The New Mexico Republican Party has called on Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to promptly fill the vacant Senate District 33 seat, which has been unoccupied since Republican Senator Nicholas Paul resigned for health reasons in October 2023. With the next legislative session set to begin soon, the party emphasized the urgency of the situation and has requested a nomination by the end of the week.
Senate District 33 encompasses parts of Chaves, Otero, and Lincoln counties in southeastern New Mexico. Local county commissioners have put forth three candidates for consideration: Mark Fischer, the chairman of the Lincoln County Commission; Rex Wilson, a former Lincoln County commissioner; and John Block, a Republican member of the state House from Alamogordo.
In a news release, the GOP stated, “Whoever is nominated to fill this vacancy will be completely disadvantaged in their efforts to represent their constituents in southern New Mexico.” They criticized the governor for potentially delaying the nomination until just days before the legislative session begins, deeming this unacceptable, especially in a Republican district like SD-33.
Leticia Muñoz, the executive director of the state party, added, “There’s really no excuse for the governor to stall this nomination. This will hurt the people of SD-33 if they do not have representation by the capital outlay deadline.” The deadline for submitting capital outlay requests for the 2026 session is set for Monday, intensifying the urgency for the governor to act.
The GOP accused Governor Lujan Grisham of prioritizing political strategy over the needs of her constituents, suggesting that her delay could disadvantage the Republican caucus as they prepare for what they consider to be a crucial legislative session.
In a related development, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez has been actively addressing concerns regarding the use of drones along the U.S.-Mexico border, which are reportedly being utilized by criminal cartels. Vasquez, who represents a closely contested district that stretches from the Albuquerque area to the border, has made significant efforts to counter these threats with bipartisan solutions. His record stands as the most moderate among New Mexico’s three Democratic House members.
Despite the challenging political landscape, Vasquez successfully won his seat in both 2022 and 2024, even as Republican nominees narrowly claimed victories in the district during the gubernatorial and presidential races. He faces a competitive race in the upcoming election, with several Republicans and a Democratic primary challenger already in the mix.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has recognized Vasquez’s proactive stance, with spokesperson Anna Elsasser stating, “Gabe Vasquez is taking action with real, bipartisan solutions to get ahead of cartel threats — proving that he will always lead on defending national security and keeping border communities safe.”
Meanwhile, in local governance, the Santa Fe County Clerk’s Office has announced the winner of a public vote to name its high-speed ballot sorting machine. The machine, which plays a crucial role in processing and tracking mail ballots, will be named Poll McCartney, after it secured a narrow victory over its closest competitor, Count Factula, with a final tally of 20 to 16 votes. The election utilized ranked choice voting, and Poll McCartney had a lead even in the first round, confirming its popularity among voters.
As the state approaches the legislative session, the calls for action in both the Senate vacancy and local governance highlight the critical political dynamics at play in New Mexico.
