NM Political Report (https://nmpoliticalreport.com/author/cap-staff/)
This is our liveblog of the 2022 New Mexico general election. Start at 6 p.m. MST, we will be providing updates about election news from throughout the state. Polls close at 7 p.m. and counties will begin reporting results afterwards.
After nearly eight years of political and investigative reporting and serving as part of the inaugural team, reporter Andy Lyman is leaving NM Political Report.
Lyman first joined NM Political Report as a freelancer in December 2014, and went on to become a full-time staffer the following year. There are more than 1,000 NM Political Report stories with Lyman’s byline, but he contributed to many more.
In 2015, Lyman traveled to Orlando, Florida to cover the Libertarian Party National Convention where former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson secured the party’s presidential nomination. Lyman also covered numerous political campaigns, legislative sessions and court cases. As the sole general assignment reporter, Lyman’s work took him around the state, covering a whistleblower lawsuit against the University of New Mexico, writing about lawsuits against politicians and following candidates along the campaign trail.
During his time with NM Political Report, Lyman won numerous awards for things like a profile of former governor Johnson and an investigation into the state’s medical cannabis program. But it was cannabis coverage that established Lyman as the cannabis expert in New Mexico’s press corps.
Once again, NM Political Report joined New Mexico PBS and other news outlets in annotating Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s State of the State speech (as prepared for delivery). Our reporter Andy Lyman joined journalists from other outlets in the state to provide context and fact check comments made by the governor. See the full speech, as prepared for delivery, with annotations below.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham delivered her annual State of the State address on Tuesday. Because of the recent increase in COVID-19 cases, Lujan Grisham delivered the address remotely from her office. The video of the address is available below, courtesy of New Mexico PBS.
Note: Every year, we count down the top ten stories of the year, as voted on by NM Political Report staffers. See our entire countdown of 2021 top stories, to date, here. 10. SCOTUS Supreme Court hearings
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in early December on a Mississippi case that challenges Roe v. Wade. Dobbs v. Whole Women’s Health Organization is under consideration.
NM Political Report won nine awards at the regional Society of Professional Journalists Region 9 “Top of the Rockies” contest, including four first place awards. The annual awards include journalists from Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. NM Political Report competed in the small newsroom group, except for in the podcast category, which NM Political Report and New Mexico PBS competed in the medium newsroom group for the ongoing Growing Forward podcast. Stories written by Kendra Chamberlain won two first place awards, in the Ag and Environment category for ‘Dereliction of duty’: 1.6 million gallons of produced water spilled so far in 2020 and in the Ag and Environment: News category for A river runs dry: Climate change offers opportunity to rethink water management on the Rio Grande. Susan Dunlap’s story Progressive Democratic challengers want new voices in the state legislature earned first place in the Politics News category.
A story written by Andy Lyman called How Arizona’s cannabis legalization proposition might impact NM won first place in the Politics: Feature category.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and health officials held a press conference on the state’s COVID-19 response on Wednesday. The remote press conference was webcast on the governor’s Facebook page. The video below is from the page.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and state health official will held a press conference on Thursday to discuss COVID-19 efforts including on vaccinations and newly announced eased restrictions. Watch the full press conference below, via the governor’s Facebook page.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and state officials held a press conference to discuss the state’s response to COVID-19, including the easing of restrictions in many parts of the state, on Wednesday. Watch the full video below, via the governor’s Facebook page. Update: See the recap of the press conference here.
This year’s legislative session is like no other before it because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has changed nearly every aspect of American life. One big change is that there was no large gathering of family, dignitaries and other political overserves on the first day of the legislative session to hear the governor deliver annual state of the state address. Instead, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will deliver a remote State of the State address on Tuesday, which you can watch below, courtesy of New Mexico PBS. Below, you can read along to an annotated version of the speech, as prepared for delivery, be NM Politcal Report, New Mexico PBS and other New Mexico media outlets.