Around the Roundhouse

Linda Trujillo was elected New Mexico’s new Senate majority leader Sunday by the Senate Democratic caucus, becoming the first woman to hold the position. She will take the place of fellow Santa Fe Democrat Peter Wirth, who served in the role for a decade before announcing earlier this year that he would not seek another term as majority leader.

In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Trujillo joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to discuss her leadership style and the priorities that the Senate Democratic caucus will pursue in the 2027 legislative session.

To start, Trujillo shares why she decided to pursue the majority leader position and describes her relationship with Wirth, who she described as a strong and steady leader during his time in the role.

A major focus for the Senate Democratic caucus in the 2027 session will be affordability. In discussing priorities, Trujillo offered examples including passing a cost of living adjustment for the state’s Public Employees Retirement Association members, continuing to provide support for childcare, making housing more affordable, filling gaps in health care and supporting senior citizens.

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Michael Roybal has worked in the courts for more than a decade, spending time at both the Santa Fe County Magistrate Court and the First Judicial District Court. He’s served as a court clerk, court monitor and a pretrial services officer, and now he’s vying to earn a spot in a judge’s seat.

Roybal, a Democrat and a 2008 Santa Fe High graduate, is running against Forward Party candidate Harry Montoya to be a Santa Fe County magistrate judge. In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Roybal joins Santa Fe New Mexican politics reporter Clara Bates to discuss his background and share his reasons for running.

Working in the courts since 2014, Roybal says his roles in the court system have allowed him to see the problems that plague the community. He also talks about his family’s interactions with the judicial system his firsthand experience of seeing how drugs can impact a family. Roybal says if elected he would work to get people with substance and behavioral health issues the treatment they need while also holding people accountable for their actions.

Roybal also talks about his involvement with the JB White Foundation, which helps raise awareness about gun violence among youth and puts on youth basketball tournaments.

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Paul Gessing has spent the past 20 years working to shape policy in New Mexico as president of the Rio Grande Foundation, an Albuquerque-based think tank focused on promoting “individual freedom, limited government and economic opportunity,” according to the organization’s website.

In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Gessing joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to discuss a proposal to raise the state’s gas tax, why he supports eliminating the personal income tax in the state, his thoughts on the gubernatorial race and more.

New Mexico hasn’t seen an increase in its gas tax in more than three decades. Funds raised from the tax go to repairing the state’s roads. State Sen. Roberto “Bobby” Gonzales, D-Rancho de Taos, is considering introducing the proposed increase during next year’s 60-day legislative session.

Gessing thinks raising the gas tax would be a bad idea, saying he thinks there are other places the state can draw funds from to repair its roads. “Simply put, it is crazy to even be talking about raising taxes,” Gessing said.

Members of the state’s Republican Party, which is a minority in the both chambers of the Legislature, have also been pushing for eliminating personal income tax. Gessing shares why he thinks it would be a good move for the state and says he thinks it would be best to phase it out over a number of years rather than all at once.

Chacón also asks Gessing to share his thoughts on the governor’s race between Democrat Deb Haaland and Republican Gregg Hull. Gessing says he wishes the public would get the chance to see multiple debates between the two candidates before the election, which seems less likely as Nov. 3 approaches.

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New Mexico was in the national spotlight earlier this week as President Donald Trump sent out multiple social media posts indicating a desire to rename New Mexico “New America.” The posts prompted backlash from New Mexico’s congressional delegation and others who didn’t appreciate the suggestion.

New Mexico State Historian Rob Martinez has been among the voices critical of Trump’s “New America” pitch. He has been interviewed by publications including The New York Times and The Guardian, offering a lesson on the origins of New Mexico’s name and sharing some of the unique elements of the state’s history.

In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Martinez joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to push back against Trump’s “New America” posts, saying “our state name is no joke.”

Martinez discusses the shaping of New Mexico and its complex culture. He also shares the history the region has had with the United States and Mexico, and some the prejudices that developed that he says seem to have not gone away.

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Before resigning from the state Senate nearly four years ago, Jacob Candelaria changed his party affiliation from Democrat to decline to state. Being unencumbered by partisan loyalties “was liberating,” Candelaria said, and working as an attorney, he says he fights for the people of New Mexico instead of for the government.

Candelaria has taken high-profile cases including whistleblower lawsuits and a challenge of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s universal childcare program. This week, he filed a disciplinary complaint against state Rep. Andrea Romero for taking a part-time job in the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office. The complaint alleges multiple violations of New Mexico’s Rules of Professional Conduct.

In the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse,” Candelaria joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to discuss his complaint against Romero, a new complaint he has filed against District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, his thoughts on the state’s Democratic Party and more.

Candelaria, a state legislator from 2013-2022, recounts his time serving in the Roundhouse, which included tense moments and clashes with the governor and other Democrats. He says he doesn’t miss being a legislator and explains why he feels “state government is broken.”

Chacón then asks Candelaria to go into detail about his disciplinary complaint against Romero. In the discussion, Candelaria reveals that on Wednesday he also filed a complaint against Carmack-Altwiews for hiring Romero to the office. Romero resigned from the controversial part-time job earlier this week.

