>> WELCOME BACK TO THE LINE.
IT'S THAT MOMENT YOU'VE ALL
BEEN WAITING FOR, OUR TOP
STORY OF 2018.
FOR US, IT WAS THE BLUE WAVE
THAT SWALLOWED UP NEW MEXICO
IN THE RECENT MIDTERM
ELECTIONS.
THAT BLUE WAVE ALSO ENSURED
NEW MEXICO A LOT OF FIRSTS.
WE ELECTED ONE OF TWO WOMEN
WHO GO TO CONGRESS NEXT YEAR
AS THE FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN
FEMALES IN THE U.S.
CONGRESS.
NEW MEXICO'S CONGRESSIONAL
DELEGATION IS ALSO NOW
ENTIRELY DEMOCRAT, AND ALSO
ENTIRELY MADE UP OF PEOPLE
OF COLOR, ALSO A FIRST.
BUT MARY, LET'S START WITH
THE FLIPPING OF THE
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.
MICHELLE LUJAN-GRISHAM'S
DOMINATE VICTORY OVER STEVE
PEARCE, I'M NOT SURE ANYONE
SAW IT BEING THAT EASY FOR
HER GOING INTO THE ELECTION.
WHAT DID THAT TELL US ABOUT
WHERE NEW MEXICO IS AT RIGHT
NOW?
WHAT'S IN THOSE NUMBERS?
>> OH, MAN.
SO I THINK FIRST OF ALL,
PROBABLY EXPECTED THAT SHE
WAS GOING TO WIN.
SHE WAS THE FRONT RUNNER.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, BY THAT
MARGIN, IN JUNE I DON'T
THINK THAT WOULD HAVE
NECESSARILY BEEN THE
PREDICTION.
I THINK, A, CHANGE IS
NATURAL.
LIKE, YOU HAVE ONE PARTY,
AND THEN THE NEXT COMES IN.
I THINK ALSO WHAT WE SAW IN
NEW MEXICO, WHICH IS NOW,
YOU KNOW, MOSTLY DEMOCRATIC
VOTERS AND THEN SOME
MODERATE VOTERS, TOO, WAS AT
LEAST IN THIS STATE, NOT ALL
STATES IN THE COUNTRY, THERE
WAS A RENUNCIATION OF THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
SO I THINK THAT MIGHT HAVE
SPOKEN TO HER MARGIN.
I THINK STEVE PEARCE WAS
RUNNING AGAINST QUITE A BIT,
NOT JUST LUJAN-GRISHAM, BUT
OBVIOUSLY HIS PREDECESSOR.
NOT SAYING THEY'RE SUPER
TIED TOGETHER, BUT THEY'RE
THE SAME PARTY.
AND THEN HE HAD BEEN A
SUPPORTER OF TRUMP AND HAD
INTRODUCED TRUMP HERE, SO HE
HAD A LOT HE WAS CARRYING.
>> GOOD POINT.
OUTSIDE OF HIS NATIVE
DISTRICT, SO TO SPEAK,
THAT'S A TOUGH ONE
ESPECIALLY.
>> YEAH.
>> ANDY, WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT MR.
PEARCE AND ALSO
GARY JOHNSON, AS WELL, END
OF THE LINE FOR BOTH THOSE
INDIVIDUALS HERE?
THEY'VE HAD A PRETTY GOOD
RUN HERE.
>> LET'S START OFF WITH
PEARCE, BECAUSE HE JUST WAS
RECENTLY ELECTED AS THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY NEW MEXICO
CHAIR.
SO TO SAY THAT HE'S
COMPLETELY GONE, YOU CAN'T
SAY THAT.
HE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE A
PIECE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS
AFTER THAT.
BOTH PEARCE AND JOHNSON HAVE
SORT OF NOT CONSISTENTLY,
BUT THEIR POLITICS IN
NEW MEXICO GO BACK TO THE
MID NINETIES, BOTH OF THEM,
AND SO IT'S HARD TO SAY
WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
GARY JOHNSON TOLD ME
MULTIPLE TIMES IN 2016 THAT
THAT WAS HIS LAST RUN, AND
HE TOLD ME MULTIPLE TIMES IN
2018 THAT IT WAS HIS LAST
RUN.
