Around the Roundhouse

Latest Episodes:

Former Democrat Patricia Salazar looks to revive Republican Party in deep blue Rio Arriba County Nov 13, 2025

Show notes

The Republican Party has been dormant in Rio Arriba County for years, with Democratic candidates frequently running unopposed in local races and the number of registered Democrats dwarfing the number of Republicans in the county by well over a 2-to-1 margin. A former Democrat is looking to change that.

Patricia Salazar was born and raised a Democrat but registered as a Republican about two years ago. She showed up to a party meeting Saturday in Chama just looking to connect with other Republicans and ended up leaving as the Rio Arriba County Republican Party chairwoman.

On the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Salazar joined Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to share her perspective on being a Republican in the Democratic stronghold and speak about her goals in her new position.

Salazar said there are many people in the county who have Republican values but have been registered as Democrats so they can vote in primaries, since the victor often runs unopposed. She said she hopes to encourage more Republicans to challenge Democrats in local elections and to raise the number of registered Republicans in the county. She doesn’t expect the change to come without great effort. “It’s going to be a long, hard battle,” she said.

Salazar also discussed her political identity and what it’s like to be a Republican in such a blue county. She discussed the experience of telling her parents, lifelong Democrats, that she was taking on a GOP leadership role and spoke about how she doesn’t want anyone to be embarrassed to admit that they’re Republican in Rio Arriba County anymore.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘A holistic type of leadership’: Santa Fe Mayor-elect Michael Garcia discusses plans for City Hall Nov 06, 2025

Show notes

Michael Garcia earned a decisive victory in Santa Fe’s crowded mayoral race Tuesday night and has made a commitment to voters to improve transparency and accountability at City Hall. He’s already making moves to prepare to take the reins, putting in place members of a transition team and discussing priorities for his first months on the job.

In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Garcia speaks with Santa Fe New Mexican senior politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón about what the past couple of days have been like since his win and the pressure to deliver on his promises to Santa Feans, and deliver quickly.

Garcia talks about who he has chosen so far for his transition team as he prepares to succeed two-term Mayor Alan Webber. He says some of his early priorities will include increasing resources to add more police officers and to restore the city’s parks department, and improving Santa Fe's Planning and Land Use Department.

Chacón asks Garcia what he feels made him stand out from other candidates to voters and how he plans to deal with the brighter spotlight that he will face as the city’s top official.

Garcia also discusses his approach to leadership, emphasizing a desire for holistic decision making that brings all viewpoints to the table.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘We’re gearing up for a public health crisis’: New Mexico food bank leader addresses potential SNAP freeze Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

New Mexico has the highest rate of SNAP participation in the country, with over 450,000 people receiving support through the federally funded food assistance program. The federal government has told states the benefits will run out in November if the federal shutdown persists, leaving local and state leaders bracing for the impact of a potential freeze of the program if a resolution isn’t achieved before Nov. 1.

On the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse,” Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón speaks with Jason Riggs, advocacy and public policy director for Roadrunner Food Bank in Albuquerque, who discusses the reliance of the state on SNAP benefits, the impact a stoppage of the program would have, and what food banks and communities are doing to attempt to fill in the gaps in food assistance.

Riggs says the SNAP program can provide nine times the amount of meals that the entire nationwide food bank network can, making it an essential safety net for millions of people. That’s not a gap food banks can make up, even with ramping up their efforts, Riggs says. “We’re gearing up for an absolute public health crisis,” he said about the potential freeze of the SNAP program.

Riggs discusses what the state is doing to try to support residents who rely on food assistance and how communities, faith-based organizations and restaurants are stepping up their efforts to help out.

For people in need of help, Riggs says to call the Roadrunner Food Bank’s food assistance hotline at 505-349-5340 or go to www.rrfb.org and click “Find Help” to use a food finder tool that works for the entire state.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ken Miyagishima speaks on medical malpractice reform, other top priorities in run for N.M. governor Oct 23, 2025

Show notes

Ken Miyagishima has run in 14 elections and won 11 of them, including being voted mayor of Las Cruces for four consecutive terms that he served from 2007-2023. The self-described political moderate has an uphill battle to translate his election success to the statewide level as he faces two candidates in the Democratic primary for New Mexico governor who have greater name recognition and far more campaign funds. But Miyagishima says he still likes his chances.

