2016 election

New Mexico PACs bring in big bucks

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New Mexico political action committees have raised nearly $15.8 million and spent more than $14 million in the two years leading up to Tuesday’s election. Those PACs have bought TV and radio ads, sent mailers, paid for robocalls and polls. New Mexico In Depth analyzed fundraising and spending for 2015 and 2016 through Nov. 1 for state-registered PACs. Excluded were the two state party committees; Act Blue, a conduit PAC for donations to candidates; and South-Central PAC, a union group that only sends money to a parent group in Washington, D.C.

Advance New Mexico Now, a super PAC operated by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez’s top advisers, is the top money raiser and spender.

Politics

Leadership races are top draws for candidate campaign cash

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Control of New Mexico’s Legislature is on the line in Tuesday’s election, and that’s evident in the fundraising and spending reports. Through Nov. 1 candidates in 17 hotly contested seats have raised nearly $6.2 million and spent nearly $4.5 million. Nowhere is the battle more pronounced than in the contests featuring Republican House Majority Leader Nate Gentry and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez. The two  lawmakers top the list of money raised and spent over the last two years.

2016 election

NMID tracks November campaign filings

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Today is a filing day for New Mexico candidates, the third for the general election. It’s another important day as Republicans fight to hold their two-year majority in the House and take over the Senate, while Democrats hope to take back the House and hold the Senate. Today, we’ll track the secretary of state contest, plus key legislative races. We’ll check out the super PACs too. Below you’ll find the money coming in betweenOct.

Election 2016

In competitive races ads start positive, then turn negative

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They start arriving in your mailbox or on the radio in a trickle, with mostly positive vibes. This candidate will help the children, that candidate will get tough on crime. But then the political messages seem to fill your mailboxes and the airwaves. And they seem to be taking a decidedly nasty turn. That’s the pattern New Mexico In Depth found in reviewing mailers and other messages  contributed by our readers, friends, sources, campaigns and the University of New Mexico library patrons as part of our Follow the Message site.

2016 election

Trump and Clinton airing TV ads in New Mexico

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The presidential campaign is coming to New Mexico’s TV viewers, with Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton both buying ads in the final week of the campaign. Here’s a list of what they’re buying on which stations based on contracts filed with the Federal Communications Commission. NMID will update the list as more stations file. KRQE: Clinton is spending $41,370 for 165 ads; Trump is spending $48,160 for 123 ads on KRQE. KASA: Clinton is spending $15,800 for 139 ads; Trump is spending $35,075 on 72 ads.

2016 election

House Majority Leader Nate Gentry, other candidates enter TV ad market

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Republican House Majority Leader Nate Gentry and several other legislative candidates began airing TV ads last week. New Mexicans will see more than 11,000 political ads on TV this month at a cost of more than $2 million, according to a New Mexico In Depth analysis of contracts filed through Friday with the Federal Communications Commission. Democratic U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham leads in spending with more than $419,000. Super PAC Advance New Mexico Now is spending nearly $244,000 on ads in the Albuquerque area to attack Democratic Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, of Belen. Update: On Monday, two stations filed additional Advance contracts worth nearly $70,000 for ads in the final week of the election.

2016 election

GOP super PAC takes on Senate leader Sanchez on TV

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Advance New Mexico Now will spend more than $125,000 on TV advertising in its effort to unseat Democratic Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez. The ads begin Sunday on at least two Albuquerque stations, KOB and KOAT, and air through early November, based on contracts filed with the Federal Communications Commission on Friday. Meanwhile, Sanchez is airing more than $120,000 in ads on four Albuquerque stations through Election Day. His ads began Wednesday, Oct. 17.

Politics

Espinoza enters SOS TV ad race

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Republican secretary of state candidate Nora Espinoza hit the political airwaves over the weekend, buying nearly $150,000 in ad time on traditional TV through Election Day. Her Democratic opponent, Maggie Toulouse Oliver, has spent about $61,000 on advertising since Oct. 3. Most of her current contracts end this week.