Around the Roundhouse

The Santa Fe New Mexican

The Santa Fe New Mexican’s weekly podcast hosted by state government and lead politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón features the policies, politics and personalities at the state Capitol during New Mexico's 2025 legislative session.

  1. 1d ago

    Republican nominee Gregg Hull says 'we've got a message for everybody' in race for N.M. governor

    From slinging newspapers, to shipping solar cells for the International Space Station, to leading the third-largest city in New Mexico, Gregg Hull’s professional experiences in the state have run the gamut. The former three-term mayor of Rio Rancho is now eyeing New Mexico’s highest office. Hull secured the Republican nomination for governor with a double-digit victory in Tuesday’s primary election and will face Democratic nominee Deb Haaland in November’s general election. In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Hull joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to discuss his primary win and what his priorities are for the state as he pursues the governor’s seat. Hull says he plans to have his campaign focus on the issues rather than on attacks of his opponent. Public safety, affordability, education and roads are some of his top priorities, he said. Facing an opponent who has higher name recognition as a former congresswoman and interior secretary, Hull says he plans to continue to travel across the state to connect with voters and listen to the issues they are facing in their communities. In speaking about his time as mayor as Rio Rancho, Hull talks about how the growing city has addressed water issues through an aquifer recharge plan that he hopes more commutes along the Rio Grande adopt. Chacón asks Hull about if he will seek an endorsement from President Donald Trump, and how he plans to appeal to independents and Democrats who voted for Sam Bregman, who Haaland defeated in the Democratic primary. Hull also speaks about why he feels he outperformed his primary opponents in Northern New Mexico, and how he thinks he can carry that momentum. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    31 min

  2. May 21

    'I'd like to see more hope': GOP write-in U.S. Senate candidate Larry Marker shares vision for New Mexico

    A self-described “America First” candidate for U.S. Senate, Larry Marker first has some work to do to get on November’s general election ballot. The Republican with roots in Hobbs and Roswell needs to get at least 2,531 voters to write his name on the June 2 primary ballot to advance as his party’s official candidate. In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Marker joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to discuss his views on policy and share thoughts on the state of the Republican Party in New Mexico, which has had challenges putting forth candidates in statewide races. With a professional background in oil and gas production, farming, ranching, manufacturing and construction, Marker says one of his priorities is loosening regulations that he says are hurting small businesses. Marker goes on to share his thoughts on Donald Trump, saying he agrees with many of the president’s policies, including those involving immigration, but that he isn’t sure if he’d get along with Trump on a personal level. Chacón also asks Marker about his feelings toward incumbent Sen. Ben Ray Luján, who is seeking his second term. Marker says he thinks Luján is leaning too hard into the “welfare-type programs” and not doing enough to support a capitalist agenda that promotes economic opportunities. Marker is also asked his position on abortion, and how he feels his stance could impact his electability. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    40 min

  3. May 15

    Secretary of state candidate Amanda López Askin touts experience combatting election deniers in N.M.

    New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District has been one of the most hotly contested seats in the country, drawing a national spotlight in recent races to fill one of the state’s three seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Amanda López Askin says she experienced that increased attention firsthand shortly after she took over as county clerk in Doña Ana County, the district’s most populous county, just before the 2018 election. In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, López Askin speaks with Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón about how she has been dealing with election deniers since 2018 when Democrat Xochitl Torres Small edged Republican Yvette Herrell to win the seat, and why she thinks her time running elections in Doña Ana County has prepared her as she seeks her party’s nomination for New Mexico secretary of state in the June 2 Democratic primary. She is running against Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark as the two vie to succeed Maggie Toulouse Oliver. Born and raised in Las Cruces, López Askin begins the episode by discussing her background and what led her to decide to run for secretary of state. Before becoming a county clerk, she worked in the mental health field and advocacy in adolescent health and suicide prevention. She also talks about her experience being involved in the local animal rescue community and fostering over 200 dogs, which she said has earned her the nickname of “the Dog Lady” in her community. Chacón asks López Askin about her position on the Republican-backed SAVE Act, and she addresses some misinformation she feels is put forth in discussions about the legislation. López Askin also is asked about criticism over not having results the same night as an election. She responded that “there is no such thing as late election results, there’s accurate results,” adding that she prioritizes “accuracy over expediency” and communicating with the public. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    28 min

  4. May 7

    Sen. Harold Pope Jr. says ‘it’s about the people’ in race for N.M. lieutenant governor

    A U.S. Air Force veteran and the first African American elected to the New Mexico Senate, Harold Pope Jr. is pursuing a new avenue of leadership as he seeks his party’s nomination for lieutenant governor. The Albuquerque Democrat is running for statewide office for the first time in a race against Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver in the June primary. In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Pope joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to share why he decided to run for the position and offer an explanation of how he would approach the role. Pope, who says he recognizes he is an underdog in the race, feels he has a good shot to win and said he will “listen to what people want” and not just whatever his party puts forth when it comes to supporting legislation at the Roundhouse. In a position that is often in the shadow of the governor, Pope also said he would like to take on a more prominent role than past lieutenant governors. Born and raised in Pueblo, Colo., Pope shares his story of entering the Air Force after high school and speaks on his family’s background, which has Northern New Mexico ties. He also talks about his current pursuit of a doctorate in education from Vanderbilt University, which he feels will help him in his position as vice chair of the Senate Education Committee. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    26 min

  5. Apr 24

    'Is this just a gotcha?': Rep. Rebecca Dow speaks after Supreme Court ruling keeps her on ballot

