New Mexico
Report: Albuquerque and Las Cruces make rebound in national rankings
New rankings are out for the best performing cities in the country. After big drops in 2023, some New Mexico cities on the list are making a rebound.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New rankings are out for the best performing cities in the country. After big drops in 2023, some New Mexico cities on the list are making a rebound.
Four New Mexico cities are included in the Milken Institute rankings: Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Santa Fe, and Farmington. For three of those cities, things are looking up – they all saw major gains over the 2023 report.
Albuquerque rose from the 137th-best performing large city in the 2023 report to the 100th-best in 2023. Las Cruces rose from the 121st-best performing small city in 2023 to the 79th-best in 2024.
Both Albuquerque and Las Cruces remain ranked lower than they were pre-pandemic. However, the improvements from the 2021 data included in the 2023 report are significant.
After spending three years at the bottom of the list, Farmington rose from dead last to 189th-best performing small city.
Santa Fe was the only New Mexico city on the list to see a drop. It fell from 124th-best in 2023 to 145th.
It’s worth noting this report is based on data from 2022.
Rankings are based on 13 factors that fall into three general categories: labor market performance — which reflects trends and employment and wages, high-tech impact — which reflects the growth of high-tech industries, and access to economic opportunities — which looks at housing and digital services such as broadband internet.
For more information on the Milken report, click here.
New Mexico
Fourth Republican candidate announces bid for New Mexico governor
SANTA FE, N.M. — Former New Mexico Public Regulation Commissioner Jim Ellison is running for governor as a Republican, he announced on social media Tuesday.
Ellison is running on affordability, opportunity and trust in government as the key points of his campaign. His experience includes serving on the NMPRC in 2023 and 2024.
“New Mexico deserves leadership that listens, acts, and delivers results. Our state has enormous potential, but too often that potential is held back by policies that don’t serve everyday New Mexicans,” he said on his website. “I’m running to bring practical solutions, honest accountability, and a renewed focus on the public interest.”
A Georgia native, Ellison has lived in New Mexico for 20 years and currently lives in the Albuquerque area with his wife and two children.
Ellison is aiming to get 5,000 signatures by Feb. 2, to appear on the primary ballot with at least three other Republicans who have announced their candidacy.
Ultra Health CEO Duke Rodriguez announced his campaign in December and recently confirmed to KOB 4 that he received enough signatures to appear on the primary ballot. Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull and New Mexico State Sen. Steve Lanier are also running.
Three Democrats are running – Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima.
New Mexico
Independent governor’s race hopeful sues over New Mexico’s ballot process
New Mexico
New Mexico Lobo players and coaches make moves after successful season, AD departure
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A successful University of New Mexico Lobo athletics season and the athletics director’s departure has culminated in players and coaches making moves.
The moves follow a successful 2025 season and the departure of athletics director Fernando Lovo.
Running back coach John Johnson, special teams coordinator Daniel Da Prato and wide receiver coach Colin Lockett are all leaving the Lobos after just one season. Johnson is headed to Iowa State while Da Prato is expected to join Minnesota and Lockett is headed to UCLA, all for the same jobs.
Johnson’s Lobo running backs ran for more than 1,400 yards. Da Prato’s special teams finished top-five nationally in kickoff returns.
Running back D.J. McKinney entered the portal, he confirmed on social media the day the portal officially opened. McKinney rushed for 464 yards and seven touchdowns with the Lobos.
Two players who received all-Mountain West Conference recognition also made moves. All-Mountain West tight-end Dorian Thomas, who caught for touchdowns for the Lobos, entered the portal. Meanwhile, all-Mountain West honorable mention punter Daniel Hughes is set to leave.
Others set to leave include:
- Cole Welliver, backup quarterback who played in one game
- Landon Williams, defensive end who graduated from La Cueva High School
- Randolph Kpai, senior linebacker who is at the end of his college football career without a waiver
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