Free Republic

New Mexico Democrat Representative Deb Haaland was confirmed as the next secretary of the Department of the Interior on Monday, making her the first Native American Cabinet secretary in the country’s history. Senators voted 51-40 to confirm Haaland, who was strongly supported by advocates for conservation and Native American issues. She will soon lead an agency critical to the Biden administration’s efforts to confront climate change. Haaland said the confirmation was another crucial step in increasing Native American “visibility.” Haaland will soon be leading a federal agency with wide-ranging responsibilities on public lands throughout the country. The Interior Department approves...

SANTA FE – Three of New Mexico’s top Republicans lashed out at the state Oil and Gas Association in an opinion column this week, exposing a rift between two organizations that normally work well together on state energy policies and politics. The frustration burst into view after the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association’s executive director, Ryan Flynn, described U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small last week as a strong advocate for New Mexico’s energy interests and as someone who has “stood up to those in her party who want to completely ban fracking.” The favorable comments about the New Mexico...

Las Cruces Sun-News article, Gannett-USAToday Newspaper, Title and link only permitted.Teague: Congressional candidate should support NM energy industry

On Wednesday evening, Rep. Xochitl Tores Small’s campaign sent out a fundraising email introducing Emma Caccamo as Torres Small’s new campaign manager. Caccamo previously worked as the campaign manager on Teresa Leger de Fernandez’s race up in the 3rd Congressional District, where Leger de Fernandez won against disgraced ex-CIA operative Valerie Plame, state Rep. Joseph L. Sanchez, District 1 District Attorney Marco Sernce, and a handful of others. Far-left, abortion up-to-birth Rep. Xochitl Torres Small is also another benefactor of EMILY’s List, which has endorsed her for her unashamed abortion up-to-birth policies, previously when she worked for Planned Parenthood, and...

The race in New Mexico's second congressional district, one of 2020's most closely watched House toss-ups, is in a dead heat. Democratic Rep. Xochitl Torres Small and Republican businesswoman and former state Rep. Yvette Herrell each received 46% support in a poll conducted by the Tarrance Group for the National Republican Congressional Committee, a summary of which was provided exclusively to the Washington Examiner. Another 8% of voters were undecided. The poll surveyed 400 voters from July 7-9 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9%. There are few polls of the House race. A December internal...

New Mexico's abortion-supporting governor is being challenged over what is a “human right” both inside and outside the womb. Gov. Michelle Grisham attended the 50th anniversary gathering of the National Abortion Rights Action League, where she praised the group for its “defense of human rights.” Vince Torres of the Family Policy Alliance of New Mexico says pro-lifers certainly took notice. “We found it very interesting,” he tells OneNewsNow, “that the governor would choose to describe their work in terms of human rights when abortion, specifically the work that NARAL supports through late-term abortion, and even opposing sensible legislation like the...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Southeast New Mexico businesswoman Claire Chase has become the third Republican in the 2nd Congressional District race. She announced her candidacy Tuesday, joining former state Rep. Yvette Herrell and Las Cruces businessman Chris Mathys in bids to challenge Democratic Rep. Xochitl Torres Small in November 2020. “Our state is ranked worst in the nation for education and 50th in child well-being because liberal, career politicians are pushing radical policies that support open borders, undermine the industries that power our economy, and threaten our way of life,” Chase said in a release. “We need a businesswoman, a mother,...

These past years I have sat on the sidelines very quietly enjoying life with family and friends, observing from a distance. I know the new politicians of the 21st century don’t need my advice. But friends recently suggested I sit down with both gubernatorial candidates to discuss the concerns I outlined above. I agreed to but didn’t expect anyone to call. I never heard from Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham. I did receive a call from Congressman Steve Pearce. I was surprised how open he was and how we agreed on about 80 percent of the issues that plague New Mexico....

To Steve Pearce, the most important thing in life is how you respond to what he calls “no notice tests.” He has faced a number of those exams in his 70 years, beginning with his hardscrabble roots on a small farm near Hobbs through his time as a decorated pilot in Vietnam to his exceptional success with a small oil field services company – which barely survived the oil crash of 1999. But the company did survive, and the kid who, along with five siblings, worked in the fields and raised pigs to buy their own clothes is a millionaire...

WASHINGTON – Rep. Steve Pearce, a Republican who has represented New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District for over 12 years, will announce his campaign for governor today. Pearce, 69, will become the second member of New Mexico’s five-member congressional delegation to shift political ambitions from Washington to Santa Fe. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, announced her 2018 campaign for governor of New Mexico in December. Incumbent Gov. Susana Martinez, a Republican, is term-limited and will leave office at the end of 2018. Pearce’s announcement makes him the first Republican to jump into the 2018 New Mexico governor’s race. Albuquerque Mayor...

