Gubernatorial candidates stake out competing policy positions during congenial forum - Dan Boyd, Albuquerque Journal
With just over two months to go until Election Day, New Mexico’s open race for governor is playing out on a surprisingly civil track.
Gubernatorial candidates Deb Haaland and Gregg Hull staked out their policy differences during a Tuesday forum in Albuquerque, but steered clear of attacks on each other’s stances or records.
Hull, a Republican, drew applause from an estimated crowd of 600 people at the Albuquerque Convention Center when he reiterated his support for eliminating the state’s personal income tax and overhauling the gross receipts tax code.
The former Rio Rancho mayor also took an indirect swipe at Albuquerque, saying store clerks should not have to open locked display cases for customers due to shoplifting concerns, describing such a practice as more prevalent in the state’s largest city than it is in neighboring Rio Rancho.
“Our communities have to take a strong stance on enforcing the laws,” Hull said.
For her part, Haaland, the Democratic nominee, focused much of her comments on affordability issues and stubbornly high inflation rates.
Specifically, she said she would work with the State Land Office to explore building affordable housing units on state trust land. She also left open the door to asking lawmakers to divert money from New Mexico’s permanent funds to help pay for such an effort, along with ramped-up public safety initiatives.
New Mexico’s various trust funds were valued at more than $75 billion as of last week, a figure that puts the state’s total assets among the 30 most valuable sovereign wealth funds in the world, according to the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute.
“I am ready to have deep conversations with appropriators, the folks who realize how important these things are to New Mexicans,” Haaland said.
A former congresswoman and U.S. interior secretary, Haaland enters the stretch run to this fall’s election as the perceived frontrunner in the race to succeed outgoing Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is barred under the state Constitution from seeking a third consecutive term.
As of July, Haaland had raised more than $13.8 million for her campaign to be the first Native American woman elected as governor, with thousands of donations from around the country.
For his part, Hull has struggled to keep up with Haaland’s fundraising prowess, as he has reported taking in roughly $945,000 in contributions since announcing his campaign.
But the former Rio Rancho mayor has pointed out he won a three-way GOP primary race in June despite being outspent by his two opponents — Doug Turner and Duke Rodriguez. He has also pledged to refrain from negative attacks against his Democratic opponent.
During Tuesday’s hour-long forum, Hull described himself as a consensus-builder who would work to make New Mexico more economically competitive if elected governor.
“We have to start embracing growth, development and opportunity in our state,” Hull said at one point.
But he also said he would support allocating more state funding to build a steady water supply, citing declared water emergencies in Angel Fire and several other New Mexico communities amid ongoing drought conditions.
Haaland also discussed water issues, touting New Mexico’s potential to generate significant power from its geothermal resources. In addition, she expressed support for expanding other types of renewable energy installations in the state.
As she has frequently since launching her campaign for governor in February 2025, Haaland talked openly during Tuesday’s forum about her past reliance on food stamps to make ends meet.
She said New Mexico needs to continue to provide financial relief to its residents amid high gas prices and grocery costs, saying, “Things get more expensive right now by the day in this economy.”
The Tuesday forum was moderated by KRQE-TV anchor Jessica Garate and sponsored by the New Mexico chapter of the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, formerly known as NAIOP.
It marked one of the most high-profile joint events the candidates have jointly appeared at since each won contested primary races in June to advance to the November general election.
Haaland and Hull are also slated to face off in at least one televised debate this fall. That debate is scheduled for mid-October on KOB-TV.
Early voting for the general election begins Oct. 6, and Election Day is Nov. 3.
Economists warn New Mexico fund subsidizing healthcare costs will soon run out of money - Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
On the heels of a report highlighting New Mexico as the only U.S. state without declining enrollment on its healthcare exchange, legislative analysts warned in a new report released this week that the fund keeping residents’ premiums affordable will soon run out of money.
New Mexico lawmakers in recent legislative sessions approved approximately $40 million in state funds aimed to replace expiring federal tax credits that offered significant insurance premium assistance to roughly 80,000 residents who acquire their insurance from the BeWell exchange.
But a new 55-page report from the Legislative Finance Committee projects that rising health insurance costs, as well as federal cuts and changes that may drive more people to the exchange, will quickly tap the Health Care Affordability Fund, which pays for the expired tax credits.
Without any changes to costs or eligibility, the LFC projects the fund may face a shortfall of $85.3 million by the 2028 fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2027. By fiscal year 2030, the fund will run a projected shortfall of $273 million.
The reasons behind the shortfall vary, the report says, but rising healthcare premium costs constitute one major factor. New Mexico’s four marketplace insurers increased their premiums 34% in 2026, and have proposed an additional 24% increase in 2027, according to the report.
In 2026, United Healthcare raised insurance premiums an average of 52% on 12,000 policyholders. That marks the single biggest increase among the four insurers, and it prompted many United Healthcare policyholders to change carriers, according to the LFC.