HE ALSO TOLD ME, SORT OF
SARCASTICALLY, THAT HE CAN'T
BE TRUSTED ON THAT QUESTION
OR HIS ANSWER THERE.
SO I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK GARY JOHNSON IS
PROBABLY MORE LIKELY TO JUST
KIND OF GO BACK TO SKIING
AND TRAVELING THE WORLD.
>> CONSULTING.
>> AND I THINK PEARCE AND
HIS SUPPORTERS ARE STILL
GOING TO HAVE A PLACE IN
POLITICS FOR A WHILE IN
NEW MEXICO.
>> ALSO DEPENDING ON WHAT
MR.
PEARCE'S POLLING SHOWS
HIM AT IN HIS DISTRICT TWO
YEARS, OR A YEAR FROM NOW.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
HARRY TEAGUE KIND OF HELD
THAT SPOT A WHILE, AND THEN
PEARCE WAS BACK IN.
>> I MENTIONED DEB HAALAND,
OF COURSE, IN PASSING, NOT
BY NAME, JEFF, AND A PRETTY
BIG DEAL AROUND HERE.
SHE RAN A VERY INTERESTING
CAMPAIGN.
JANICE ARNOLD JONES, NO
STRANGER TO THIS TABLE, OF
COURSE, WAS HER OPPONENT.
SHE MADE SOME INOPPORTUNE
COMMENTS ABOUT MS.
HAALAND'S
BACKGROUND.
HOW WAS THAT RACE, WHEN YOU
LOOK BACK ON IT NOW?
HOW DID THAT ALL PLAY OUT
WHEN YOU SEE THAT?
>> HONESTLY, I THOUGHT THE
PRIMARY WAS PARTICULARLY
INTERESTING, THE PRIMARY
RACE ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE.
SHE BEAT A NUMBER OF FOLKS
WHO I THINK MAYBE TWO YEARS
AGO IF YOU HAD ASKED HOW
WOULD THIS ALL SHAKE OUT IF
YOU THREW THESE FOUR OR FIVE
NAMES INTO THE HAT, WOULD
DEB HAALAND BE THE ONE WHO
EMERGED FROM THAT PRIMARY,
I THINK PEOPLE WOULD HAVE
SAID, NO.
SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS A VERY
INTERESTING PRIMARY, AND IT
WAS KIND OF A PRIMARY ABOUT
IDEAS.
IT WASN'T PARTICULARLY IN
THE MUD OR A NASTY PRIMARY.
SO THAT WAS AN INTERESTING
RACE TO WATCH.
I HAVE TO SAY THAT I WAS
PRETTY SURPRISED BY SOME OF
THE THINGS THAT JANICE
ARNOLD JONES SAID, AND HER
RESPONSE WHEN SHE WAS SORT
OF CALLED TO THE CARPET FOR
THAT ALSO WAS SURPRISING TO
ME.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT PLAYED
A HUGE ROLE IN TERMS OF THE
FACT THAT DEB HAALAND WAS
ELECTED.
I THINK THAT WAS A FOREGONE
CONCLUSION ONCE SHE EMERGED
FROM THAT PRIMARY.
I THINK THAT SHE WAS ALWAYS
GOING TO WIN THAT RACE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT JANICE'S
COMMENTS SUNK HER PREVERBAL
SHIP IN THAT RACE.
SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS ON
THAT.
>> GOOD POINT THERE.
INEZ, THERE'S ALWAYS A WILD
CARD WE TALK ABOUT HERE AT
NEW MEXICO InFOCUS, AND
THAT WAS RANK CHOICE VOTING
WAS SO FASCINATING FOR US TO
WATCH FROM ALBUQUERQUE.
