New Mexico

The contest in one New Mexico swing district mirrors a larger, anxious electorate

Published

1 year ago

September 21, 2024

The contest in one New Mexico swing district mirrors a larger, anxious electorate

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — On a warm Albuquerque evening with the majestic Sandia Mountains in the distance, New Mexico Democratic Congressman Gabe Vasquez is rallying supporters with a chant.

They’re using a common Spanish refrain this time of year: “Si, se puede,” which translates to “yes we can.”

The supporters were celebrating the launch of Vasquez’s new Albuquerque campaign office. Harley motorcycle riders, military veterans, state politicians and retirees all gathered from different corners of this large district in southern New Mexico, where two of the biggest issues in this election — immigration and abortion rights — are at the heart of a tightly-contested U.S. House race.

Democrats and Republicans both think they can win the state’s Second Congressional District — one of the swingiest districts in the country. However, the outcome is anyone’s guess for this largely rural corner of the state that has flipped red to blue and back again for more than 50 years.

Vasquez’s supporters believe the freshman congressman will be re-elected easily, even as he’s facing a tough rematch. Vasquez beat former Republican Congresswoman Yvette Herrell by only 1,350 votes in 2022.

“The momentum is behind him. He’s done an incredible job,” said state Sen. Antonio “Moe” Maestas.

“I think he’s probably got a better job this time,” said Karin Kalodimos, a new resident to the district from Nashville.

“As you can tell by the turnout, people are energized,” said state Rep. Art De la Cruz.

The Second Congressional District stretches from Albuquerque to the state’s borders with Mexico and Texas. Vasquez likes to remind supporters the 2nd is larger than the state of Pennsylvania.

In an interview with NPR following a recent tour of Albuquerque’s Real Time Crime Center, Vasquez said he is also bullish about his chances.

“We have worked our butts off to make sure that the people of this district are represented,” he said. “I know that there’s a lot of national turmoil. But in New Mexico, politics truly are local and in the second district I have shown up for people. I think that’s going to come out in the election results.”

A focus on crime and the border

Justin Hamel / AFP via Getty Images

AFP via Getty Images

Yvette Herrell addresses the press during a visit to El Paso, Texas on March 15, 2021. Herrell is fighting to win back the congressional seat she lost to Rep. Gabe Vasquez in 2022.

Three hours south of Albuquerque at a sports bar in Las Cruces, N.M., Herrell is meeting with Republican supporters

She argues she’s poised to avenge her loss against Vasquez since the issues are on her side.

“They want a secure border. They want a better economy. You know, they want safe neighborhoods. They want a good education for their children,” Herrell told NPR about voters in the community. “It always seems to be coalescing around those issues in the Second Congressional District.”

Herrell is hitting Vasquez on crime and border issues — after all, Albuquerque and Las Cruces boast some of the highest crime rates in the country.

And supporters like Rebecca Dow, who is running for the New Mexico state House, says border issues hit different here.

“I know people say every community and every city is a border community now, but we’ve been living this, we’ve been living it,” she said.

That’s why Republicans angling to keep control of the U.S. House say this seat is among the top dozen races to flip this cycle.

Still, Herrell’s supporters concede there’s some headwinds, including Democratic redistricting in 2021 that shifted the district more blue.

Republicans are also hitting Vasquez on past controversies — including an arrest two decades ago for outstanding traffic tickets before his time in public office.

“Yvette Herrell can run on my traffic tickets and I will run on my record,” he said.

Democrats are talking about abortion to blunt GOP attacks

It marks one of many bitter turns in this fight

And while Republicans think they have the upper hand on the issues, Democrats are outraising and outspending Herrell dramatically.

They’ve also leaned into crime and border issues, while simultaneously blunting Republican attacks with their own on access to abortion.

“When you are very poor state and you’ve got people living 200-plus miles from a hospital or a health care provider, it’s hard,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said following a recent event with Vasquez.

They joined other state and local officials for the groundbreaking of a new reproductive health clinic

Supporters argue the new facility could be a major lifeline for women in this state and beyond.

It’s all part of what makes this a critical race in what Lujan Grisham concedes are challenging political times.

“People are anxious and frustrated and angry at elected officials for a number of valid reasons,” she said. “You know, it’s hard out there.”

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New Mexico

Body of Albuquerque city councilor’s brother found

Published

3 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

Body of Albuquerque city councilor’s brother found

MOUNTAINAIR, N.M. (KRQE) – The missing family member of an Albuquerque city councilor has been found dead. The town of Mountainair announced on Saturday via Facebook that the body of Albert Peña, the brother-in-law of City Councilor Klarissa Peña, has been found.

