Around the Roundhouse

Duke Rodriguez officially launched his candidacy for governor of New Mexico earlier this month by making the announcement in newspaper advertisements across the state. A former state human services Cabinet secretary who is now among New Mexico's most successful cannabis entrepreneurs, Rodriguez is the latest of three Republicans to announce a run for the highest office in the state.

In this week’s episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Rodriguez joins Santa Fe New Mexican senior state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to explain why he has decided to run for governor, respond to questions about his residency in New Mexico and discuss his personal and professional background.

Chacón questions Rodriguez on his voting history in New Mexico and Arizona. He also asks Rodriguez if he voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, and to share his thoughts on the president’s second term in office.

Rodriguez, the president and CEO of the Ultra Health cannabis firm, speaks to what led him to enter the cannabis industry. He also discusses how he plans to finance his campaign with the Republican primary just over five months away.

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Shel Neymark helped found the Embed Valley Library in Dixon in 1992 and, over the years, has seen it become a cornerstone of the small community. It’s a place to not only check out books, but also serves as a gathering place and a link to connect residents with resources that support their well-being.

In the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse,” Neymark joins Santa Fe New Mexican state government reporter Clara Bates to discuss his continued work to provide New Mexico’s rural libraries with the funding they need to continue their important work.

Neymark is director of New Mexico Rural Library Initiative, which advocates on behalf of roughly 60 libraries in small villages and tribal communities throughout the state. He plans to push for $29.5 million in the coming legislative session to fully fund the Rural Library Endowment, which was established with his advocacy in the 2019 session to help keep rural libraries afloat.

Neymark says the services rural libraries provide to their communities are more vital than ever amid the recent federal funding cuts. He talks about the limited financial resources libraries are operating with and shares his outlook on the prospects of an increase for the endowment in the upcoming session.

Learn more about the New Mexico Rural Library Initiative at www.nmrurallibraryinitiative.org.

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Economists with the state of New Mexico delivered what Rep. Nathan Small, chair of the Legislative Finance Committee, called a “very sobering" revenue forecast to lawmakers Monday, with projections of total new money being revised down to $105.7 million from an August projection of $484.8 million. For a state that has been awash in new money in recent years, the latest forecast pointed to a change in momentum.

In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Legislative Finance Committee Director Charles Sallee speaks with Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to provide more information on the downward revenue projections.

Sallee, who has worked with the Legislative Finance Committee since 2005, said that while the projections are directionally bad, the state still has “enormous capacity to do good for New Mexicans.”

Sallee addresses the reasons behind the downward revisions of the revenue forecast and contextualizes the projected revenues compared to prior years.

Sallee also discusses how the state’s trust fund strategy helps support the general fund in an environment with lower oil prices and a dip in revenues.

Chacón asks Sallee if there’s a possibility of lawmakers deciding to raise taxes, and asks what his advice to lawmakers is heading into the upcoming 30-day legislative session.

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While running a business coaching firm with her husband in Albuquerque, Nicole Tobiassen said she often hears complaints from her clients that it’s becoming harder and harder to be a business owner in New Mexico. Part of her coaching involves encouraging clients to be part of the solution, advice she said she took to heart when making the decision to run for public office.

A rare Republican representing Albuquerque in the state Senate, the first-term legislator is a member of the Senate Finance Committee, the Legislative Finance Committee and now on a new public safety task force convened by Republican lawmakers that plans to push a suite of anti-crime bills during the upcoming 30-day session that begins in January. In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Tobiassen joins Santa Fe New Mexican senior politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to discuss the purpose of the new task force and what it hopes to accomplish.

Tobiassen shares what came out of the first meeting of the public safety task force earlier this week in Albuquerque, noting bipartisan representation among the presenters. She said the goal is to offer common sense solutions to public safety issues that serve the better good.

Republicans are greatly outnumbered in the Legislature, and Tobiassen spoke on the expected challenges of getting public safety bills heard in the upcoming session. Some public safety priorities she mentioned include increasing penalties for felons in possession of a firearm, bail reform and revisiting the juvenile code.

The Democratic legislators and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham have not seen eye to eye on public safety legislation the governor has endorsed. Tobiassen spoke on that dynamic and how the Republican legislators and the governor have been more aligned when it comes to public safety.

Tobiassen also discusses the crime issues in Albuquerque, saying “here in Albuquerque, we lock up our laundry detergent, our deodorant, our toothpaste. Go to Walmart or Target, it’s all locked up. We lock up simple necessities that cost dollars, but we don’t lock up the repeat offenders, the repeat violent offenders.”

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A fresh face in state politics, Cam Crawford was elected vice chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico in April and is working to build momentum for Democrats in an already blue state.

On the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, the 20-something firefighter and substitute teacher joined Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to speak about his background and his goals for the party.

The son of a police officer and a nurse, Crawford said he visited New Mexico as a teen and knew he wanted to live in the state. Crawford now works as a full-time firefighter for Santa Fe County and is a substitute teacher with Santa Fe Public Schools. He also serves on the city of Santa Fe’s public safety committee.

Crawford speaks with Chacón about what drove him to public service and how it informs his politics. He also offers his perspective on the struggles in the state’s public education system, saying “Our teachers are not OK.”

Chacón questions Crawford about friction within state Democratic Party leadership that occurred not long after the election of Sara Attleson as state party chair and Crawford as the vice chair. Julie Rochman, who was elected treasurer, abruptly resigned the month after the election, citing a culture of exclusion. Crawford shared his perspective of the matter and said the party is united in its goals.

One of those goals, Crawford said, is to win back young voters. Crawford noted that the Democratic Party has lost some younger voters in recent years and said one of his priorities is to work to bring them back. So far, he’s held town halls on the campuses of the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University.

Crawford said he also wants to make sure the party has a presence in each one of the state’s 33 counties and to articulate its agenda to support working families.

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The Republican Party has been dormant in Rio Arriba County for years, with Democratic candidates frequently running unopposed in local races and the number of registered Democrats dwarfing the number of Republicans in the county by well over a 2-to-1 margin. A former Democrat is looking to change that.

Patricia Salazar was born and raised a Democrat but registered as a Republican about two years ago. She showed up to a party meeting Saturday in Chama just looking to connect with other Republicans and ended up leaving as the Rio Arriba County Republican Party chairwoman.

On the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Salazar joined Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to share her perspective on being a Republican in the Democratic stronghold and speak about her goals in her new position.

Salazar said there are many people in the county who have Republican values but have been registered as Democrats so they can vote in primaries, since the victor often runs unopposed. She said she hopes to encourage more Republicans to challenge Democrats in local elections and to raise the number of registered Republicans in the county. She doesn’t expect the change to come without great effort. “It’s going to be a long, hard battle,” she said.

Salazar also discussed her political identity and what it’s like to be a Republican in such a blue county. She discussed the experience of telling her parents, lifelong Democrats, that she was taking on a GOP leadership role and spoke about how she doesn’t want anyone to be embarrassed to admit that they’re Republican in Rio Arriba County anymore.

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Michael Garcia earned a decisive victory in Santa Fe’s crowded mayoral race Tuesday night and has made a commitment to voters to improve transparency and accountability at City Hall. He’s already making moves to prepare to take the reins, putting in place members of a transition team and discussing priorities for his first months on the job.

In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Garcia speaks with Santa Fe New Mexican senior politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón about what the past couple of days have been like since his win and the pressure to deliver on his promises to Santa Feans, and deliver quickly.

Garcia talks about who he has chosen so far for his transition team as he prepares to succeed two-term Mayor Alan Webber. He says some of his early priorities will include increasing resources to add more police officers and to restore the city’s parks department, and improving Santa Fe's Planning and Land Use Department.

