Steve Pearce

Democratic candidate for governor Michelle Lujan Grisham trounced Steve Pearce, winning the seat by almost a hundred thousand votes.

Election night saw gains for New Mexico Democrats. Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham won the governorship by a healthy margin, outpacing opponent Steve Pearce by almost 14 percentage points. Despite deep ideological divisions between the major political parties, Lujan Grisham talked unity.

Jonathan Sakura looked at the spot where his car was parked outside his home a couple nights ago when someone smashed the rear window and grabbed his girlfriend’s bag. "It’s a bummer. It’s violating," he said. "You know, this is our property. This is our stuff. And somebody taking something that doesn’t belong to them— it’s kinda disheartening, and morale drops a little bit."

New Mexico’s next governor will inherit the task of turning around a struggling public education system. This year a judge ruled the state has violated the constitutional rights of at-risk students, including those with disabilities, and must make changes to give everyone an adequate education.

Gun control is an issue driving at least one local to the polls and to an Albuquerque gun show.

Nearly a quarter of New Mexican voters this year are not registered as Democrats or Republicans. 

That includes Kevin Elfering and Marla Hanno, who have lived in Rio Rancho for ten years, much of their retirement since they moved from Minnesota. They don’t identify with either major party, and say each election season they spend considerable time watching debates and reading up on candidates before casting their ballots. 

Republican efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act passed a major hurdle Thursday after the House of Representatives voted for a new health law, the American Healthcare Act. KUNM’s Chris Boros spoke with Ed Williams of the Public Health New Mexico project about reactions in New Mexico.

Second District U.S. Representative Republican Steve Pearce and his challenger businesswoman and engineer Democrat Merrie Lee Soules discussed their priorities and how they plan to serve New Mexicans at a forum in Las Cruces on October 27, 2016. 

Abortion rights supporters in New Mexico are thrilled with the Supreme Court’s ruling today, but it might not immediately reduce the number of women coming here from Texas for abortions. 

Thu. 10/16 7p: The second of three congressional debates KUNM will broadcast before the November 4th election, candidates for New Mexico's Second District Congressional seat, Republican Steve Pearce and his Democratic competition, attorney Roxanne “Rocky” Lara in a debate hosted by KRWG public radio in Las Cruces.

This Thursday night at 7, we’ll hear from New Mexico's incumbent Democratic Senator Tom Udall and his Republican challenger Allen Weh in a debate hosted by New Mexico PBS.

President Obama and Congress are struggling to make progress on immigration reform as a surge of children are arriving at the U.S. border, many on their own, after long journeys from Central America.

This week we'll tackle a discussion of the economic and political causes of this mass migration—and the impacts on New Mexico communities seeing an influx of migrants.

We'd like to hear from you! Email callinshow@kunm.org, post your comments online or via Twitter @KUNMNews, or call in live during the show. 

Host: Gwyneth Doland

Guests: