The RPNM SCC Delegates Should Do the Same.
Brian Callahan is the first NFL head coach to be fired this season, and chances are he'll have some company in the unemployment line in the not-too-distant future.
NFL owners do not wait for losing coaches to finish out their contracts. When a team is failing, they act — immediately. Republican Party of New Mexico (RPNM) State Central Committee (SCC) delegates should take note.
What the RPNM Requires
A few months ago, I was Called by one of the "Big Three RPNM" leaders (the RPNM Chair, the Senate Minority Leader, and the House Minority Leader). The message was confident and rehearsed: We are all on the same page. We have a plan. We are going to turn this around and win in 2026. We just need you to get behind us.
What I understood was this: the plan was conceived by the Big Three, for the Big Three. There was no input from the rank and file — only the demand for compliance. That mindset explains why they pushed a rule change that lowered the approval threshold from 60 percent to 50 percent plus one. Fortunately, that power grab failed at the Hobbs SCC Conference.
What Reality Requires
My response to the request for blind support of the Big Three RPNM". The RPNM cannot win and turn our state around without the following…
The Big Three Counties Matter.
Bernalillo, Sandoval, and Valencia Counties are home to a large share of New Mexico voters. Ignoring or sidelining Republicans in these counties guarantees statewide losses. A statewide victory without the Big Three Counties is fantasy, not strategy.
One Size Does Not Fit All.
RPNM should back the "most conservative" candidate in every race. A Republican who wins in Eddy County will not win in Bernalillo County. Politics is local. RPNM's strategy must be, too.
Fund Where the Votes Are.
RPNM must financially support Republican candidates in the Big Three Counties. Republicans must break the lock on the Democrats' Three Big Donor groups (Organized Labor, Non-Government Organizations, and politically beholden private enterprises). These Three Big Donor groups outspend even the New Mexico oil and gas industry. RPNM must expose the damage the Democrats' Three Big Donor Groups have caused in our state.
Stop Sabotaging Our Own.
RPNM must end the practice of undermining Republican nominees who won the hearts of the voters but not the RPNM leaders. I have experienced this firsthand. Once the primary is over, the rule should be simple: love the one you're with.
Optics Matter.
Republican legislators should stop combining official political messaging with lavish, lifestyle-heavy social media posts. You cannot win over New Mexicans by showcasing vacations that cost more than many families earn in a year.
Replace Complaints with Solutions.
Enough with the "Can you believe what the Democrats are doing now?" press releases and social media posts. New Mexicans already know — they are living it. Show us which bills you propose to address our challenges.
The Fall Political Season: A Case Study in Misplaced Priorities
Recently, an RPNM leader called to challenge something I allegedly wrote about the cost of attending an SCC convention. I responded honestly: I write and say a lot. I don't remember everything.
Then I learned the fee to attend the RPNM Pre-Primary Convention will be $500 per delegate. My simple words: That is too damn high. The follow-up pitch? Become a sponsor. RPNM does not want my ideas — just my money.
While Albuquerque Republicans were focused on mayoral and city council runoff elections, RPNM leadership was celebrating the grand reopening of its Albuquerque office on the Saturday before the Tuesday Election. RPNM is not singularly focused on winning elections — it is focused on itself.
RPBC Ward 31 raised $5,000 for the White–O'Neal runoff — an unprecedented accomplishment for a single ward. When I asked Ward Chair Ray Barnes how he did it, his answer was telling: I didn't. Ward 31 did. RPNM never asked him how.
A Republican in Chaves County told me they had the highest Republican turnout in the state. When I asked how, she said simply: We have a plan, and we execute it. Again, RPNM never asked.
In 2022 and 2024, RPNM should have ridden the red wave. Instead, it lost ground. In 2025, as the red wave recedes into a red ebb, RPNM continues to gaslight New Mexico Republicans: We have a plan. Trust us.
The Governor's Race: Reality Check
Ask the RPNM Chairwoman, "How is the Governor's race going?" I expect the response will be "We have a plan to win, and we are on track. But is that true?
From the NM SOS Website
The graph above shows the three individuals running to be the next Governor of New Mexico.
Democrat Deb Haaland, past NM Congresswoman and past US Secretary of the Interior, with $6.6 million. Democrat Sam Bregman, current Bernalillo County DA, has $2.3 million. Republican Greg Hull, current Rio Rancho Mayor with $0.3 million.
Hull is the successful mayor of New Mexico's second-largest city, located in one of the Big Three Counties. The voters of Rio Rancho have re-elected Hull multiple times. Two years ago, I was lucky enough to have Hull as a guest on my KKOB radio show for an interview. Meanwhile, I have heard the RPNM leader's preferred candidate is former Lt. Governor and 2018 U.S. Senate hopeful, John Sanchez. Also rumored is the recent New Mexico resident and marijuana entrepreneur, Duke Rodriguez.
Just as in A Christmas Carol, in the morning (after the 2026 election), we are not destined to hear the familiar refrain: "We just didn't have a good candidate." That outcome is not inevitable.
The Path Forward
RPNM SCC delegates have the authority to demand a special convention and elect new state officers.
