luján.
But much of the political attention has been focused on the open race for governor, as current Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term in office and will step down at year's end.
Lujan Grisham has not picked sides in the Democratic primary, which has become the most expensive primary contest in state history as Haaland and Bregman have combined to spend more than $13 million on TV ads, mailers and political staffers.
On the Republican side, three candidates are vying for their party's nomination for governor — former Rio Rancho mayor Gregg Hull, small business owner Doug Turner and cannabis entrepreneur Duke Rodriguez.
But the state's Republican Party has also dealt with messy infighting in the run-up to Election Day, with a state judge recently ordering state GOP chairwoman Amy Barela to leave her post after a lawsuit filed by several Republican candidates alleged she had violated party rules on fairness.
The Republican Party of New Mexico has appealed the judge's decision to the state Supreme Court, arguing that forcing Barela to step down would essentially "decapitate" the party with the November general election looming.
Things to know on Election Day:
Polling places around New Mexico will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
While the deadline has passed for voters to request an absentee ballot, such ballots can still be dropped off in-person until polls close.
Eligible state residents can register to vote and cast a ballot via same-day registration on Election Day. Such voters will need to show a valid ID in order to register to vote.
New Mexico’s Epstein ‘truth commission’ to issue 14 subpoenas - Joshua Bowling, Source New Mexico
New Mexico’s “truth commission” charged with investigating Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes in the state, on Monday announced it would issue 14 subpoenas to government agencies, banks and the Santa Fe Institute to investigate who at those agencies and companies was in contact with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
The state Legislature earlier this year created the bipartisan House investigatory subcommittee and gave it a $2 million budget, which came from settlement funds with Epstein’s banks. The commission is working to gather the stories of Epstein’s survivors and is vetting information — gathered by solicited tips and through subpoenas — to potentially refer to the New Mexico Department of Justice for prosecution.
“The abuses that occurred here in New Mexico went ignored here for over 20 years,” Rep. Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe), who chairs the commission, said at the Monday meeting. “We are focused on a thorough investigation, not one of expedience for the sake of news cycles…we are here and we will not look away.”
The commission plans to release an initial report on its findings in July and a full investigative report around the end of the year.
The commission is made up of Romero, Rep. William “Bill” Hall (R-Aztec), a former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent; Rep. Andrea Reeb (R-Clovis), an attorney who has prosecuted crimes against children; and Rep. Marianna Anaya (D-Albuquerque), a former deputy director for the progressive organization ProgressNow New Mexico and an advocate for abuse survivors.
Together, they announced that they would issue 14 subpoenas to Epstein’s estate; the FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Deutsche Bank, J.P. Morgan Chase, the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, the New Mexico Department of Justice, the New Mexico governor’s office, the New Mexico State Land Commissioner, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department and the Santa Fe Institute.
Once they’re issued, the subpoenas will be available on the commission’s new website, NMTruthCommission.com, Romero said.
The subpoena for the Santa Fe Institute, in particular, seeks information about donations Epstein made; which research he funded; and whether he was in contact with anyone there.
In addition to the sex crimes that occurred at Zorro Ranch, Hall said the commission is also investigating financial crimes and institutional failures that enabled his abuse to fly under the radar in New Mexico.
Survivors of Epstein’s abuse and their family members spoke at Monday’s hearing to thank the four lawmakers for taking them seriously — and to caution them to be sensitive when they interview survivors.
“In 2019, when Jeffrey Epstein was arrested, I spoke out about the sexual abuse and crimes he committed against me. I am here again today in 2026 as a 52-year-old woman speaking out, trying to find truth and justice — and still no answers,” Rachel Benavidez, who has accused Epstein of abusing her at Zorro Ranch, told the commission.
She told them she is re-traumatized each time she has to get in front of a legislative body or television camera and recount the abuse.
“I am more than a salacious story,” Benavidez said.
New Mexico has unusually active start to wildfire season - Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
A new forecast released Monday predicts that New Mexico will reach the peak of its wildfire season later this month, following what has already been an unusually active season in the state.
Forecasters with the National Interagency Fire Center said all but the eastern third of the state will experience above-normal wildfire potential as the state heads toward an expected peak in late June. After that, they predict conditions will improve beginning mid-July thanks to expected monsoons.
The increasing wildfire threat occurs amid a sharp increase in the number of wildfire ignitions in the first five months of 2026 over the same period in previous years, according to New Mexico State Forestry data.
So far this year, 534 wildfires have ignited on state or private lands or grown large enough to impact state or private lands. That’s the highest number of wildfire ignitions between January and May since at least 2021, where between 249 and 389 wildfires ignited.
Several culprits are behind the unusually high number of ignitions, said state Forestry Communications Director George Ducker. The biggest is the woefully low snowpack that afflicted New Mexico and the rest of the year, he said. But he also noted that dry lightning caused a spree of wildfires in the eastern plains earlier this spring, and ongoing drought has exacerbated dry conditions even in areas that don’t receive snowpack.
“So you have all those dried-out fuels, and we’ve had early onset lightning,” he said. “We’ve had lightning starts, and those have been wind-driven, so they’ve chewed up a lot of acres.”
According to state Forestry data, lightning sparked 26 wildfires that consumed nearly 43,000 acres. That’s the highest number over the past five years apart from 2023, in which 39 lightning-sparked wildfires burned through 65,500 acres.
The high number of wildfire starts is one factor behind Gov. Michelle Lujan executive order in May declaring a wildfire and drought emergency. She urged New Mexicans to abide by statewide fire restrictions and told counties to consider implementing fireworks ban.
Ducker said he was heartened to see that only two campfires this year have escaped and ignited wildfires. That’s the lowest number since 2021, when between six and 13 campfires caused wildfires.
“We’re doing really good on campfire starts,” he said. “Hopefully, that’s a product of the statewide restrictions that we put in place.”
But Ducker said the state is remaining vigilant about higher-elevation areas that did not receive the benefits this year from snowpack, which lingers on top of heavy fuels and reduces their flammability.
“They’re very susceptible to fire at this moment,” he said. “So we’re all looking at the eastern plains and the grasslands and responding to those fires, but we’re definitely also keeping an eye on the high-elevation areas as well.”
The biggest wildfire this season is the Seven Cabins Fire, which started after a fatal plane crash east of Carrizozo. As of Monday, that fire had burned nearly 30,000 acres and was 52% contained.
While the state’s wildfire season has seen an unusually high number of ignitions, the total acres burned so far is roughly 75,000, which is among the lowest in recent years. That bucks national trends discovered in a recent study, which found that while wildfire ignitions have decreased across the West over the last 30 years, the acreage they consume once started has increased.
Ducker said he is hopeful the monsoon will begin on time and be “productive” in reducing wildfire risk across the state. But in New Mexico, he noted, nothing is guaranteed until the skies open up.
“Not that I can speak with any degree of certainty: We’ve come to learn to expect any type of weather at any point in the year in New Mexico,” he said.
Albuquerque Journal switches newsroom leadership - Albuquerque Journal staff report
The Albuquerque Journal has made a change in newsroom leadership.
Veteran newspaper editor and manager James Bennett has been promoted to managing editor of the state's largest newsroom, replacing Jay Newton-Small, who resigned Monday as executive editor and vice president of news.
Bennett joined the Journal in April from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he was a senior editor. He led four newspapers in four states to newspaper-of-the year honors as top editor and worked the first half of his career in sports, most notably as the sports editor of The Arizona Daily Star in Tucson and assistant sports editor of The Arizona Republic in Phoenix.
"James brings a huge reservoir of experience and insight into our news operation, and we are thrilled to have him at the helm," Journal Publisher Bill Lang said. "His standards of professionalism and excellence are evident in the fact that, during his career, he has led four newspapers in four states to earn 'newspaper of the year' in markets of various sizes."
Newton-Small came to the Journal in November 2024. Known for her reporting on politics, government and public policy, she worked at major national news organizations, such as TIME and Bloomberg News. She is the author of "Broad Influence," which examines how women's informal networks shape American politics.
"We were sorry to lose Jay, " Lang said. "She was a tremendous asset and helped us make significant strides in our news relevancy and digital experiences. We are fortunate to have James and his team in place to assure the continuity of all aspects of our daily journalism.
"James is supported by an outstanding and experienced group of professional writers, editors, photographers and more, all with amazing talent and skills in print, digital, social and podcast media. We are confident that the transition will be smooth, rapid and uninterrupted."
The Albuquerque Journal is celebrating its centennial this year, with 2026 marking the 100th year of the Lang family ownership. New Mexico is one of a handful of large metro newspapers in the country still owned by a local family who upholds a personal commitment to freedom and preservation of an independent newsroom.
"I came to the Journal because of its great reputation, family ownership and my passion for the future of journalism," Bennett said. "I look forward to the challenge."
NM AG announces arrest, charges for landowner accused of threatening Pecos River fishermen - Joshua Bowling, Source New Mexico
The New Mexico Department of Justice on Monday announced its agents had arrested a San Miguel County landowner whom Attorney General Raúl Torrez had previously accused of building “traps” and threatening fishermen along the Pecos River for nearly three years.
Court records show a judge signed an arrest warrant last week for Erik Briones.
From April of 2023 to March of this year, Torrez’s office alleged that Briones has threatened fishermen who ventured near his property by brandishing firearms and telling the fishermen he was about to commence “target practicing” near them.
Special agents with the NMDOJ interviewed witnesses to Briones’ alleged behavior, including one who alleged that he “observed Erik Briones holding a shotgun and cocking the slide portion of the shotgun while telling him something to the effect of ‘I am going to start shooting rounds near you, and if you’re in the way, well I’m sorry.’”
The NMDOJ has charged Briones with five counts of aggravated assault.
“These allegations involve dangerous and unlawful intimidation directed at New Mexicans who were exercising their legal right to access and recreate in public waters,” Torrez said in a statement Monday. “No one has the right to threaten violence against members of the public because they disagree with established law. Our office will continue enforcing both the criminal laws of this state and the public access protections guaranteed under New Mexico law.”
In 2022, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled that members of the public have a right to use streams for recreation such as paddling, fishing and wading — even if the land beneath the water is privately owned.
Torrez recently won a victory in court over access to the Pecos River when a judge last month ruled that Briones had to take down the barriers he’d constructed on the river with heavy machinery and restore the riverbed.