Albert Peña went missing on December 30. Police are looking into Peña’s death as a homicide. Anyone with information about this disappearance and death is asked to contact Mountainair police.

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New Mexico

‘West Wing’ actor Timothy Busfield accused of child sex abuse in New Mexico

Published

15 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

‘West Wing’ actor Timothy Busfield accused of child sex abuse in New Mexico

New Mexico authorities have accused Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield, known for series “The West Wing” and “Thirtysomething,” of child sex abuse.

A judge on Friday issued an arrest warrant for the 68-year-old actor on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and a single count of child abuse. The arrest warrant affidavit, reviewed by The Times on Sunday, accuses Busfield of inappropriately touching two child actors, who are brothers, during his tenure on the Fox crime drama “The Cleaning Lady.”

“The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions,” Fox and Warner Bros. Television said in a statement shared Sunday. “We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate, and when needed, take appropriate action. … We are aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.”

Busfield, who was an actor, producer and director for “The Cleaning Lady,” allegedly sexually assaulted of one of the young actors multiple times during his tenure. According to the affidavit, one child actor said Busfield first touched his “‘private areas’” multiple times on set when he was 7 years old. The actor said that when he was 8 years old, Busfield touched him inappropriately again several times. He was “afraid to tell anyone because Tim was the Director, and he feared Tim would get mad at him,” the affidavit said.

The second child actor said that Busfield “started touching them for the first two years” of his time on “The Cleaning Lady,” which filmed in Albuquerque, according to the complaint. The investigator said both children said they did not speak out about their alleged encounters with Busfield out of fear or concern for him.

The actors’ mother, per the complaint, reported the alleged abuse to Child Protective Services in October 2025, claiming that Busfield sexually abused her children from November 2022 to spring 2024. Police began investigating the alleged abuse in November 2024 after receiving a request from a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital.

According to the affidavit, the investigation also included interviews with the children’s therapists and doctors. One of the child actors, who disclosed the alleged abuse by Busfield to his therapist, has issues with bed-wetting “along with other behavior issues,” was diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety and has suffered nightmares “about the director touching him,” according to the complaint.

The investigator also spoke to numerous cast and crew members of “The Cleaning Lady,” which was canceled in June after four seasons. The affidavit details the investigator’s conversations with production assistants, the studio teacher and Busfield.

Busfield, married to actor Melissa Gilbert, told the investigator that “Cleaning Lady” producer Warner Bros. Television notified him in the spring of 2025 of an investigation regarding complaints “about him from the boys.” When asked whether he had any physical contact with the two child actors, Busfield “said it was highly likely that he would have,” the complaint said. He suggested to the investigator that the boys’ mother might have sought “revenge” on the director for “not bringing her kids back for the final season,” according to the complaint.

Though Busfield confirmed the identities of the young actors to the investigator in his interview, he allegedly said later, “ ‘I don’t remember those boys’ ” and “ ‘I don’t remember overtly tickling the boys ever, but it wouldn’t be uncommon for me.’ ”

The complaint also details Warner Bros.’ investigation into Busfield’s alleged behavior. The studio started its investigation after receiving an anonymous tip in February 2025 from the SAG-AFTRA hotline regarding a December 2024 incident. Busfield allegedly entered the hair and makeup trailer and “kissed a minor male on the face as the minor was getting a haircut.” The complaint further alleged “there are pictures of Mr. Busfield, ‘tickling and caressing the head and body of minor boys.’ ”

Neither Fox or Warner Bros. immediately responded to a request for comment on Sunday, but a spokesperson for the latter told the New York Times it is “aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.”

Busfield received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Elliot Weston in the ABC drama “Thirtysomething” in the late 1980s and early ‘90s. He also appeared in “Field of Dreams,” “Little Big League,” “The Byrds of Paradise” and other titles. He is perhaps best known for his recurring role in “The West Wing” as Danny Concannon, a White House correspondent who strikes up a relationship with Press Secretary C.J. Clegg, played by Allison Janney.

In addition to television and film, Busfield is a stage actor and director. In 1991, Busfield and his brother Buck Busfield created the B Street Theatre, a nonprofit theater in Sacramento that first began as a touring theater group for children. He also pitched for baseball team the Sacramento Smokeys and was inducted into the Sacramento Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024.

Prior to the allegations from his time on “The Cleaning Lady,” Busfield was accused in 1994 of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old actor who appeared on “Little Big League.” He denied those claims and sued his accuser for defamation. The case ended in a settlement, with a judge ordering Busfield to pay the woman $150,000.

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