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Harry Montoya has been a Democrat and a Republican. The former Pojoaque School Board member and Santa Fe County Commissioner says he doesn’t feel like he fits into the mold of either party anymore and is now running as a member of the newly formed Forward Party in his campaign for Santa Fe County magistrate judge.

Montoya, who is facing Democrat Michael Roybal in the general election, joins the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse” for a conversation with Santa Fe New Mexican politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón on his background, his interest in the magistrate judge role and his decision to run as a Forward Party candidate.

Long in the political sphere, Montoya says a continued passion for public service has driven him to pursue the magistrate judge position. He discusses what the magistrate court is and shares his thoughts on what qualities a judge should bring to the job.

Montoya also talks about the Forward Party movement, saying he feels the party offers the opportunity to put narrow ideologies aside and work for progress for the people.

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Ramona Goolsby has been a family nurse practitioner, an officer in the U.S. Army Reserves, a staff accountant for a CPA firm, a small business owner and manager of a ranch. She says she’s not a politician, but she hopes her varied experiences will appeal to voters as she campaigns to be New Mexico’s secretary of state.

The Rio Rancho Republican is running against Doña Ana County Democrat Amanda López Askin in the November general election.

In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Goolsby joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to speak about her background, share why she’s decided to run for secretary of state and discuss her top priorities.

Goolsby speaks on her concerns about the state’s voter rolls and says she would like to launch a voter roll cleanup task force.

Chacón later asks Goolsby questions about her position on voter ID requirements and the SAVE America Act, as well as if she agrees with Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was rigged.

The episode ends with Goolsby talking about what led her to come to New Mexico and about her Master Cattleman certification.

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Patrick M. Brenner is founder, president and CEO of the Southwest Public Policy Institute, a New Mexico-based public policy think tank with a stated mission to deliver data-driven research, advance government transparency and safeguard consumer choice across the Southwest.

In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Brenner joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to talk about a range of topics including what his think tank does, how it is funded and some of the policies the institute is currently focused on.

Brenner also discusses what led him to depart the Rio Grand Foundation, an Albuquerque-based think tank, and eventually create his own.

Brenner touches on issues including opioid settlement transparency, New Mexico’s Inspection of Public Records Act, banking deserts, housing affordability and more.

A former Republican, Brenner also speaks about what led him to leave the party and offers some thoughts on New Mexico’s gubernatorial race.

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Michael Perry grew up in Roswell with an interesting aspiration for a child — he wanted to be a game warden.

One of his grandfathers was a director with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and took Perry quail hunting all over the state. After studying wildlife science at New Mexico State University, Perry followed in his grandfather’s footsteps and served as a game warden for the department for more than two decades.

Perry now has a new goal — to become the New Mexico state land commissioner.

Formerly an assistant commissioner over state lands at the State Land Office, Perry is the Republican nominee for state land commissioner. He is running against Democrat Juan de Jesus Sanchez III to succeed outgoing State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard.

In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Perry joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to share his positions on policy issues facing the State Land Office and to discuss the path that led him to this point.

Chacón begins the episode by asking Perry about his stance on the withdrawal of state lands from mining leases around Chaco Culture National Historical Park initiated by Garcia Richard. He also asks Perry about his thoughts on Garcia Richard’s denial of an application to run a portion of a natural gas pipeline for Project Jupiter through state trust land.

Perry then responds to a question about a proposal to increase oil and gas bonding on state lands.

Questions then turn to Perry’s campaign and how he plans to break a long drought of Republicans in statewide races. Perry says his decades of experience with the state Department of Game and Fish and the State Land Office give him an edge over his younger opponent.

The interview ends with questions about Perry’s roots in New Mexico, his professional background and his passion for the state.

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New Mexico is the only state in the country with an unpaid Legislature, but that could change come November.

Voters in the upcoming general election will consider a constitutional amendment that would pave the way for state lawmakers to receive a salary for the first time in New Mexico’s history.

Retired state government attorney Clifford Rees served House Democrats as a technical expert on the proposed amendment during the 30-day legislative session earlier this year and is a proponent of efforts to modernize the Legislature. In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Rees joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to share his insight on the amendment, discuss the potential amount legislators would receive and talk about what he thinks may have held up past efforts to pay legislators.

Rees worked for four different state agencies as an attorney, spending the bulk of his career at the New Mexico Department of Health before retiring as general counsel of the state Department of Finance and Administration in 2005. He has volunteered his time and expertise over the last four years to research and speak on the process to modernize the New Mexico Legislature.

While legislators don’t receive a salary, they do receive per diem for meeting attendance, mileage reimbursements and pensions. Rees discusses how their pensions work and says that the constitutional amendment to pay legislators a salary would have no impact on their pensions.

Rees argues that paying lawmakers would expand the pool of people who are able to serve and says proponents of the amendment need to make the case that constituents as well as legislators would benefit by its passage.

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