NOW THERE'S LIKE TALK OF,
MAYBE THIS COULD WORK OUT
ELSEWHERE.
YOU KNOW, MAINE IS DOING IT.
BUT WHAT I DON'T KNOW IS HOW
THAT WORKED OUT, THE
FEEDBACK AFTERWARDS.
WERE FOLKS GENERALLY OKAY
WITH HOW THAT ALL TURNED
OUT?
DID FOLKS FEEL LIKE IT WAS A
FAIR PROCESS, FIRST OF ALL?
>> I THINK THAT THEY FELT
THAT IT WAS FAIR, BUT SOME
PEOPLE REALLY, REALLY DIDN'T
LIKE IT, AND THEY STILL
DON'T LIKE IT, AND THEY
PROBABLY NEVER WILL LIKE IT,
AND A LOT OF THOSE PARTIES
SUPPORTED RON TRUJILLO, WHO
WAS RUNNING FOR MAYOR.
WHAT I SAW, OBSERVING IT, IS
THAT IT FORCED THE
CANDIDATES TO BE CIVIL TO
EACH OTHER, BECAUSE YOU DID
NOT WANT TO OFFEND SOMEONE
WHOSE SECOND CHOICE VOTE YOU
WANTED.
AND WHILE THAT GOT THE
CAMPAIGN A LITTLE BORING, IT
WAS REALLY NICE, BECAUSE
THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY
UGLY RACE, AS A WAY TO
DIFFERENTIATE, WHETHER IT
WAS THROUGH DIRECT SPENDING
OR THROUGH SOME KIND OF A
PAC COMING THROUGH.
SO IT REALLY MADE THE
MAYOR'S RACE ABOUT ISSUES
AND ABOUT APPROACHES TO
SOLVING PROBLEMS, AND THAT
WAS JUST A RELIEF.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT AS A
VOTER IS THAT YOU VOTE YOUR
HEART, AND THEN YOU VOTE
YOUR RATIONAL CHOICE SECOND.
SO SOMETIMES THAT'S THE SAME
CHOICE, BUT NOT ALWAYS.
SO THIS REALLY GETS RID OF
THE IDEA THAT YOU'RE GOING
TO VOTE FOR THE LESSER OF
TWO EVILS, AND IF THERE'S
SOMETHING WE NEED IN
AMERICAN POLITICS, IT'S A
REASON TO VOTE FOR AS
OPPOSED TO VOTE AGAINST.
AND IT GIVES US THAT.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
LET ME STAY WITH YOU AND GET
BACK TO THIS BLUE WAVE.
I JUST WANTED TO GET THAT IN
ABOUT RANK CHOICE, IT'S SO
FASCINATING.
THE DELEGATION, THE ENTIRE
DELEGATION MADE UP OF PEOPLE
OF COLOR, THAT'S SO
FASCINATING TO ME.
TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE
BIT.
IT'S SO INTERESTING.
>> THAT WAS ONE OF THOSE
THINGS ELECTION NIGHT, I WAS
WORKING A RADIO SHOW, AND WE
STARTED TAKING AND I WAS
LOOKING AT SOMETHING ON
TWITTER, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN
I SAID, OH, MY GOSH, THIS
MEANS EVERYBODY IS A
MINORITY.
AND ACTUALLY, IF YVETTE HAD
WON, SINCE SHE'S A
REGISTERED MEMBER OF THE
CHEROKEE NATION, IT WOULD
HAVE BEEN ALL THREE, AS
WELL.
IT JUST WAS THIS AMAZING
FEELING, AND IT SPEAKS TO
NEW MEXICO AS A DIVERSE
PLACE AND THE PEOPLE WHO
REPRESENT US, A LOT OF THEM
LOOK LIKE US.
AND OUR TWO SENATORS, OF
COURSE, ARE ANGLO MEN, WHICH
FOR A LONG TIME HAS BEEN
MOST OF THE PEOPLE WE HAD IN
OFFICE.