To keep conservative rebels in check, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and his allies have been doling out punishments at an aggressive clip in the 114th Congress. From kicking unruly members off the Rules Committee and GOP whip team to stripping a lawmaker of his subcommittee gavel, leadership has been growing more comfortable with taking retaliatory measures to try to enforce party discipline. But several Tea Party targets haven’t gone quietly. They’ve been fighting back with help from Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan’s conservative House Freedom Caucus, which successfully pressured leaders this week to return a subcommittee gavel to one of their...

A devastating blow has been dealt to Democrats’ plans to capitalize on the growing Hispanic population of the United States, playing on immigration concerns to create a solid voting bloc even larger than that of African-Americans. From an altitude of 30,000 feet, ethnic politics seem so simple and basic, but on the ground, in places like New Mexico’s Second Congressional District along the southern border, things get a bit more complicated.

LAS CRUCES, N.M.—Rep. Steve Pearce is the rarest of Republican Party officeholders, a very conservative Anglo who keeps winning elections from a predominantly Latino electorate. As the national GOP seeks to improve its dismal standing with Hispanic voters, the 65-year-old former oil man has some advice. "You just have to show up, all the time, everywhere," he said, during a recent barnstorm tour of his district, which sprawls across the southern half of this border state. "Most Republicans don't bother. I do. I bother." Republicans must spend time in Latino neighborhoods with the respectful attentiveness of a small-town mayor. "We...

The conservative Hobbs Republican not only defeated [Roxanne "Rocky"] Lara, a Carlsbad lawyer and former Eddy County commissioner, but he, percentage-wise, racked up the most commanding election victory in the state – and of his congressional career. [Steve] Pearce won every county in the 2nd Congressional District, even outpacing Lara in heavily Democratic Doña Ana County. When all the ballots were tallied, Pearce took nearly 65 percent of the 2nd District vote, compared with Lara’s 35 percent. As far as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee was concerned, the general election in New Mexico’s 2nd District wasn’t supposed to turn out...

Updated 6:37 p.m. | Sen. Ted Cruz gathered a group of House conservatives in his office Tuesday night, talking about immigration and House GOP leadership elections slated for after the midterm elections. As CQ Roll Call first reported last October, Cruz held a secret meeting with members at Tortilla Coast during the height of the government shutdown drama. Many of these same Republicans are the agitators who aren’t happy with Speaker John A. Boehner. The Texas Republican gathered roughly 10 members of the GOP Conference at 8 p.m. Tuesday for a 90-minute session that included candy bars, crackers and soda....

Steve Stockman (Texas, 36th District) has responded to Ted Cruz’ challenge to House Republicans by filing a 19 point resolution to defund ObamaCare. Mr. Steve Stockman is not afraid of a fight. “I applaud the dozen Republican Senators who sent a letter to Majority Leader Reid explaining they will not vote for any continuing resolution that funds ObamaCare. But as Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee have said, ‘The House must refuse to fund Obamacare’ because every appropriations bill originates in the House and the House is the only chamber that Republicans control. My resolution includes 19 whereas statements that...

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce is a seasoned Beltway pragmatist who says he is running for re-election because this is a turning point for the nation. Pearce, a Republican from Hobbs, is seeking a fifth term representing southern New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District, a seat he won back after an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate in 2008. Pearce held the District 2 seat from 2002-2008. He also served in the state House of Representatives. Pearce believes the nation is at a decision point and worries it may be going the way of failing European nations. A fighter for fiscal responsibility, he...

If members of Congress weren’t aware that many Americans think they’re worthless, surely they’re getting the message now. How could they miss it? Fueled by the debt limit fiasco, a seething contempt for Congress is evident from Facebook pages in New Mexico to the streets outside the U.S. Capitol. People aren’t just annoyed at Congress like they usually are; they’re flat-out disgusted. The anger is directed at both parties, and the guy sitting in the White House isn’t immune. ~~snip~~ Speaking of the tea party, if anyone had any doubts about where Rep. Steve Pearce stands on this powerful new...

Congressman Rep. Steve Pearce had just landed at the airport in D.C. late last night when he got word of Osama Bin Laden’s death. He rushed over to the White House to join an impromptu party celebrating the notorious terrorist’s demise. In the following he shares his experience of the night America learned bin Laden was killed by U.S. troops: A Time to Celebrate May 2, 2011 Issues: Defense and National Security, Foreign Affairs, Veterans Just arriving in DC from New Mexico at about 10:30 pm, I almost missed the announcement that bin Laden was dead. My Blackberry was buzzing...

Text of email sent to supporters this p.m. (not yet on website): Friends, Like everyone else, I was surprised by Senator Bingaman's decision to retire. He served us well and we need to thank him for his service. The retirement of a Senator causes a huge political vacuum in any state and is magnified in less densely populated states like New Mexico. The selection of a candidate needs to be a well thought out decision that is the culmination of much input from family, various leaders and organizations around the state. During the last two days I have talked to...