    Earlier this week, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled in favor of state Rep. Rebecca Dow when it reversed a state district court ruling that had disqualified Dow’s nominating petitions and would have kept the Republican from Truth or Consequences off the ballot in the June primary. In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Dow joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to share her thoughts on the case, the ruling and her hopes for her party in the 2026 election. Dow discusses issues with the secretary of state’s nominating petitions online platform and her view that there should be changes to the nominating petitions filing process. She also addresses the party politics she feels were behind the complaint filed against her. Unopposed in the Republican primary for the House seat, Dow says she expects her race against Democratic challenger David Mooney to be one of the most competitive in the state. She then talks about what she wants to continue to pursue if elected to a fifth term, including reform of the state’s Children, Youth and Families Department and giving a voice to rural New Mexicans. Dow also shares her thoughts on the governor’s race, expressing optimism about all three of the Republican candidates. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min

  6. Apr 17

    In run for secretary of state, ‘election nerd’ Katharine Clark says she’ll fight against overreach

    Katharine Clark’s third day in office as Santa Fe County clerk was January 6, 2021, the day the U.S. Capitol was attacked by supporters of Donald Trump in an effort to overturn the presidential election. Clark said the election denialism spurred by Trump has defined an era of being an election official as those who administer elections have had to battle a barrage of misinformation. Calling overreach by the executive branch the biggest threat to New Mexico elections, Clark said she is running to be New Mexico’s secretary of state to fight back against Trump and preserve ballot access. She’s running in the Democratic primary against Doña Ana County Clerk Amanda López Askin. In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Clark spoke with Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón about her record as Santa Fe County clerk and what her plans would be if she succeeds Maggie Toulouse Oliver as secretary of state. Chacón first questions Clark about a complaint filed in March that Clark had violated the state’s election code by releasing absentee and early voting data before polls closed in four recent elections. Clark said the Secretary of State’s Office results website, where county clerks upload their county’s voting data, doesn’t release results until after polls close. Clark then talks about the efforts she’s taken as county clerk to fight against Trump and executive overreach. She also discusses voter ID at the polls and what she considers confusion over the Republican-backed SAVE Act, which she calls “the most unreasonable bill I’ve ever heard about for elections.” Clark shares information about her background, including time growing up in Spain as part of a military family and what she gained while starting her career as a union organizer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    36 min

  7. Apr 9

    How Epstein exploited New Mexico land leases: Commissioner says ‘there were people protecting him’

    Stephanie Garcia Richard took over as New Mexico state land commissioner in 2019 and later that year put an end to a decades-long lease that allowed Jeffrey Epstein to use over 1,200 acres of state land around his Zorro Ranch property south of Santa Fe. Epstein, though his company Cypress Inc., leased the land for livestock grazing, but the State Land Office canceled those leases in part on suspicion that they had been obtained through “illegitimate means for purposes other than ranching or agriculture,” Garcia Richard said of the cancellation. In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Garcia Richard speaks with Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón about the failings that allowed the sex offender and financier to lease state land and what her office has done to try to ensure something like that will never happen again. Garcia Richard begins the interview by discussing what the State Land Office is, and the many legitimate grazing lease agreements it has with ranchers throughout the state. She said there were people in state and federal government, including the King family and the late Gov. Bill Richardson, who played a role in protecting Epstein and his use of the state land. She also said the State Land Office had lacked a culture of due diligence and wasn’t making sure some of its lessees were in compliance with their agreements. Chacón goes on to ask Garcia Richard about the Trump administration’s recently announced plans to end protections in the 10-mile buffer zone surrounding Chaco Canyon National Historical Park. She shares her concerns about the move, saying “this is a disaster, plain and simple,” and discusses what efforts her office is taking to try to disrupt what the Trump administration is attempting to do. Garcia Richard also talks about the construction of a border wall as it relates to state land. She said the Trump administration has continually been breaking laws along the border, both environmental and regarding the acknowledgment of land status. With her final term as state land commissioner months away, Garcia Richard also speaks on the office’s accomplishments during her time in office, and shares what her priorities are for the duration of her term. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    30 min

  8. Apr 2

    Juan De Jesus Sanchez III seeks to bring long-term vision to New Mexico's State Land Office

    A 13th generation New Mexican with a 5-month-old daughter, Juan De Jesus Sanchez III says he’s running for state land commissioner with an eye toward the future. The farmer and conservation advocate who lives in Valencia County was the first candidate to announce an intention to succeed Stephanie Garcia Richard as leader of the State Land Office and he received the most votes from delegates at last month’s Democratic Party of New Mexico’s preprimary convention. He's running in the primary against state Rep. Matthew McQueen of Galisteo and Jonas Moya, a former state director of the Farm Service Agency. In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Sanchez joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to share his background and discuss what his priorities would be if elected to office. Sanchez has spent years working with water as a former natural resource specialist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a technical advisor for the New Mexico Acequia Commission. He said he’s “trying to bring more of a long-term vision” to the State Land Office and wants to “protect areas that are sacred and special to us.” Chacón asks Sanchez about his thoughts on greater oversight of leases to private land owners considering Jeffrey Epstein was allowed to lease public land through the State Land Office for grazing purposes until the agency canceled the leases in 2019, when Epstein was indicted in New York and arrested on charges of child sex trafficking. Sanchez, a former political director and deputy campaign manager for U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, speaks about how he plans to balance the pursuit of revenue while considering environmental stewardship. He also talks about wanting to decentralize the State Land Office and ensure there are jobs throughout the state by working with universities to open satellite offices that would allow the department to have employees on the ground across New Mexico. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    30 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The Santa Fe New Mexican’s weekly podcast hosted by state government and lead politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón features the policies, politics and personalities at the state Capitol during New Mexico's 2025 legislative session.

Information

  • Creator
    The Santa Fe New Mexican
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    67
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Santa Fe New Mexican
  • Show Website
    Around the Roundhouse

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