Around the Roundhouse

Demonstrations against President Donald Trump have taken place across the country in the first months of his second term in office as citizens opposed to his policies have protested against what they call authoritarian actions. On Saturday, June 14, a nationwide “No Kings” protest is planned in nearly 2,000 locations, including Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The mass demonstration falls on...

Rebecca Dow defeated a Democratic incumbent to win House District 38 in November to return to the New Mexico Legislature after an unsuccessful run for the Republican nomination for governor in 2022. Dow’s win was the only flip of a state House seat in 2024, but she sees opportunities for Republicans to gain more ground in New Mexico in coming elections. Dow, who lives in Truth or Consequence...

Joseph Maestas has spent much of his life in public service, with time as a city councilor in Española and Santa Fe, the mayor of Española and a member of the Public Regulation Commission. He says his current job, state auditor, has been the most rewarding as he works to safeguard taxpayer money across the state. In the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse,” Maestas j...

Even before she was elected to be the new chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico in late April, Sara Attleson was traveling the state and spreading the message of party unity while visiting 22 of New Mexico’s 33 counties. She has continued her travels in her first month on the job, saying her focus is to show up and listen. Attleson joined Santa Fe New Mexican senior state politics repo...

New Mexico’s careless driving statute returned to the spotlight recently with the tragic death of 75-year-old Glen Smith, who was struck and killed by a city bus driver operating a city-owned vehicle while Smith was sitting on a bus stop bench near the Santa Fe Place mall. Police investigators believe there is reason to charge the driver with careless driving, a petty misdemeanor. They didn&...

New Mexico state Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, was a co-sponsor of a contentious paid family and medical leave bill that stalled out in the Senate Finance Committee during this year's 60-day legislative session after it had passed through the House. A different paid family and medical leave bill last year passed the Senate but narrowly failed in the House.  Chandler joined  Sant...

New Mexico received a No. 1 ranking in MIT’s Election Performance Index last year, a mark Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver takes pride in. She won a special election in 2016 after former Secretary of State Dianna Duran resigned amid fraud and embezzlement charges, and Toulouse Oliver has worked to rebuild the public’s trust in the office in the ensuing years. She joined ...

Howie Morales served 11 years in the New Mexico Senate and has been lieutenant governor since 2019. In the latest episode of "Around the Roundhouse," Santa Fe New Mexican reporter Daniel J. Chacón speaks to Morales about his role in the Roundhouse working with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, and his thoughts on a possible run for the Democratic nomination for governor. Morales discusses his de...

A freshman state senator from Rio Rancho, Republican Jay Block made headlines during his first legislative session by introducing a plan to create an office in New Mexico similar to the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency. In 2022, Block was also in the spotlight when he ran to be the GOP candidate in the governor’s race. He recently joined Santa Fe New Mexican state politics r...

Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman formally launched his bid for New Mexico governor Thursday in Las Vegas, N.M. The Albuquerque Democrat joins host Daniel J. Chacón for the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse” to discuss his decision to join the race and share his vision for the state. Bregman spoke about how he plans to balance his role as DA with campaigning...

New Mexico was in the national headlines over the weekend as a suspected act of arson resulted in a scorched entryway at the state Republican Party’s Albuquerque headquarters. Local and federal agencies are conducting an investigation into the incident.  Amy Barela, chairwoman of the Republican Party of New Mexico, spoke with Santa Fe New Mexican state government reporter Daniel J. Chac...

The 2025 New Mexico legislative session is in the books and the politicians, staffers and lobbyists have cleared out of the Roundhouse. On the final day, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Republican legislators were critical of what they said was a lack of public safety legislation to come out of the session. Santa Fe New Mexican  columnist Milan Simonich appears on the latest episode of &ldquo...

Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, is in charge of steering the ship when it comes to setting the agenda in the chamber and deciding what bills make it to the floor during New Mexico's legislative session. He joined New Mexican reporter Daniel J. Chacón on Thursday morning to offer his assessment on what’s been accomplished in this year’s 60-day session and what leg...

Nicole Chavez’s life changed forever in 2015 when her teenage son Jaydon was killed in a drive-by shooting. The tragedy and ensuing drawn-out judicial process in prosecuting those responsible for her son’s death sparked her interest in advocacy and politics. The first-term Republican state representative joins “Around the Roundhouse” to share how the experience has led her...

Sen. Leo Jaramillo has been in the New Mexico Legislature since 2021 and serves as vice chair of the Senate Rules Committee. He’s had a winding path through his professional career, starting as a TV news writer and producer before becoming a teacher and now a staff operations manager at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Jaramillo joins “Around the Roundhouse” to talk about his jour...

Stefani Lord and John Block are two of the most outspoken members of the state’s Republican House caucus and have developed quite a reputation in the Legislature. The two lawmakers, who share an office, join the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse” to discuss their close friendship, how they get along with members of both parties, and whether they think their reputation is w...

Angel Charley is a mother of three, an advocate, an organizer and the first Native American female to represent Senate District 30. The Democrat from Laguna Pueblo joins “Around the Roundhouse” to speak about her experience through the first 30 days of the 60-day legislative session as she balances her roles as a working mother and first-term senator. Charley provides an overview of th...

Fresh off formally launching her campaign for New Mexico governor, Deb Haaland took time to speak with Santa Fe New Mexican politics reporter Daniel Chacón to share why she has decided to join the race. In the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse,” the former congresswoman and U.S. interior secretary talks about how her lived experiences — including her financial strug...

From an advocate, to a legislative staffer, to the majority floor leader of the state House of Representatives, Reena Szczepanski has experienced New Mexico politics from a variety of perspectives. The Santa Fe Democrat joins “Around the Roundhouse” to share her story about her path to leadership and her push for representation throughout her career.  Szczepanski shares what it wa...

In this week's episode of "Around the Roundhouse," host Daniel J. Chacón speaks with Senate Minority Leader Bill Sharer to ask him about his skills at filibustering and his objectives for the Republican caucus for the 60-day legislative session.  Sharer, who is from Farmington and represents District 1, speaks about the challenges and opportunities of organizing a Republican Senate cau...

In the latest episode of "Around the Roundhouse," state Sen. Crystal Brantley joins the show to offer an overview of the legislation she'll be supporting during the 60-day session, including increased penalties for fentanyl dealers and incentives to support schools in efforts to reduce cellphone use in the classroom. Brantley, a Republican from Elephant Butte, shares how having kids spurred her to...

In the first episode of "Around the Roundhouse," House Speaker Javier Martínez joins host and lead politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to preview New Mexico's 60-day legislative session. Martínez, a Democrat from Albuquerque, shares a bit about himself including his upbringing along the U.S.-Mexico border, and speaks about how his background influences his perspective as a lawm...