Democratic New Mexico nominee Haaland looks ahead to November race for governor - Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico
Less than a day after her decisive victory in New Mexico’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, Deb Haaland said her focus remains on winning the Nov. 3 election to replace fellow Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is termed-out as the state’s top executive.
In a news conference following her Tuesday win with 72% of the vote in the race against Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, the former U.S. Secretary of the Interior congratulated her Republican counterpart Gregg Hull, the former longtime mayor of Rio Rancho. Hull captured 47% of the vote in his three-way race. All results from Tuesday’s primary remain unofficial until canvassed.
Standing before a banner emblazoned with “Deb for Gov” in the backroom of Old Town staple Cocina Azul, Haaland committed to “focusing on the issues for New Mexicans” in the next stage of her campaign, and described Hull as “a very kind and respectful man” in her experience in U.S. Congress representing the state’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Rio Rancho.
“I hope it’s the most boring governor’s race in the county, quite frankly, where we are just focusing on the issues,” she said, adding that while there were no set plans yet, she would “happily” debate Hull. Haaland faced criticism during the primary for not debating her opponent more.
Nonetheless, since winning on Tuesday, both Haaland and Hull have begun staking out some of their differences. In his election night speech, Hull said he offers New Mexicans “energy policy that’s built on common sense” rather than “ideology.”
“New Mexico is an energy state,” he told the crowd gathered at Oasis Tuesday night. “Oil and gas has funded our schools, our roads and our communities for generations. I will never apologize for defending that industry or the workers and the families that it supports.”
Haaland responded Wednesday by saying oil and gas “has played a role for a long time and will continue to play a role” in the state’s economy. She, however, maintained that addressing the state’s climate crisis and water scarcity is paramount for her campaign.
“The climate and the environment are absolutely the most important issue, if we don’t have our Earth, we don’t have anything,” she said in response to a question from Source NM at Wednesday’s news conference. “I have a record of accomplishment as secretary of the Interior and as a member of the U.S Congress. I will continue to work hard to ensure that our beautiful landscapes, our land of enchantment, is protected for future generations.”
Haaland declined to answer if she would keep on any current members of Lujan Grisham’s cabinet, saying “I haven’t thought about any of that, namely because I haven’t won yet.”
She also said she plans to again travel to all 33 counties to discuss her platform.
“I believe strongly that if we can have healthier communities, healthcare costs go down,” she said, adding that she plans to build on universal childcare passed by the Legislature and enacted by Lujan Grisham earlier this year.
“Those are opportunities for us to build on our economy,” Haaland said.
Takeaways from primaries featuring Spencer Pratt, a missing congressman and a rare Trump setback - By Steven Sloan, Steve Peoples, Humera Lodhi and Simran Parwani, Associated Press
The contours of a premier Senate race took shape in Iowa, while President Donald Trump's endorsement streak ran into a roadblock there.
Democrats chose a nominee for a House race in New Jersey that could decide control of the chamber. But much of the focus was on California, home to Hollywood but not a governor's race packing much star power.
Here are takeaways from primary elections Tuesday in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota.
Iowa Democrats rally behind former Paralympian in marquee Senate race
Democrats stunned by how Trump has remade American politics have spent the past decade debating which type of candidate is best positioned to energize voters and win elections, not moral victories.
Iowa marked the latest stop in this sometimes agonizing conversation.
The party's establishment supported Josh Turek, a state representative who presented a compelling personal biography that included competing for the United States in four Paralympics. State Sen. Zach Wahls offered himself as a more disruptive figure, refusing to back Chuck Schumer of New York as the Senate Democratic leader if he were elected.
Democratic voters united behind Turek, who will face Republican Ashley Hinson in November.
At this point, many of the party's most fractious races are behind them. But Turek's win could be closely watched in Michigan, where one of the last major Democratic primaries will unfold on Aug. 4. Rep. Haley Stevens is emerging as the establishment candidate there vying against state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and progressive Abdul El-Sayed.
Both races are important for Democrats increasingly bullish about regaining the Senate majority. To get there, they must retain the open seat in Michigan while looking for pickup opportunities in places such as Iowa.
The results in the fall could have longer-term implications as Democrats look to rebuild their standing in the Midwest, which swung to the Republican president in 2024.
