12-28-2023 10:01pm

Alamogordo's Top News Stories for 2023 - Trouble within the Otero County Democratic Party

Chris Edwards Editor

Mexico Suspended Otero County New Mexico Democratic Operations Prior to the 2023 Municipal elections. (AlamogordoTownNews.com)

This series begins a look back at the top news stories for Otero County in 2023.

The Newsbreak edition of AlamogordoConservativeNews.org along with sister news partners AlamogordoTownNews.com and Alamogordo Town News on Streaming Krazy KALH Radio News saw a huge increase in readership and listeners in 2023. Each defined themselves as an important source for communications in Otero County and Southern New Mexico on topics relevant locally and across the nation.

The AlamogordoTownNews.com and Streaming KALH Radio grew partnerships and as a result of our coverage of Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin, political coverage of the local municipal elections, issues around the schools, business growth, Holloman news, our Alamogordo Proud Series, and our award winning coverage of the demise of the local chapter of the Democratic Party in Otero County

Our coverage of the various issues in Otero County and in Washington D.C. resulted in our operations as being a source referenced in several regional and national news stories.

Several topics led our top news stories for 2023, with each garnering significant viewer interest and dialog with us to included several stories around the bad behaviour of the local party leadership of the Democratic Party of Otero County.

Our coverage of the political parties has drawn attacks from both parties, at times. Those on the left claim we are in bed with the right, those on the right claim we are liberal plants from the left. Given we are criticized at times by both parties we must be driving down the middle.

Our series of featured stories of the Otero County New Mexico Democratic Party leaderships foul behaviour included stories of the state party investigations, disruption of candidate forums and the eventual suspension of the local party; not allowing it to engage nor participate in the local municipal elections as an organized county party.

This suspension of activity in Otero County by the majority party of the state of New Mexico was historic and unprecedented during a municipal election.

The Democratic Party of Otero County garnered significant coverage for Otero County in 2023. The year began with a restructuring and an election of new leadership within Otero County. As a majority party within the state but the minority party in a very conservative and deeply Republican Otero County, New Mexico, a new young 21 year old chair was elected.

At first sight it appeared there would be momentum for positive public engagement within the party and an opportunity to build prior to the municipal elections. In our story History Made New Chair Elected for DPOC, Youngest in State we had thousands of downloads across the country and were bombarded with positive emails from a diverse spectrum of individuals intrigued by this development in Democratic leadership in a county that has garnered controversial headlines for the last several years from Cowboys for Trump Republican leader, Couy Griffin. Mr. Griffin led the political headlines up until the Democratic Party of Otero County feel into disarray.

The positive momentum of new leadership was short lived as the State Democratic Party of New Mexico admitted to an investigation into the local party leadership and their social media bullying tactics; accusing locals and our press platforms of "domestic terrorism and supporting the Republican Party." We reported that "currently, the Democratic Party of New Mexico does not have an operation in Otero County as there is an active investigation..."

That investigation is still ongoing as of 12-27-23 and there is still no active locally chartered Democratic Party in Otero County as we roll into 2024.

In another blow to the reputation of the local Democratic Party we covered that the headquarters for DPOC was ordered to be emptied and vacated by September 15th, 2023.

We reported how the negative behavior intensified as a member of the Democratic Central Committee and the local chairwoman disrupted a independent candidate meet and greet in Cloudcroft. In the story that outlined the disturbing behaviour we reported on the irony of the behavior of these two local party leaders when a statement in an email sent to leadership of the Otero County Democratic Party Chapter by the Executive Director of the Democrats of New Mexico stated a need for Mandatory Training on Roberts Rules of Order before the local party may be reactivated. In an email Dated Sept 26, 2023 he stated: "My hope is that the County Party will learn to use Robert's Rules of Order to resolve their conflicts rather than turning to physical aggression, bullying, and other bad behavior." - Sean Ward DPNM Executive Director.

Readers and listeners engaged with us concerning the dramas of the DPOC organization. Local DPOC leadership went on the offense in an attempt to discredit our sourced reporting. With each report we had documentation from state leaders confirming our reporting. Some readers and listeners reacted with their own opinion pieces concerning the demise of DPOC. One content contributor went as far as to suggest the the chairperson and former treasurer of DPOC were the best Republican allies to local Republican Party could ever have. "The Republican Party of Otero County is giddy and popping open the champagne in a toast thanking DPOC Chair and suspended consort to the chair. This duo made history. Otero County New Mexico is now, thanks to them, a true sanctuary for Republicanism," claimed the opinion piece.

State Party leaders asked us to limit our news coverage as it was causing damage to the state party. We did not and will never yield to pressure as we are strong advocates of Amendment One to the US Constitution. The state party then went on the hunt to potentially sanction party members leaking information to us for our news coverage. The state leadership was clearly upset with the antics of the Otero County Chapter of the Democratic Party of New Mexico.

Otero County, New Mexico in 2023 went from a red Republican stronghold to a Republican single hold. Political history is yet again made in Otero County, New Mexico.

As such the series covering the demise and scandals within the Democratic Party of Otero County was one of the top 10 most read stories by local readers and listeners on our platforms.

In addition this series of stories resulted in over 200,000 downloads from across the nation intrigued by yet another political story from Otero County New Mexico.