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Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bernalillo County DA Sam Bregman announces campaign for New Mexico governor
LAS VEGAS, N.M. — Kicking off his gubernatorial campaign in what promises to be a fiercely competitive Democratic primary, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman lashed what he called "the excesses and chaos" of U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as what he referred to as "radical left-wing elitism" in his own party. Known for his push for tough-on-crime policies, Bregman pitched his campaign in the 2026 governor's race as a "common-sense," moderate approach, harkening back to a Democratic Party of the past that stood for its base of working-class voters. His bid pits him against former Congresswoman and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a member of Laguna Pueblo, who announced this week she has raised about $3 million since launching her campaign two months ago. But Bregman said he isn't concerned about the initial wealth gap his campaign faces. "I'm a tested fundraiser, if you will, and I think I'm very capable and my message will resonate with people in New Mexico," he said. Around the Roundhouse S1E13: Sam Bregman He delivered the first speech of his campaign to a crowd of a few hundred people Thursday evening in the historic plaza of Las Vegas, a longtime Democratic stronghold, in an event that included a performance by popular local musician Gonzalo. Bregman said he chose the city for his announcement partly because he considers it "the heart of the Democratic Party" in Northern New Mexico. "There's a lot of Democrats who sat on the sidelines recently because they didn't like what they saw in the Democratic Party," Bregman said in an interview Thursday. "There's a lot of Democrats who not [only] sat on the sidelines, but actually voted for the other guy. We need to bring them back to the fold — that's why I'm here." An attorney with a 30-year career, Bregman was appointed district attorney in the state's most populous county by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in 2023 and was elected to the position in 2024. He has been an Albuquerque city councilor and New Mexico Democratic Party chair. He is also the father of Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman. Haaland, who made history as the first Native American to serve in a federal Cabinet post and would make history as the nation's first Native woman to serve as governor if she wins, also has been the state party chair. On her campaign website, she touts endorsements from four-fifths of New Mexico's Democratic congressional delegation and dozens of other public officials from all levels of government. Bregman and Haaland are so far the only candidates to publicly announce campaigns for governor. Democratic U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich ruled himself out of the governor's race earlier this year, and no Republican candidates have initiated a run. 041025_MS_Sam Bregman_005.JPG Sam Bregman kicks off his gubernatorial campaign at Plaza Park in Las Vegas, N.M., on Thursday, April 10, 2025. Crowd of supporters The audience at Bregman's first campaign event included ardent, longtime supporters, several of the area's public officials and local voters who came to hear what he had to say. Mora County Sheriff Americk Padilla, 4th Judicial District Attorney Thomas Clayton and former state Rep. Ambrose Castellano, who lost his primary election in 2024 to a more progressive challenger, were in the crowd. Also in attendance was former Attorney General Patricia Madrid, who lives in Mora and expressed her support for Bregman. "I've known him a long time," she said. "He's a brilliant lawyer — he's tough, smart and he is what we need against the administration in Washington." Las Vegas resident Phillip Marquez, a retired employee of New Mexico Highlands University, said he hasn't decided whom he will support for governor in next year's primary election. He attended the event Thursday with his wife. If Haaland organizes an event in Las Vegas, he will attend hers as well, he said. Marquez said he believes Lujan Grisham "has been a good governor," but most of his neighbors are ready for "change." He commended what he saw as "hard-on-crime" stances by Bregman, which he believes will resonate with voters. He and his wife noted Bregman's speech touched on crime, education and health care, which they believe are the three most important issues for the next administration to address. 041025_MS_Sam Bregman_007.JPG Sam Bregman speaks with media at the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, N.M., about his campaign for governor Thursday, April 10, 2025. 'Scourge of crime' Bregman told the crowd Thursday he would protect and improve education, jobs, housing and health care while fighting back against a "scourge of crime" that he said has taken hold across the state. His comments came as Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced she will deploy members of the New Mexico National Guard to Albuquerque — a city with one of the nation's highest crime rates — to help local law enforcement with public safety efforts. Bregman touted thousands of convictions he has secured in the last two years as the top prosecutor in the state's most populous county. "Our focus has been relentless on holding violent criminals — including juveniles — accountable, and we've been working to address the conditions that lead so many to a life of crime," he said. In recent years, he has advocated for some public safety-related legislation that has been passed up by state legislators, including a controversial overhaul of the juvenile justice code that would expand the list of offenses for which children can be tried and sentenced as adults. He said he would also prioritize recruiting more police officers at agencies around the state. As for what he means by "radical left-wing elite," Bregman said the phrase refers to "certain members of the Legislature who refused to even have a robust debate about juvenile crime." He added, "I'm referring to folks who realize that the oil and gas industry, for example, provides a billion dollars for education every single year, provides half of the state budget and 100,000 jobs, yet are still willing to float the idea of shutting down oil and gas exploration." 041025_MS_Sam Bregman_002.JPG Sam Bregman, the district attorney in Bernalillo County's 2nd Judicial District, is greeted by supporter Cathy Thompson as he officially announces his bid for governor during a rally at Plaza Park in Las Vegas, N.M., on Thursday, April 10, 2025. He declined to commit to a position on New Mexico's ongoing transition to carbon-free energy, which is required by the Energy Transition Act. "We should always strive to reduce emissions, but at the same time we shouldn't be doing things to cripple an industry that provides us half our state budget in a billion dollars a year for education," he said. "And I think we can keep working towards having less emissions and at the same time recognizing the importance of our oil and gas industry and supporting them as well." Bregman stressed his willingness to be a leader who can "stand up" to Trump, citing what he called the presidential administration's "attacks on health care, education, veterans and our way of life." In an interview, he expressed his concerns about Trump's potential plans to cut Medicaid funding as well as what appears to be a lack of due process protections in federal immigration enforcement. "So we need to push back and make sure we are heard loud and clear, and draw a line in the sand that that is unacceptable, and do everything we can, whether or not it's more litigation, or whether or not it's just being vocal, or whether or not pushing back in areas that they don't want to get pushed back," he said.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Las Cruces Mayor contemplating run for New Mexico governor
Former longtime Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima is contemplating a run for governor of New Mexico. In a news release on Feb. 27, 2025, Miyagishima, 61, announced he formed an "exploratory committee" for the 2026 election. Miyagishima told the Sun-News he would determine if he would run by May and that a potential run would be in the New Mexico Democratic Party. Miyagishima said his committee of six or seven people have been working on a potential run for the past two years and that he will expand the committee to include folks throughout the state. Deb Haaland, a Democrat and former Interior Secretary and New Mexico congresswoman, announced her intent to run for Governor earlier in February. On his website, Miyagishima acknowledged Haaland's announcement, stating, "We love Deb Haaland don't get us wrong, we hope for huge things for her, but she's not the right person for this moment, in this place." Miyagishima was the Las Cruces Mayor for 16 years, stepping down prior to the 2023 municipal election with Eric Enriquez winning the election to replace him. He previously held elected positions as Doña Ana County Commissioner and Las Cruces City Councilor. He lost a state race for the New Mexico House of Representatives in 1990 to Republican Leonard Rawson. Miyagishima oversaw historical population growth in Las Cruces during his mayoral stint. He also managed the city's response amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. He is currently an adjunct finance professor at New Mexico State University. Miyagishima has lived in Las Cruces since 1971 and graduated from New Mexico State University in 1985. "I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served as mayor, and to make a difference in our community," Miyagishima said in a news release. "Now, I am ready to take that experience, and those lessons learned to a broader platform. This exploratory committee will allow me to engage with New Mexicans, including our elected officials, hear their concerns, and explore how I can best serve as governor." On his website, Miyagishima touts a platform that includes housing, retirement, healthcare, education reform, economic opportunities, crime reduction, homelessness, generational wealth creation, and sustainable development. The exploratory committee will be composed of policy