SO HAVING A FEMALE GOVERNOR,
HAVING TWO WOMEN
CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS, AND
THEN HAVING BEN RAY LUJAN,
WHO IS NOW THE FOURTH IN THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES --
HE'S WHAT THEY CALL
ASSISTANT LEADER, OR
SOMETHING.
THE HIGHEST POSITION ANY
NEW MEXICAN HAS EVER HAD IN
CONGRESS.
AND I THINK IT SHOWS THAT
WHEN YOU RUN CANDIDATES WHO
HAVE IDEAS AND WHO AREN'T
THERE TO REPRESENT SPECIAL
INTERESTS, BUT REPRESENT
PEOPLE, YOU MIGHT WIN SOME
RACES.
>> THE HIGH TURNOUT IN THE
MIDTERMS, WE TALKED ABOUT
THIS LAST WEEK OR A COUPLE
OF WEEKS AGO ON THE SHOW, IT
TURNED OUT A LOT OF THIS
GRAY WAVE WAS A PART OF THE
BLUE WAVE, YOU KNOW WHAT I
MEAN, A LOT OF OLDER FOLKS
VOTED, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
BUT THE TURNOUT DID MEAN
SOMETHING.
IS THAT GOING TO CARRYOVER
FOR FOLKS?
WHAT DO DEMOCRATS NEED TO DO
TO KEEP THAT KIND OF THING
GOING?
>> I THINK THAT THE VOTER
TURNOUT -- AGAIN, I THINK WE
WERE TALKING AT THIS TABLE
THAT DEB WAS A FOREGONE --
YOU FELT LIKE DEB WAS A
FOREGONE WINNER.
SHE WAS RUNNING IN THE YEAR
OF THE WOMEN.
THERE USED TO BE A SAYING
THAT ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL,
BUT NOW IT'S ALL NATIONAL.
SO NEW MEXICO ACTUALLY MAYBE
DIDN'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME
SORT OF HIGH-PROFILE SENATE
RACE WHERE IT WOULD HAVE
BROUGHT OUT THE WHOLE STATE
AND IT WAS SO CLOSE.
THAT'S WHAT DROVE HIGHER
VOTER TURNOUT IN A LOT OF
OTHER STATES.
BUT YET I THINK, AGAIN,
SAYING ALL POLITICS IS MAYBE
SOMETIMES NATIONAL, THERE
WAS JUST THIS KIND OF,
I THINK, MASSIVE
GET-OUT-THE-VOTE PUSH ON A
NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL
LEVEL FOR DEMOCRATS TO SHOW
THAT THIS ELECTION WAS, YOU
KNOW, A REBUKE OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION AND A WAY TO
COUNTER 2016, WHICH LET'S
NOT FORGET THAT THEY TOOK
SOME MASSIVE LOSSES.
DEMOCRATS TAKE THIS WAVE,
BUT POLITICS HAVE ITS WAVES.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
OUR LEGISLATURE ON THE HOUSE
SIDE, OF COURSE, A LOT OF
SEATS GOT PICKED UP BY
DEMOCRATS.
WHAT'S THE SENSE THERE AS
YOU LOOK AT IT EARLY?
>> I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE
KIND OF A REPEAT OF PREVIOUS
YEARS.
KIND OF LIKE WHAT MARY
TALKED ABOUT BEFORE WAS THAT
A NEW PARTY COMES IN, THINGS
CHANGE, AND IT'S SORT OF
LIKE THE CYCLICAL MOTION.
I THINK THERE'S A NUMBER OF
THINGS THAT THE DEMOCRATS
ARE GOING TO TRY TO JUMP ON
TO NOW THAT THEY HAVE THE
MAJORITY IN BOTH HOUSES AND
THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, BUT
I THINK WE'LL ALSO SEE SOME
SURPRISES.
I THINK THAT ALSO BRINGS IN
SOME DIVERSITY AS FAR AS
DEMOCRATS GO.