Chacón asks Garcia what he feels made him stand out from other candidates to voters and how he plans to deal with the brighter spotlight that he will face as the city’s top official.

Garcia also discusses his approach to leadership, emphasizing a desire for holistic decision making that brings all viewpoints to the table.

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New Mexico has the highest rate of SNAP participation in the country, with over 450,000 people receiving support through the federally funded food assistance program. The federal government has told states the benefits will run out in November if the federal shutdown persists, leaving local and state leaders bracing for the impact of a potential freeze of the program if a resolution isn’t achieved before Nov. 1.

On the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse,” Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón speaks with Jason Riggs, advocacy and public policy director for Roadrunner Food Bank in Albuquerque, who discusses the reliance of the state on SNAP benefits, the impact a stoppage of the program would have, and what food banks and communities are doing to attempt to fill in the gaps in food assistance.

Riggs says the SNAP program can provide nine times the amount of meals that the entire nationwide food bank network can, making it an essential safety net for millions of people. That’s not a gap food banks can make up, even with ramping up their efforts, Riggs says. “We’re gearing up for an absolute public health crisis,” he said about the potential freeze of the SNAP program.

Riggs discusses what the state is doing to try to support residents who rely on food assistance and how communities, faith-based organizations and restaurants are stepping up their efforts to help out.

For people in need of help, Riggs says to call the Roadrunner Food Bank’s food assistance hotline at 505-349-5340 or go to www.rrfb.org and click “Find Help” to use a food finder tool that works for the entire state.

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Ken Miyagishima has run in 14 elections and won 11 of them, including being voted mayor of Las Cruces for four consecutive terms that he served from 2007-2023. The self-described political moderate has an uphill battle to translate his election success to the statewide level as he faces two candidates in the Democratic primary for New Mexico governor who have greater name recognition and far more campaign funds. But Miyagishima says he still likes his chances.

In the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse,” Santa Fe New Mexican senior state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón speaks with Miyagishima about background, his priorities for the state and how he plans to break through to voters against two more well-known candidates in Deb Haaland and Sam Bregman.

Miyagishima discusses his upbringing in a military family, how the Vietnam War got him started in politics and his 30 years serving in public office.

He then talks about the need for medical malpractice reform in New Mexico and what he calls a crisis of a lack of medical professionals in the state. He shares what he would do to improve the situation, including pushing for punitive damage caps, working on interstate compact agreements and forgiving a greater amount of student loans for doctors.

Miyagishima touches on some of his other ideas, including a plan he says could reduce the price of new homes in New Mexico by 25% through utilizing the nonviolent state prison population in apprenticeships, as well as his public safety plan that would involve the creation of a new unit — the New Mexico Metro Police — to assist larger cities with local policing.

Miyagishima also talks about what he feels sets him apart from his two opponents, how he would plan to approach border issues under the Trump administration, and his aim to replicate Las Cruces’ Community of Hope framework to address homelessness across the state.

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New Mexico’s No. 1 ranking in MIT’s Election Performance Index that was released last year is something state election officials have proudly touted, but many are working to improve the state’s elections even further.

Observe New Mexico Elections (ONME) is a nonpartisan observation effort that does work to increase trust and transparency in the state’s elections. Supported by The Carter Center, the organization trains and deploys nonpartisan election observers in precincts throughout New Mexico to report on how election laws and procedures are followed. Findings from the observations are then compiled to assess the overall quality of elections in the state.

Carmen Lopez, co-lead for ONME, joins “Around the Roundhouse” to discuss the organization’s mission and work. She said ONME communicates with the secretary of state’s office and county clerks about any issues of concern that are observed so they can be improved, including to ensure people with disabilities have access to the polls and to see that counties provide language access to voters.

Lopez said ONME will have about 165 observers in 11 municipalities, including Santa Fe, for municipal elections. There will be trainings for observers Oct. 25 and 26, and those interested can learn more by visiting observenmelections.org or emailing Lopez at [email protected].

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