President Trump is talking publicly about his plans to undermine the 2026 midterm election. I\u2019m relieved.<\/p>\n
Why relieved? Because now that he is talking about it openly, we are also starting to hear about what\u2019s being done, mostly by the states, to counteract those plans.<\/p>\n
Trump demonstrated on Jan. 6, 2021, that he does not accept the results of any election he does not win. We know what he did then. Now he has nobody in his inner circle to restrain him and new loyalists who don\u2019t care about the Constitution and apparently will do whatever it takes to keep him in power<\/p>\n
I have been worried about the next elections ever since that day. I have received some assurances that pro-fair elections organizations are quietly preparing for any eventuality.<\/p>\n
If the midterm election is conducted honestly and without interference, it\u2019s likely the Republicans will lose their majority in Congress and Trump will lose much of his power.<\/p>\n
In 2024, New Mexico\u2019s conduct of the election was rated the best in the nation by Elections Performance Index<\/a> (EPI), a project of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology\u2019s (MIT) Election Data and Science Lab described as \u201ca non-partisan, objective measure of U.S. election administration.\u201d<\/p>\n I have studied New Mexico\u2019s election process myself and I find it thorough in all the steps to assure that only legitimate voters can vote \u2013 only once \u2013 and that our post-election processes assure an accurate and honest count. I would encourage every concerned voter to do the same thing. Reassure yourself, independently.<\/p>\n In January of this year, Trump said New Mexico\u2019s elections are among the most corrupt in the nation. He offered no evidence.<\/p>\n As the legislative session started, I wondered whether New Mexico Republican legislators would take the opportunity to say something in defense of the system that got them elected \u2013 the system run by county clerks of both parties who are their neighbors.<\/p>\n I wrote in January:<\/p>\n \u201cNew Mexicans deserve to know whether their elected Republicans are traditional conservatives who believe in the rule of law or supporters of Trump\u2019s imperialistic and anti-constitutional policy agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur state\u2019s leaders need to ensure the state is ready to resist interference with a free and fair election in which no voters are intimidated.\u201d<\/p>\n I was disappointed.<\/p>\n Maybe I missed something, but I did not see any public response to the President\u2019s statement from any New Mexico Republican \u2013 no elected official, no party leader.\u00a0 The fact that no one spoke up to agree with him suggests perhaps they knew his remarks were outlandish. The fact that no one spoke up to disagree with him suggests they were unwilling or maybe afraid to contradict him out loud.<\/p>\n Republican legislators had one clear opportunity to take a stand in favor of free and fair elections: Senate Bill 264. That was the bill to prevent ICE agents or other federal troops from being stationed at or near polling places in New Mexico. It was passed on a strict party line vote in both houses, with all Republicans voting no, and is now law.<\/p>\n So now you know, New Mexico voter, that our Republican legislators chose not to stand up for fair elections even though they themselves will probably be re-elected.<\/p>\n Do our Republican lawmakers believe it\u2019s okay for armed federal agents to be posted near polling locations, intimidating citizens who want to vote? Do those lawmakers understand these agents might be from the same gangs of inadequately trained bullies who killed two citizens in Minneapolis? Do they still believe in the Constitution?<\/p>\n It\u2019s now primary election season. It\u2019s up to you now, especially if you are a Republican voter, to ask your legislators those questions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" President Trump is talking publicly about his plans to undermine the 2026 midterm election. I\u2019m relieved. Why relieved? Because now that he is talking about it openly, we are also starting to hear about what\u2019s being done, mostly by the … Continue reading