2016 Election

Clinton up by 8 in NM, according to latest poll

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A likely final poll of the presidential race in New Mexico puts Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton ahead of Republican nominee Donald Trump by eight points. The poll found Clinton leads Trump 45 percent to 37 percent. Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson came away with 11 percent support while Green Party candidate Jill Stein polled at 3 percent support. Results from the poll, conducted by Gravis Marketing, are perhaps most surprising because of the organization it’s commissioned by—Breitbart News. The right-wing online news organization is notable for its enthusiasm for Trump and the so-called “alt right” segment of his supporters who deviate from more mainstream conservatives, especially on racial issues.

Congress & Federal Issues

Gary Johnson radio ads hit seven states

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Gary Johnson is putting some money behind ads to boost his campaign in a handful states, including his home state of New Mexico. The Libertarian Party presidential nominee, a former two-term governor of New Mexico, is airing radio ads in seven states, according to Politico. The Washington D.C.-based news organization cited “a media buying source” who said Johnson is spending over $800,000 in Colorado, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin. When Johnson ran as a Libertarian Party candidate in 2012, he performed best in New Mexico, taking nearly 4 percent of the overall vote. Nationwide, Johnson received just under 1 percent of the vote.

2016 presidential election

Gary Johnson makes an appearance at the RNC

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Former New Mexico Governor and current Libertarian Party Presidential Nominee Gary Johnson showed up to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on Wednesday, ostensibly to convert attendees. Reason Magazine, a free-market publication, spoke with Johnson outside the Quicken Loans Arena about his thoughts on the GOP and the former two term governors platforms. Editors Matt Welch and Nick Gillespie took questions from the surrounding crowd and confirmed that at least one attendee planned to change her party affiliation. On unnamed woman said she was an alternate delegate from Washington State and that she was unsatisfied with the GOP’s pick for president. “I have to say unfortunately half the job was done by Trump,” the woman said. She went on to say she would change her voter registration and vote for Johnson.

2016 elections

NM politicos react to Trump VP pick

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Presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump’s pick of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate prompted reaction from New Mexico politicians, most notably our state’s own governor. “Thanks to Governor Mike Pence’s strong, conservative leadership, Indiana is in a more prosperous position now than before he was elected, and it’s a direct result of his commitment to pro-growth policies and successful governance,” Gov. Susana Martinez said in a statement for the Republican Governors Association, which she chairs. “The RGA congratulates Governor Pence on his selection as the Republican Vice Presidential Nominee and we look forward to the nation benefiting from his dynamic leadership.”

Martinez is among the few high profile GOP figures who hasn’t officially endorsed Trump. She previously clashed with the New York business magnate over his immigration policies, which include building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico and deporting all 11 million undocumented immigrants from the country. When Trump visited Albuquerque in May, he criticized Martinez at his rally for presiding over a state with a large number of food stamp recipients.

Albuquerque Newsdesk

Clinton supporters react to her victory

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An intimate crowd in Albuquerque supporting Hillary Clinton watched anxiously Tuesday night as the former First Lady, U.S. Senator and Secretary of State declared victory as the first female Democratic Party nominee for president. While the internet connection at the watch party in uptown Albuquerque was spotty, prompting her victory speech to stream choppy on a large monitor, supporters still clapped whenever they could make out Clinton’s comments. “It’s beyond words,” Lisa Hannah, a Clinton campaign volunteer from Albuquerque, said of Clinton’s historic victory. “I’ve been waiting for this moment. It’s been something that’s been meant to be and for it to happen is incredible.”

Hannah, 45, volunteered for Clinton’s first run for president in 2008 and participated in early draft groups before the launch of her current campaign.

Gary Johnson

Johnson explains his party switch on Democracy Now!

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Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson made an appearance on the national progressive talk show Democracy Now! Wednesday. He spoke about the presidential primaries and why he left the Republican party in 2012. The show’s host  Amy Goodman asked Johnson if he felt the Republican Party left him. Related: NM politicos talk Clinton, Sanders and, yes, Trump

Johnson said his former party “did not stand up” for him when he was shut out of debates by networks due to his low polling numbers when he originally ran for president in 2012.

Martin Heinrich

Would Clinton choose Heinrich as running mate?

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New Mexico is used to having politicians named as possible choices for a running mate on a presidential ticket. In 2008, Bill Richardson’s name was floated as a possibility to be Barack Obama’s running mate. In 2012, Susana Martinez’s name came up and has continued as we head towards the 2016 elections. Now, it looks like U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich is getting his turn in the VP speculation spotlight. David Mixner, a gay rights activist and longtime Democratic fundraiser and strategist, isn’t in Hillary Clinton’s inner circle.

2016 presidential election

Former Gov. Johnson insists he is ‘hopeful’, but not running for President—yet

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A post from Gary Johnson on his Tumblr page last week ended with a somewhat cryptic line that appeared to hint at his intention to run for President of the United States again. Johnson wrote nearly 2,000 words about his history running for office, the state of the current political parties and what he believes the country might be “ready” for in a candidate. He closed his open letter with an ambiguous statement hinting at his intention to run. “Maybe, just maybe, America is ready. And maybe that’s why I would want to run for President,” Johnson wrote.

2016 presidential election

Trump piñata knocked down

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Roughly 18 people took turns knocking down a piñata of GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump Friday afternoon. The event took place in Santa Fe at the Plaza shortly before Spanish Market evening festivities. Each person took turns hitting the piñata twice until Trump’s head fell off. Ignacio Padilla, a treasurer for the Santa Fe County Republican Party, organized the event. While he’s an active Republican, Padilla isn’t a fan of the business magnate’s anti-immigration rhetoric, among other statements from Trump.