While pay-to-play scandals, investment investigations and corruption have made for heated debate in numerous races this election cycle, the race for New Mexico State Treasurer has been notably quiet. That’s a big change from the last election cycle, when high-profile indictments put the office in the limelight.

Democrats clearly noticed Republican candidate Tom Mullins’ recent surprise strong showing in his race against Democratic incumbent Ben Ray Luján in New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District.

With Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez leading in polls, and a revised set of rules on the table, New Mexico’s medical cannabis program participants have a new worry: whether the three-year-old program will even survive.

The first rule of democracy club is you have to talk about democracy club. No repeating slogans without understanding issues, no reinforcing falsehoods because you can’t be bothered to investigate the truth yourself and, most of all, no laying claim to your rights as an individual under the Constitution if you can’t also accept the responsibilities of individuals in participatory government. Democracy must be an ongoing public dialogue.

The flier first caught the eye of Santa Fe activist Sloan Cunningham as she perused a local bulletin board. It announces a 5-6 pm, Oct. 13 candidate reception for Republicans John Sanchez and Dianna Duran—candidates for lt. gov. and secretary of state, respectively—in Sunflower Market’s DeVargas Center parking lot

As members of the New Mexico Justice League Political Action Committee, they’re new. As political insiders? Not so much. Former Center for Civic Policy Director Eli Il Yong Lee and veteran campaign managers Neri Holguin and Sandra Wechsler have teamed up as a new PAC dedicated to re-energizing progressive voters.

On Nov. 2, two Democratic incumbent Santa Fe state legislators will face Republican challengers for two House seats. But first, all four candidates faced SFR’s Pop Quiz.

For more than eight years, Paul White has hosted a monthly poetry series, Poetry at Paul’s, at his home in Chupadero. A glassblower and fuser by trade, White has worked in education and community organizing, participating with and initiating numerous associations in land and water use, agriculture and more.

City Councilor Rosemary Romero wins the award for “most reasonable proposed ordinance” this summer. In a season that has seen suggestions for panhandling permits and bans against nudity and quasi-nudity, Romero’s proposed revamp of the city’s ethics code is stunning in its legislative relevance.