In the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse,” Santa Fe New Mexican senior state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón speaks with Miyagishima about background, his priorities for the state and how he plans to break through to voters against two more well-known candidates in Deb Haaland and Sam Bregman.

Miyagishima discusses his upbringing in a military family, how the Vietnam War got him started in politics and his 30 years serving in public office.

He then talks about the need for medical malpractice reform in New Mexico and what he calls a crisis of a lack of medical professionals in the state. He shares what he would do to improve the situation, including pushing for punitive damage caps, working on interstate compact agreements and forgiving a greater amount of student loans for doctors.

Miyagishima touches on some of his other ideas, including a plan he says could reduce the price of new homes in New Mexico by 25% through utilizing the nonviolent state prison population in apprenticeships, as well as his public safety plan that would involve the creation of a new unit — the New Mexico Metro Police — to assist larger cities with local policing.

Miyagishima also talks about what he feels sets him apart from his two opponents, how he would plan to approach border issues under the Trump administration, and his aim to replicate Las Cruces’ Community of Hope framework to address homelessness across the state.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carmen Lopez on increasing trust and transparency in New Mexico’s elections Oct 16, 2025

Show notes

New Mexico’s No. 1 ranking in MIT’s Election Performance Index that was released last year is something state election officials have proudly touted, but many are working to improve the state’s elections even further.

Observe New Mexico Elections (ONME) is a nonpartisan observation effort that does work to increase trust and transparency in the state’s elections. Supported by The Carter Center, the organization trains and deploys nonpartisan election observers in precincts throughout New Mexico to report on how election laws and procedures are followed. Findings from the observations are then compiled to assess the overall quality of elections in the state.

Carmen Lopez, co-lead for ONME, joins “Around the Roundhouse” to discuss the organization’s mission and work. She said ONME communicates with the secretary of state’s office and county clerks about any issues of concern that are observed so they can be improved, including to ensure people with disabilities have access to the polls and to see that counties provide language access to voters.

Lopez said ONME will have about 165 observers in 11 municipalities, including Santa Fe, for municipal elections. There will be trainings for observers Oct. 25 and 26, and those interested can learn more by visiting observenmelections.org or emailing Lopez at carmen.lopez@observenmelections.org.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Letitia Montoya says collecting shopping carts around Santa Fe helped inform her run for mayor Oct 09, 2025

Show notes

Letitia Montoya says collecting stray shopping carts dispersed throughout a city is a great way to understand a community and its issues.

That’s what she’s been doing with her husband, Michael Segura, since June of 2023 through their company, Nebula Advisers LLC. The company is contracted by the city to collect and return stray carts to grocers and retailers. In the process, Montoya says she interacts with people from all walks of life, from members of the homeless population to business owners and shoppers. The experience, Montoya says, has greatly informed her campaign for mayor and her plan for the city.

In the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse,” she discusses what she’s learned from her work and what she hopes to accomplish if elected mayor. Her priorities, she said, include increasing affordable housing, helping the homeless population and increasing wages for city employees.

During the interview, Santa Fe New Mexican reporter Daniel J. Chacón questions Montoya on a wide range of topics. He asks her to explain the two bankruptcy filings she and her husband have made in the last 16 years, and what she would say to voters who may have concerns about electing someone who has filed for bankruptcy. He also asks her to explain her plans for increasing the amount of affordable housing in the city, how she would address homelessness and how the city could afford to increase wages for its employees to the degree she hopes. Montoya also shares her thoughts on what should happen with the Soldiers’ Monument on the Plaza.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeanne O'Dean makes pitch for 'disruptive innovation' in race for Santa Fe mayor Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

Jeanne O’Dean was the last candidate to enter the race for Santa Fe mayor and lacks the name recognition of others who are running, but she hopes her background in “disruptive innovation” resonates with voters enough to send her to City Hall.

In the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse,” host Daniel J. Chacón speaks with O’Dean about her plans for the city and asks her why she feels the electorate should choose her.

O’Dean talks about initiatives she hopes to accomplish, including building 1,000 affordable adobe homes, through the backing of significant philanthropic funding. Chacón presses O’Dean about the sources of the funding, which she says she is unable to reveal.

O’Dean discusses the struggles she had with black mold prior to the time she announced her candidacy for mayor and says the city needs to do more to address black mold and fungus through inspections. She also talks about her own struggles with finding housing in Santa Fe and her experiences with Casa Familia and Consuelo’s Place.