Still, BeWell enrollees stayed largely insulated from those increases, thanks to the state subsidies, the LFC found. Despite the hike in costs, low-income New Mexicans comprising more than one-third of BeWell enrollees had zero costs for monthly premiums, according to the report.
The LFC found that more than 25,000 enrollees whose income sits between 100% and 200% of the federal poverty level paid premiums of between $10 and $67 per month, thanks to federal and state assistance, despite their pre-subsidy premiums averaging roughly $845.
The federal poverty level between 100% and 200% captures income between roughly $16,000 and $32,000 for a single person and between $33,000 and $66,000 for a family of four.
But, unlike the other nine states that offset the expiring federal credits to varying degrees depending on income — and only fully replaced the tax credits for low-income earners — New Mexico extended the subsidies to all income levels.
As a result of economists’ projections, the LFC recommended the Health Care Authority, which has discretion over eligibility and benefit amounts, pare back some of the state subsidies.
Specifically, the LFC recommended reducing state premium assistance for all recipients by an unspecified amount, with the greatest reductions imposed on those at incomes above 200% of the federal poverty line. The LFC concluded that the changes may increase both low-income enrollment and also result in coverage loss for those who make 600% or more of the poverty level.
DeAnna Stock, the HCA’s director of coverage and affordability for the Healthcare Affordability Fund, told lawmakers the HCA is “looking at” accepting the LFC economists’ recommendations, which they project would save the fund roughly $75 million in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2027.
Stock added that the authority has hired an actuarial firm to determine a sustainable way to cover as many people as possible, particularly those with the lowest income.
“The HCA does remain committed to prioritizing affordability for individuals and families with the greatest financial need,” she said.
Shooter in 2025 UNM dorm killing takes plea deal – Olivier Uyttebrouck, Albuquerque Journal
A teenager charged in the shooting death last year of 14-year-old Michael LaMotte during a drug-fueled night at the University of New Mexico has taken a plea deal and faces a 12-year prison sentence, court records show.
John Fuentes, 19, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in LaMotte’s shooting death last summer inside a UNM dorm room.
Fuentes entered the plea agreement on Friday before 2nd Judicial District Judge Brett Loveless.
Prosecutors agreed to cap Fuentes’ prison sentence at 12 years followed by five years of supervised probation, according to the plea agreement.
Court officials must complete a sentencing evaluation before his sentencing hearing is scheduled, a spokeswoman for the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office said.
His trial on charges of second-degree murder, aggravated battery and six other charges, previously scheduled for Sept. 14, has been canceled.
Prosecutors alleged that shortly after midnight on July 24, 2025, Fuentes fatally shot LaMotte in the head and fired a second shot that grazed Daniel Archuleta, a provisional UNM student, in the back of the head.
Fuentes, who was 18 at the time, was treated and released at a hospital and arrested soon after the killing. A judge ordered him last year to remain in custody pending resolution of his case.
During an August 2025 pretrial detention hearing for Fuentes, prosecutors said he was drunk and high on LSD, cocaine and marijuana when he shot LaMotte while playing video games inside a Casas del Rio dorm room. Police say Fuentes also shot Archuleta, the teen who lived in the dorm room. Fuentes then fled the dorm.
LaMotte, who had been in the dorm with the group for several hours, had marijuana in his system at the time of his death, according to a toxicology report. No other drugs were detected.
Gunfire was first reported on the UNM campus shortly before midnight when a dorm resident called 911 and said he heard four or five gunshots close by. Hours later, UNM police entered the Casas Del Rio dorm room and found LaMotte slumped over a chair.
The 14-year-old died from a single gunshot wound to the front of his head, according to an autopsy.
LaMotte's older half-brother, Zion Miera, also was present in the dorm room the night of the shooting.
Miera, 20, pleaded guilty in April to tampering with evidence, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and possession of cocaine and was sentenced to complete the court's Young Adult Court diversion program in lieu of up to six years in prison.
New Mexico Supreme Court announces new term - Source NM Staff
The New Mexico Supreme Court on Tuesday announced its next term will begin on Sept. 4 and will include 45 cases, as well as any necessary expedited appeals.
According to a news release, the court’s first cases will include a challenge to the state Public Regulation Commission’s approval of Public Service Company of New Mexico’s plan to install smart meters for its electric customers (New Mexicans for Utility Safety v. N.M. Public Regulation Commission); an appeal in a medical malpractice case involving the state Superintendent of Insurance’s refusal to pay court-approved settlements from a state fund (Murphy v. N.M. Superintendent of Insurance); and a state appeal of the dismissal of a criminal case in which a defendant was committed for treatment in order to attempt restoring competency in order to stand trial (State v. Carter).
The state Supreme Court, which completed its 2025-2026 term consisting of 65 cases in July, will hold oral arguments in September, October and December and will issue decisions for the forthcoming term on or before July 15, 2027. A schedule and livestream is available on the court’s website.
“The Court’s term system ensures a timely resolution of cases,” Chief Justice Julie J. Vargas said in a statement. “This benefits the parties in the case as well as trial courts, which may need to conduct further proceedings after legal issues are decided on appeal.”