Trump's endorsement streak faces setback in Iowa
In just the past month, the power of Trump's endorsement helped end the political careers of two senators — John Cornyn of Texas and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana — and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
But Trump was unable to lift Rep. Randy Feenstra to victory in Iowa's Republican primary for governor. Even though Trump jumped in with his backing last week, Feenstra narrowly lost to Zach Lahn.
The outcome was a rare setback for Trump, who basks in his ability to sway the vote among Republicans with his endorsement. It now sets up what Democrats see as one of their best opportunities to pick up a governorship this year.
Democrats nominated Rob Sand, who ran unopposed in the primary. He has the rural roots that have become rare among Democrats and is a proven winner in a Republican-leaning state, having been elected twice as auditor.
Lahn was not well known in Iowa politics when he launched his campaign in November, but he built support among conservatives. He championed policies including a total ban on abortion and keeping liberal ideology out of public school classrooms.
Lahn also developed a following with the "Make America Healthy Again" movement, which has clashed with the Trump administration over its embrace of pesticides.
The California drama drags on
The Los Angeles mayor's race was jolted by the candidacy of Spencer Pratt, who starred on the reality television show "The Hills." The Republican has been trying to capitalize on dissatisfaction with Democrat Karen Bass, who is seeking a second term.
Bass secured enough votes to make the November runoff, but it was unclear who her opponent will be. Also running is Nithya Raman, a progressive members of the City Council.
The race for California governor has been especially chaotic.
With Democrat Gavin Newsom barred from seeking a third term, about 60 names were on the ballot to succeed him. Some of the state's most prominent politicians, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Alex Padilla, did not run. One who did, former Rep. Eric Swalwell, withdrew after being accused of sexual assault, which he denied.
Under the state's primary system, all candidates appear on a single ballot and the top two finishers advance to the November general election, regardless of party.
In the final days of the campaign, much of the attention focused on Democrats Xavier Becerra, a former congressman and state attorney general who was health secretary under Democratic President Joe Biden, and Tom Steyer, a billionaire known for his climate activism. Republican Steve Hilton campaigned with Trump's endorsement.
The three were leading in early returns after polls closed.
If Becerra were to advance to one of the two slots on the fall ballot, he presents a natural choice for voters more comfortable with a traditional candidate. Steyer and Hilton have both presented themselves as advocating significant changes.
California has been governed by establishment-oriented Democrats for two decades. The primary results will indicate the level of change being sought in a state confronting serious challenges ranging from affordability to crime and will signal whether the $200 million Steyer put into the race from his own money turned out to be a good investment.
Independents emerge in Senate races in Republican strongholds
If Democrats hope to compete in Senate contests in Republican strongholds this fall, they may have to abandon their party's nominees and rally around independents.
That's one of the takeaways after voters on Tuesday finalized general election matchups in Montana and South Dakota, where little-known Democrats earned their party's nominations. In both states, however, higher-profile independent candidates also qualified for the general election ballot.
It's much the same in Idaho and Nebraska, which held Senate primaries last month. Democratic leaders in Nebraska are openly endorsing independent Dan Osborne over their party's nominee, who has promised to drop out to make it easier for Osborne to win.
In Montana, independent Seth Bodnar, a former University of Montana president, looks like the strongest opponent to Republican Kurt Alme — on paper, at least. Bodnar raised more money than all of the five Democratic primary candidates combined. He has even significantly outraised Trump-backed Alme.
In South Dakota, Sen. Mike Rounds cruised to the Republican nomination on Tuesday. He will face Democrat Julian Beaudion, a former highway patrol trooper and small business owner. But it's a former Democrat now running as an independent, military veteran Brian Bengs, who some Democrats believe may be the tougher challenger.
The Democrats shift toward independents reflects the party's toxic brand in Republican strongholds.
Absent congressman gets a Democratic challenger
Democrats nominated Rebecca Bennett to take on Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, which stretches from the New York City suburbs to the Pennsylvania border.
The seat is critical for Republicans as they defend a narrow majority in Congress. The race was always going to be one of the most competitive on a map that has been increasingly gerrymandered to protect both parties. But it's under particularly close scrutiny because of Kean's extended and unexplained medical absence.
He's missed more than 100 votes since casting his last one on March 5.
Bennett, a former Navy pilot, was among the Democrats in the primary who made the absence and the lack of clarity surrounding it an issue, arguing Kean wasn't around to protect money for a new rail tunnel connecting New Jersey and New York City. That line of criticism will likely only grow heading into the general election.
Trump reiterated his endorsement of Kean on Monday. The congressman released a statement Tuesday saying he is "focused on my recovery" and would return to "in person work within a matter of weeks."
New Mexico could make history in governor's race
The stage is set for Deb Haaland to make history this fall after Biden's interior secretary secured the Democratic nomination for governor in New Mexico.
Haaland was the first Native American to serve in the Cabinet. This fall, she could become the first Native American woman in U.S. history to be elected governor.
She defeated Albuquerque-based District Attorney Sam Bregman, the father of Chicago Cubs All-Star Alex Bregman, in a Democratic primary campaign that emphasized her ancestral roots in addition to lowering costs and her governing experience.
Haaland will face Republican Greggory Hull in the general election.
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Peoples and Lodhi reported from New York. Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa contributed to this report.
Mate of Mexican gray wolf Asha dies, according to report - John Miller, Albuquerque Journal
Asha, a Mexican gray wolf who has captured the hearts of New Mexico residents, has lost the mate who fathered her first litter of pups last year.
A quarterly report from the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program states that M1966, otherwise known as Arcadia, was discovered dead in March after mating with Asha last year in captivity. The report didn't indicate the location or cause of Arcadia's death.
In February, the interagency wolf management team released two captive-born pups, fp3063 and fp3064, into their pack, designated as Quartz by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Asha mated with Arcadia last year and gave birth to five pups at the Sevilleta Mexican Wolf Management Facility near Socorro, where Asha was transported after she was captured near Coyote in 2023.
“Plans are in place to release the full pack onto private land in New Mexico this summer,” the agency said in a statement on social media at the time.
The Quartz pack was eventually released at Ted Turner's Ladder Ranch, one of four major landholdings the CNN founder, who died this spring, purchased in New Mexico.
In recent years, Fish and Wildlife has embraced a wolf reintroduction strategy that emphasizes releasing bonded adult wolves with their pups back into the wild, arguing that pack releases increase the animals' odds of survival and genetic diversity.
Results have been mixed, however, with 30 out of 110 fostered pups surviving their first year since the program began in 2014, according to reporting last year.
Asha, who was eventually named by New Mexico middle school students, was born in the wild in Arizona in 2021. She garnered public attention when she roamed into northern New Mexico in 2023, crossing Interstate 40, the upper bound of the Mexican wolf experimental population area.
The Mexican Wolf Interagency Field Team continues to face scrutiny, notably by livestock owners fearful of depredation, as the team works to track, recapture and relocate these endangered lobos in the Southwest.
Roughly half of the 314 wolf deaths recorded by Fish and Wildlife between 1998 and 2024 were attributed to poaching, while about 15% were caused by vehicle collisions. Six wolf deaths were recorded in Arizona and 11 in New Mexico between January and March, according to the report.
Fish and Wildlife is offering rewards of up to $50,000 for information leading to the conviction of individuals responsible for shooting and killing Mexican wolves. Game and fish divisions in New Mexico and Arizona offer bounties of $1,000 each.
Habitat loss, hunting and government eradication programs led to the near extinction of wolf populations in the U.S. by the mid-20th century, leading to wolf reintroduction programs starting in the late 1980s, according to the National Park Service.
Feds offer NM counties $1M to address water contamination from flooding - Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
Northern New Mexico residents who recently suffered drinking water contamination due to the 2022 Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire can now receive funding for repairs or a treatment system from the federal Agriculture Department, according to U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.)
Leger Fernández, in a post on social media this week, said the United States Department of Agriculture has agreed to provide up to $1 million to address the post-fire water contamination discovered last fall in the Mora and San Miguel county areas.
“We are grateful that USDA listened to your calls and our requests,” Leger Fernández said. “They found the money so that you can drink water in your home, knowing it’s been tested and filtered.”
The 2022 Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire, which started due to two botched prescribed burns, destroyed hundreds of homes and several hundred thousand acres of property. It also ushered in severe post-fire flooding and, last summer, an independent geologist discovered elevated levels of heavy metals — including antimony, uranium and arsenic — in private drinking water wells.
The discovery prompted a state Health Department public health advisory, as well as renewed rounds of state testing, which remain ongoing.
“If your water already tested positive for contamination, you may qualify for help right now,” Leger Fernández said.
In the social media post, Leger Fernández sends viewers to a USDA website with more information. That website also lists the 2024 South Fork and Salt Fire in the Ruidoso area, as well as Chaves County flooding later that year, as qualifying disasters.
The USDA’s Rural Development Single Family Housing Disaster Grant program is overseeing the program. Recipients must meet income requirements, according to the USDA.
Albuquerque City Council passes minimum wage bill, with some tweaks - Matthew Resien, Albuquerque Journal
The Albuquerque City Council passed a whittled-down ordinance Monday night that raises the city's minimum wage from $12 to $15 over three years with future annual adjustments tied to inflation.
The amended bill also cut tipped workers' percentage of the minimum from 60% to 50% and gave city workers, making less than $80,000 a year, the same percentage wage increase as the minimum in annual adjustments.
Councilors voted 5-4 on the ordinance, which will raise the minimum hourly wage to $13 in 2027 and an additional dollar every year until reaching $15 in 2029. Annual adjustments tied to inflation would begin in 2030.
Councilors Dan Champine, Brook Bassan, Dan Lewis and Renée Grout voted against the measure.
Council President Klarissa Peña, who sponsored the majority of amendments, was the lone "yea" vote outside the bill's sponsors.
In a statement Tuesday, Peña congratulated the bill sponsors and said, "My grandfather taught me that standing up for workers is one of the most important things we can do, and I have done it my entire adult life."
The original bill, sponsored by Councilors Tammy Fiebelkorn, Joaquín Baca, Nichole Rogers and Stephanie Telles, would have raised the minimum wage to $15 in 2027 and in 2028 began an annual living adjustment tied to the Consumer Price Index but also Fair Market Rent — measured by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — for a two-bedroom home in Albuquerque.
In statements, the sponsors applauded the passage.
Fiebelkorn said "every worker in Albuquerque deserves to be paid enough to live here, and tonight the Council took a meaningful step toward making that a reality. I’m proud we got it across the finish line because this is about dignity, and our workers have earned it.”
Rogers said, “While the original bill was amended, I am still so proud that Council supported a policy that puts working people first.”
During Monday's meeting, Baca said there’s always a reason not to change things but that the only thing he had seen change recently was the cost of gas and other crucial commodities.
Four amendments to the ordinance saw city workers wrapped into annual increases, spread minimum wage raises across three years, removed FMR from consideration in annual adjustments and reduced the percentage of the minimum paid to tipped workers.
After the amendments passed and before the final vote, Lewis said, "The fact is this will have a negative effect on job creation in the city; this will have a negative effect on our economy."
Champine and Grout spoke in opposition and cast minimum wage jobs as necessary — a place for someone to begin before they build their talents and move onto a career path.
A spokesperson for Mayor Tim Keller's Office said Keller planned to sign the ordinance into law but that "we always cross check all amendments first and will do so once we receive the final legislation from council."
In a statement, Keller said the City Council “took a sensible step to help working families keep up with the rising cost of living, but they missed a major opportunity to fix the indexing formula to more accurately reflect inflation."
"Burqueños are paying more for housing, groceries, and everyday basics, and increasing the minimum wage is how we help with that reality,” Keller said.
A 'starter job' and making ends meet
During a robust 2-hour public comment session, those opposing the bill asked councilors to take their time and spoke of the ordinance leading to layoffs and businesses shutting down. Supporters expressed a struggle to afford basic supplies amid rising costs of rent and other goods and services.
One woman said the ordinance seemed “inflationary,” saying costs would be passed on to consumers, including minimum-wage workers. She added, “These entry-level jobs are fine, they are not designed to support a family.”
A man striking a similar tone said minimum wage shouldn't be a career or a living wage, but a “starter job.” He said the ordinance would raise the standards of entry-level jobs, affecting availability for those living on the streets and others getting on their feet.
A small business owner said the ordinance “deserves serious discussion” and asked councilors to study how it will affect businesses and workers before implementing.
A supporter scrolled a Zillow map showing dozens of Albuquerque rentals on a $15 an hour budget. On a $12 an hour budget, it appeared the closest available rental was in Portales.
A woman in a sling, who said she injured herself hiking, pointed out how a misstep can undo a low-income worker, with missed shifts leading to missed rent. She said, “One accident means falling into a hole you can't climb out of.”
The owner of Taqueria Mexico, in a statement read aloud, supported the ordinance and said when workers struggle to cover basic needs, they also suffer stress, which can lead to less productivity and low morale. Another employer said she was paying $15 already but was concerned about tying annual adjustments to housing costs. She asked for something more staggered and easier to sustain, adding, “We can't have these increases be unknown; we have to plan.”
Amid administrative shakeup, state opens special forensic audit at New Mexico Highlands - John Miller, Albuquerque Journal
A special forensic audit is underway at New Mexico Highlands University following the ouster of President Neil Woolf and other top university officials last month.
State Auditor Joseph Maestas notified Board of Regents Chair Frank Sanchez of the special audit in a letter issued Tuesday, when the board officially terminated Woolf's contract. Vice President of Student Affairs Kimberly Blea was appointed interim president.
The 11-page notice states that the investigation was launched after an inquiry on May 12 raised "substantial concerns indicating systemic failures in procurement, contracting authority, financial management, and governance" at the university.
The audit comes on the heels of a lawsuit Woolf filed against the university, alleging he was terminated after refusing to cancel an out-of-state contract and spend more than $600,000 to hire a local contractor at Sanchez's direction. Woolf claims that Sanchez and his brother-in-law, state Sen. Pete Campos of Las Vegas, have personal ties to the in-state contractor.
University representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the special audit at the state-owned school, which enrolls roughly 2,800 students.
Several other key administrators were placed on administrative leave in May, including Provost Daniel Brown and basketball coach Zach Settembre.
Presbyterian Healthcare Services to drop most Medicare Advantage plans, cut 150 jobs - Matthew Narvaiz, Albuquerque Journal
Presbyterian Healthcare Services said Tuesday it will discontinue most of its Medicare Advantage plans beginning in 2027 and eliminate 150 administrative positions, the latest moves by a health system that has in recent years grappled with mounting financial losses and a failed merger attempt.
The Albuquerque-based health system said the moves are proactive steps to preserve its financial footing and its status as an independent provider of healthcare across the state.
Rishi Sikka, Presbyterian CEO, said in an interview with the Journal that the health system plans to keep its Medicare Advantage Dual Plus Special Needs Plan, which serves about 13,000 people who receive both Medicare and Medicaid benefits. The cuts to its other plans, effective next year, will impact 30,000 members.
In moving to cut those plans, Presbyterian will void about $59 million in annual losses, which was “the loss profile last year” tied to Medicare Advantage, Sikka said.
A staff meeting was held earlier Tuesday, when the affected staff of the health system’s insurance arm, Presbyterian Health Plan, were informed of the layoffs. Sikka said cuts to those teams — spanning Medicare Advantage sales, IT configuration, project management and operational roles — were effective immediately.
Sikka said Presbyterian will offer severance and transition support, as well as the opportunity for terminated employees to apply for other open roles within the organization. The health system overall employs about 14,000 workers.
“This decision is not impacting any clinical roles, nor is it impacting anything around the delivery of care,” Sikka said. In a separate statement from the company, Presbyterian noted it is actively trying to fill about 870 open clinical positions across its nine hospitals and scores of clinics.
Sikka added that Presbyterian is not yet able to “engage in a proactive outreach process” with affected Medicare Advantage members until fall open enrollment, which begins in October.
“That is going to be the opportunity where we will be able to proactively talk with all of our current members who receive their care with us and show them all the other alternatives that our organization contracts with, so that they can have continuity of care,” Sikka said. “There will be several alternatives for them in that regard.”
The announcement comes against a backdrop of recent financial strain for New Mexico’s largest health system.
Presbyterian posted back-to-back losses in fiscal years 2022 and 2023 — spending roughly $157 million more than it brought in during 2022, followed by a $159 million net loss the following year. Its most recent tax filings for the 2024 fiscal year showed the health system had a bit of a turnaround with a net income of $84 million, meaning it brought more money in than it spent.
The announcement also comes following a failed merger between Presbyterian and Iowa-based UnityPoint Health in October 2023, just over half a year after the two health systems made the announcement in what they said was a consolidation of administrative services.
Sikka on Tuesday downplayed any connection between that merger and its cutting of staff and Medicare Advantage plans, saying the recent moves are “very forward-facing” and “proactive” decisions to “ensure we have the ability to increase access to care.”
But the combination of the collapsed merger, its recent losses and the retreat from offering Medicare Advantage plans next year will likely give more ammunition to Presbyterian’s critics.
Sikka disagrees.
“I think it is (viable), and I think it’s also the best thing for the communities we serve, and for our state,” Sikka said, referring to keeping Presbyterian independent. “What we’ll start to communicate in the coming weeks and months ahead is the investments we will be making to expand access.”