Born and raised in Iowa, O’Dean talks about her upbringing in the Hawkeye State. She also discusses her work in consulting and education that she says has taken her around the world.

O’Dean ends the episode by addressing issues she has with some businesses around the Santa Fe Plaza and shares her plans for the Soldiers’ Monument.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tarin Nix calls for cutting red tape, fixing City Hall during campaign for Santa Fe mayor Sep 19, 2025

Show notes

Tarin Nix has had a taste of winning in New Mexico as a political consultant, including guiding Stephanie Garcia Richard to successful campaigns for the state House and, later, for state land commissioner. Now serving as the deputy commissioner of public affairs for the State Land Office, Nix is vying to win her own race in a crowded field of candidates running to be Santa Fe’s next mayor.

Nix joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón on the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse” to share her vision for the city and discuss what she feels sets her apart from the other candidates.

Nix said she’s spent many hours combing through city records and understanding ordinances and statues. In her research, she said she has found that the city is not following many of its own laws and ordinances. While she said she wants to cut red tape to help the city accomplish key objectives such as building more affordable housing, she said she is also committed to making sure the city is following its own laws.

Nix shares some of the top priories that she has outlined for the first 30 days if she is elected mayor. She also offers her thoughts on addressing the city’s housing shortage, fixing problems at City Hall, tackling wastewater issues, and more.

The daughter of two teachers, Nix discusses her background, what drew her to New Mexico and why she loves Santa Fe. She also talks about her experience building coalitions and the accomplishments she's most proud of in her time at the State Land Office.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Santa Fe mayoral candidate Oscar Rodriguez aims to fix basic services, deliver affordable housing Sep 12, 2025

Show notes

Oscar Rodriguez is a former finance director for the city of Santa Fe who has spent 30 years of his career in the public sector. He says his experiences serving in city management in communities large and small have given him the skills needed to be mayor of Santa Fe.

Rodriguez joins Santa Fe New Mexican politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to speak about his background and share his views on issues impacting the city in the latest of a series of interviews with Santa Fe mayoral candidates on the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast.

An enrolled member of the Lipan Apache tribe, Rodriguez grew up in the Permian Basin and was the first in his family to go to college, earning a bachelor’s degree from Harvard and a master’s degree with a specialization in city management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since 2016, he has served as the CFO for the New Mexico Finance Authority, where he said he manages $3.5 billion in assets.

Chacón asks Rodriguez how he plans to compete in a mayoral race while lacking the name recognition and visibility of some of the other candidates. Rodriguez also speaks on how he’s been balancing his job as New Mexico Finance Authority CFO with campaigning for mayor.

Rodriguez shares how the city’s shortcomings in basic services spurred him to run for office. He lists improving the quality of the city’s services among his top priorities, along with addressing the lack of affordable housing in Santa Fe. Rodriguez also discusses his plans to improve public safety and how he would address homelessness in the city.

As former finance director in the Javier Gonzalez administration, Rodriguez shares how how would handle annual audits if elected mayor. He also discusses what he would like to do with the Soldiers’ Monument on the Santa Fe Plaza, offering a plan that he admits has its critics.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

JoAnne Vigil Coppler says her experience sets her apart in her run to be Santa Fe's mayor Sep 05, 2025

Show notes

JoAnne Vigil Coppler has served for two Santa Fe mayors and two New Mexico governors during her career and has worked in every branch of government. In the latest episode of “Around the Roundhouse” she touts her decades of experience as what will give her the edge in her second campaign to be Santa Fe’s mayor.

Vigil Coppler finished runner-up to Alan Webber in the 2021 election and said she gained a lot from the experience that she can lean on in her current campaign. She said she feels more comfortable being herself, sharing her message and handling the demands that come with running for mayor.

The former Santa Fe city councilor said she is disappointed in the job Webber has done in office, and the state of the city prompted her to want to run again.

Vigil Coppler said the city needs to get tougher on crime, which she noted as the most important issue facing Santa Fe. She also discussed her plans for creating more affordable housing in Santa Fe and mentioned the need to streamline the permitting process that has been plagued by backlogs.

When asked what needs to be done about the toppled Soldiers’ Monument in the center of the Plaza, Vigil Coppler said there needs to be action instead of continuing to delay a decision that has been drawn out for years.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected