Key Hispanic New Mexico GOP lawmaker to retire
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – One of New Mexico’s longest-serving Hispanic Republican state lawmakers has announced he is dropping his re-election bid and will retire.
Rep. Larry Larrañaga of Albuquerque said Tuesday he was withdrawing his name from this year’s ballot after experiencing “new challenges.”
A widely respected lawmaker on New Mexico budget issues, Larrañaga was first elected in 1994 as part of the GOP wave that won races across the country in reaction to then-President Bill Clinton.
Larrañaga was known for his focus on water issues and was a key proponent of developing a 40-year water plan for New Mexico.
Larrañaga worked as district engineer for the New Mexico Highway Department, eventually became department secretary from 1982 to 1988.
William ‘Bill’ Pratt, a Democrat, remains in the New Mexico House District 27 race.
Who has the power to declare war? | Cronin and Loevy
Tom Cronin Bob Loevy
tom-cronin-bob-loevy@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 3 hours ago
Our constitutional framers boldly and ambitiously granted Congress the power to declare war yet granted the executive the responsibility, after war is declared, to supervise war as the commander-in-chief. That worked well until the Cold War began. The U.S. has been...
Latest death brings down wolves’ survival rate to 44% in Colorado
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 7 hours ago
The female wolf of the mating pair for the King Mountain pack has died, bringing total fatalities to 14 out of the 25 animals reintroduced in Colorado. The wolf, identified as No. 2310, was among the 10 wolves brought to...
The delicate, ever-changing dance between politics and religion | SONDERMANN
By Eric Sondermann
by-eric-sondermann@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 5 hours ago
The dance, really a marathon that brings to mind the classic movie “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?”, has been going on as long as there have been governments and organized religion. That is to say that this delicate tango has...
Roasts, get yer roasts, here: Capitol M | Week of March 14, 2026
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 3 days ago
The lighter side of the Capitol, especially in the past week Apparently, the pending and eventual switch to daylight stupid time has put people in some pretty funny moods. And thank goodness! On March 4, the Senate approved the appointments...
Polly Baca elected to DNC | A LOOK BACK
Rachael Wright, Special to Colorado Politics
rachael.wright@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 3 days ago
Forty-Five Years Ago This Week: After her loss to Republican U.S. Rep. Hank Brown the previous year in the race for the 4th Congressional District, state. Sen Polly Baca-Barragan, D-Thortnon, was elected as one of the three vice-chairs of the...
Colorado Politics Calendar Mar. 16-22
Rachael Wright, Special to Colorado Politics
rachael.wright@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 3 days ago
CoPo’s weekly political calendar will help you find political and public-policy events throughout Colorado. It includes candidate and issue campaign events, public policy meetings, court hearings, state and local party conventions, assemblies, debates, rallies, parades, speaking engagements, traveling dignitary appearances,...
Boebert challenger Eileen Laubacher joins lawsuit aimed at blocking her from Democratic assembly
Ernest Luning
ernest.luning@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 22 hours ago
A Denver District Court judge on Thursday permitted Democratic congressional candidate Eileen Laubacher to join a lawsuit filed by one of her primary opponents seeking to prevent Laubacher from participating in the party’s assembly process in a bid to qualify...
Colorado justices weigh fairness concerns after defendant prevailed despite ghosting case
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 44 minutes ago
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court struggled on Tuesday to balance the need for one defendant to shield itself against a plaintiff’s claim that its employee sexually assaulted her child, and the fact that the employee legally admitted the allegations...
House Ethics Committee to begin hearing on Weinberg complaint
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 1 day ago
The House Ethics Committee on Tuesday will begin a hearing requested by Rep. Ron Weinberg, R-Loveland, tied to an ethics complaint filed against him by Rep. Brandi Bradley, R-Roxborough Park. The ethics committee had found probable cause on two issues...
Iran war enters next phase of destroying entire missile supply chain: Hegseth
Brady Knox, Washington Examiner
brady.knox.washington.examiner@gazetteedit.wpenginepowered.com
Updated 1 day ago
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the war with Iran was entering a new phase, as the United States was focusing on destroying Tehran’s defense industrial base. At a Friday Pentagon briefing, Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint...
PREV
PREVIOUS
Gardner on foreign hacker bill: Threat increases every day
If America’s enemies launch a cyber attack, U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner’s bill would give them something new: Guaranteed consequences. The Colorado Republican penned a measure that would label hackers attacking the U.S. as “critical cyber threat” actors, giving the White House a menu of sanctions that can target individuals, foreign agencies or nations. “We know […]
Sen. Rand Paul backs Libertarian candidate in New Mexico
SANTA FE, N.M. – Former New Mexico governor and current Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Gary Johnson picked up the endorsement of Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky on Tuesday in his effort to unseat an incumbent Democrat. Paul shunned Republican nominee Mick Rich, an Albuquerque construction contractor and newcomer to politics, in favor of Johnson, […]