YOU'VE GOT THE PROGRESSIVE
DEMOCRATS AND THE MORE
CONSERVATIVE, SO IT WILL BE
INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THOSE
CONVERSATIONS GO AND HOW
THAT LINES UP WITH THE
GOVERNOR'S VIEW ON THINGS.
>> RIGHT.
MANDATE, A LOT OF FOLKS ARE
SAYING THAT WORD.
IF THAT BLUE WAVE WAS SO
SOLID, NUMBERS IN THE HOUSE
ARE SO BIG, DO FOLKS HAVE TO
RESPOND TO THAT BLUE WAVE IN
SOME WAY AT THIS POINT?
>> I CERTAINLY THINK THEY
BELIEVE THAT IT'S THEIR
PREROGATIVE TO RESPOND IN
THAT WAY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE MARGINS
AND THE PICK-UPS AND THE WAY
THE STATE WENT ON ELECTION
NIGHT, I THINK THAT'S A FAIR
ENOUGH WORD.
IT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE
SORT OF POLITICAL WORDS THAT
I DON'T THINK MEANS A WHOLE
LOT ANYMORE.
BUT, YES, WE ALL SAW WHAT
HAPPENED IN TERMS OF THE
RESULTS ON ELECTION NIGHT,
AND AS MUCH AS IT WAS A BLUE
WAVE AND A GRAY WAVE, WE
ALSO SAW A HUGE NUMBER OF
WOMEN GET ELECTED IN NEW
MEXICO, AND NOT JUST TO
POLITICAL OFFICE.
JUST LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED
TO THE COURT OF APPEALS.
WE HAD FIVE COMPETITIVE
RACES FOR THE NEW MEXICO
COURT OF APPEALS, FIVE
MARTINEZ REPUBLICAN
APPOINTED MEN RUNNING
AGAINST FIVE DEMOCRATIC
FEMALE CHALLENGERS.
ALL THE INCUMBENTS LOST.
SO IT'LL BE REALLY
INTERESTING TO SEE IF THAT
CHANGES IN SOME WAY THE
SENSIBILITY OF THAT COURT,
OR THE COMPORT OF THAT
COURT, OR THE FUNCTION OF
THAT COURT.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO
REMEMBER THAT IT WASN'T JUST
BLUE AND MAYBE A LITTLE BIT
GRAY, BUT WOMEN PICKED UP AN
AWFUL LOT OF SEATS IN
NEW MEXICO.
>> I'M GLAD THAT YOU GOT
THAT IN, ABSOLUTELY.
INEZ, WHO IS AT THE TOP OF
THE HEAP OF THE BLUE WAVE?
IS IT THE GOVERNOR'S
DEMOCRATIC PARTY HERE IN?
WAS IT MR.
UDALL,
MR.
HEINRICH?
WHO OWNS THIS BLUE THING
NOW?
>> I THINK IT HAS TO BE THE
GOVERNOR, BECAUSE SHE WAS
NOT -- HEINRICH WAS AT THE
TOP OF THE TICKET IN TERMS
OF FEDERAL IN THE STATE, BUT
SHE WAS THE FACE OF THE
PARTY.
SHE PUSHED MICHAEL PADILLA
OUT.
SHE GOT RICHARD ELLENBERG TO
QUIT.
SO SHE EXERCISED HER POWER
ALONG THE WAY.
AND NOW SHE'S THE PERSON
WHO'S GOING TO BE PASSING
THE LAWS THAT HOPEFULLY FIX
THESE PROBLEMS.
YOU ASKED, HOW DO YOU GET
TURNOUT TO CONTINUE THE
TIDE.
YOU MAKE VOTERS FEEL LIKE IF
THEY VOTE FOR YOU, YOU DO
WHAT YOU PROMISED.
>> I APPRECIATE THAT.
NOW, THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE
HAVE THIS WEEK.
BE SURE TO WEIGH IN WITH
YOUR LIST OF THE TOP STORIES
OF 2018 AT
NewMexicoInFocus.org.
AND YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT
TO US AT NM INFOCUS ON
FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.