experts and volunteers, according to a news release. The committee's mission is to connect with residents across the state to discuss critical issues. Miyagishima plans to hold a series of town hall meetings in the coming months, which will be available in both in-person and virtual formats. "I am excited about the opportunity to connect with people from all corners of our state and to discuss the vision we can create together," Miyagishima said in a release. "Leadership is about listening and responding to the needs of our communities, and I am committed to doing just that. I have dedicated my life to serving our community, and I am enthusiastic about the potential to expand that service to the entire state of New Mexico." This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Ken Miyagishima contemplating run for New Mexico governor
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
With 2026 campaign cycle approaching, Deb Haaland officially launches gubernatorial bid
Feb. 11—SANTA FE — Deb Haaland officially entered New Mexico's 2026 race for governor on Tuesday, becoming the first candidate in an open — and likely expensive — race. The former New Mexico congresswoman, who spent nearly four years as U.S. interior secretary under Joe Biden until stepping down last month, has been quietly laying the groundwork for a gubernatorial campaign over at least the last several weeks. Her campaign launch had been teased in recent days by video snippets on Haaland's social media account, including one posted Monday that featured her saying simply, "Are you ready?" A video officially announcing Haaland's campaign was posted early Tuesday. "Lowering costs, making rent and housing affordable, strengthening our schools, and preventing crimes so that you feel safe raising a family here. The solutions are there if we are fierce enough to choose them," Haaland said in the video. If elected in November 2026, Haaland would become the first Native American female governor in United States history. At least two men with Native American heritage have been elected as governor of Oklahoma, including current Gov. Kevin Stitt who has faced questions about his affiliation with the Cherokee Nation. Haaland, an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo, grew up in a military family before graduating from Albuquerque's Highland High School. She has been open about past struggles, including bouts of homelessness, alcohol addiction and relying on federal government food stamps. After entering politics, Haaland served as New Mexico Democratic Party chairwoman before being elected to represent an Albuquerque-based 1st Congressional District seat in 2018. She was then appointed as interior secretary by Biden in February 2021. As the nation's first Native American cabinet secretary, Haaland led an initiative to recognize the troubled legacy of federal Indian boarding schools and received both praise and criticism for her 2023 decision to bar new oil and gas leasing in a 10-mile radius around Chaco Canyon. She described the experience in a recent interview as "the honor of my lifetime" but also acknowledged the difficulty of finding consensus on some key issues. Open race could attract many candidates New Mexico will have a new governor in 2027, since Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term in office. Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, was first elected in 2018 and won reelection in a hard-fought race against Republican Mark Ronchetti in 2022. The appeal of an open race next year could lead to multiple candidates ultimately running for governor, though U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., announced last month he would not join the race and would instead remain in the U.S. Senate. University of New Mexico political science professor Gabriel Sanchez said at the time that Heinrich's decision could pave the way for Haaland to be the "primary candidate" in next year's race. Among other possible Democratic candidates, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman has not ruled out a run. No Republican candidates have as of yet announced gubernatorial campaigns. The 2022 race between Lujan Grisham and Ronchetti was one of the most expensive in New Mexico history — with Lujan Grisham spending roughly $13 million and Ronchetti spending more than $9 million on his campaign. And those figures do not include hefty spending on the race by outside groups. Looking ahead to 2026 Although the 2026 primary election is still roughly 17 months away, it's not uncommon in New Mexico for candidates to announce campaigns more than a year in advance. Lujan Grisham, for instance, formally announced her campaign for governor in mid-December 2016 — nearly two years before the 2018 general election. Haaland said in her Tuesday campaign announcement that she plans to tour the state in the coming months to visit with New Mexicans about their struggles and ideas. Her campaign manager is Scott Forrester, a veteran New Mexico political advisor who also ran Haaland's first campaign for Congress in 2018. Forrester most recently worked as chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury.
