No wonder independents gain 50K voters and RPNM lost 10K in one year
Yesterday in Belen, the RPNM State Central Committee failed to assemble a quorum to vote on the status of its Chair. In doing so, they answered questions that have lingered for years.
When I began my campaign in 2018, I encountered a fractured party. I would ask Republicans about the divide, and the response was always the same: "They need to get behind us." No interest in unity, in winning the internal fight.
Today, even the RPNM's own Executive Director acknowledges what was obvious then: the party is splintered.
Back in 2018, the Executive Director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee asked me a simple question: "Why would the Republican Party of New Mexico hinder your campaign?" Yesterday's non-meeting in Belen answered that question. Factions within the RPNM would rather support themselves than support the party or win elections.
Meanwhile, New Mexico continues to struggle. We rank at or near the bottom in child welfare, healthcare, public safety, education, job creation, and infrastructure while maintaining one of the highest tax burdens in the nation. So why do voters continue to choose Democrats?
Because the contrast is stark: DPNM has demonstrated it can govern. The RPNM has demonstrated it can fight itself.
Consider the current contradictions. One faction of the RPNM is going to court, arguing that Republicans, not a judge, should decide whether Representative Dow belongs on the ballot. At the same time, another faction is considering going to court to ask a judge to remove Chairwoman Amy Barela instead of allowing the State Central Committee to decide. Which is it? Party authority or judicial intervention. The inconsistency underscores the dysfunction.
I'll admit, I was optimistic. I believed this SCC meeting would be an opportunity to reconcile differences and begin building a unified party capable of competing statewide. I misjudged the depth of the dysfunction.
Let's call it what it is: We have a problem.
The symptoms are not unique, but they are undeniable:
- Hyper-polarization and gridlock: Factions move toward extremes, making compromise nearly impossible.
- Centralized control and lack of dissent: Leadership becomes top-down, with little tolerance for opposing views.
- Base-first politics: Candidates focus on energizing a narrow base rather than appealing to the broader electorate.
- Lack of transparency: Leadership pathways are unclear, often controlled by small groups rather than open processes.
- Misplaced priorities: Time is wasted on internal disputes instead of building a winning strategy.
- Perpetual crisis mode: The party oscillates between paralysis and impulsive action.
And yet, there may be a path forward.
By failing to reach a quorum, the RPNM inadvertently revealed the truth: it is not one unified organization, but a collection of competing factions operating under a single name. In a strange way, that honesty matters. If the illusion is gone, then the conversation can begin.
Acknowledging the problem is the first step toward recovery. The next step is harder: choosing unity over faction, leadership over control, and results over rhetoric.
The question now is simple: Will the RPNM take that step or continue down the same path?
