Former Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin: Rise, Fall, and Disillusionment of Cowboys for Trump Founder

ALAMOGORDO — Once a colorful fixture in local Republican politics and a national symbol of grassroots loyalty to Donald Trump, former District 2 Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin has seen his fortunes shift dramatically. From horseback caravans and personal calls with the president to courtroom removal from office and open expressions of betrayal, Griffin’s story reflects the personal costs paid by some of the movement’s most vocal local supporters. The District 2 seat he once held — covering parts of Alamogordo, Tularosa, La Luz, Holloman Air Force Base, and areas bordering the Mescalero Apache Reservation — appears to attract controversy, as evidenced by the current occupant, Amy Barela, who has faced her own high-profile disputes in recent weeks.

This article is the first in a series highlighting some of the history of this uniquely red Otero County district, voter preferences, and demographics. Otero County remains a deep-red stronghold in a blue-leaning state, with Republicans dominating local elections and the county last voting Democratic in a presidential race in 1964. District 2, part of this conservative base, features a mix of rural and semi-urban areas, including western Alamogordo neighborhoods, military-adjacent communities near Holloman AFB, and portions of the Mescalero Apache Reservation. The county's overall population hovers around 68,000–69,000 (with slight recent growth), roughly 40% Hispanic, and a significant White non-Hispanic majority. Voter turnout in local races varies but has shown increases in recent cycles, reflecting engaged conservative participation in primaries and generals.

The District 2 Otero County Commission seat seems to drive characters that have proven themselves to be controversial once in the role. Preceded by Susan Flores (who did not seek re-election in 2018), the seat has drawn figures willing to embrace bold, polarizing stances on national and local issues.

Griffin, born in 1973 and raised in Reserve, New Mexico, grew up watching his father’s sawmill operation struggle under federal land regulations tied to the Mexican spotted owl. Those early experiences with government overreach shaped his worldview. Before entering politics, he worked as a rodeo cowboy at Disneyland Paris, served as pastor at Alamogordo’s Cowboy Church, and completed an epic two-year horseback mission from San Francisco to Jerusalem in 2008.

In 2019, Griffin founded Cowboys for Trump, a small group that quickly gained attention through theatrical horseback rides to rallies and protests. The spectacle paid off: after leading a caravan to Washington, D.C., Trump personally called him. During that conversation, Griffin specifically raised forest management and wildfire risks threatening Cloudcroft and surrounding Lincoln National Forest communities. Trump reportedly laughed and promised attention, but Griffin later said the issue was never addressed.

Elected to the Otero County Commission District 2 in 2018, Griffin took office in January 2019. He became known for bold statements, pushing a controversial 2020 election audit in a county Trump carried by a wide margin, and wearing his Cowboys for Trump branding while in office. A recall effort in 2021 fell short.

The Fall

Griffin’s trajectory changed on January 6, 2021. He traveled to Washington for the “Stop the Steal” events, climbed barriers, and entered a restricted area outside the Capitol but did not go inside the building. Arrested weeks later, he was convicted in March 2022 of misdemeanor trespassing (acquitted on a disorderly conduct charge) and sentenced to time served plus a fine and community service.

That conviction triggered a historic civil suit brought by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and local residents. On September 6, 2022, District Court Judge Francis Mathew ruled Griffin had engaged in insurrection and ordered his immediate removal from office under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment — the first such disqualification of a sitting elected official in more than 150 years. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed Democrat Stephanie DuBois as a temporary replacement. Griffin’s appeals were rejected by state courts and, ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case in March 2024, permanently barring him from future elected office in New Mexico.

Disillusionment Sets In

Even before his removal, cracks appeared in Griffin’s once-unwavering support for Trump. At a 2021 QAnon-adjacent conference in Las Vegas, he publicly criticized the former president, saying Trump had promised to lock up figures like Hillary Clinton but that “the only ones locked up were men like me… that have stood by the president the strongest.”

By March 2022, Griffin described himself as broke, divorced, and living in a double-wide trailer after his barbecue business failed. In a KUNM interview, he voiced deep bitterness over the lack of follow-through on the Cloudcroft forest management issue he had personally raised with Trump. “I really thought that the president was going to come through on his end, and unfortunately, he never did,” Griffin said. He also felt the Trump orbit had abandoned the grassroots supporters who risked the most. Many original Cowboys for Trump members drifted away after January 6.

The sense of betrayal peaked in January 2025. As President Trump prepared mass pardons for January 6 participants, Griffin stated he would reject one if offered. “I want my justification to come from the courts, not a pardon,” he told reporters. “Pardons are given to guilty people and I’m not guilty in what I’ve been convicted of.” Although a pardon was issued shortly afterward to most January 6th participants it would not apply to Griffin, Griffin indicated he might continue pursuing appeals for full exoneration. He has expressed no interest in returning to elected office.

Today, Griffin works as a golf cart mechanic in Alamogordo and continues to identify with conservative principles while viewing himself as a casualty of a movement that failed to protect its most dedicated local voices.

Griffins disillusionment can be seen in a recent tweet on X...

https://x.com/CowboyCouy/status/2029394598502510611?s=20

The District 2 seat, vacated by Griffin in 2022, has since drawn fresh controversy under its current holder, Amy Barela. 

First elected in a 2022 special election (defeating Democrat Stephanie DuBois after a close Republican primary recount) and re-elected thereafter, Barela ascended to Chairwoman of the Republican Party of New Mexico in December 2024. 

In March 2026, she filed for re-election to the commission seat, prompting a contested Republican primary against challenger Jonathan Emery, a retired Otero County Sheriff's lieutenant. Barela's refusal to step down as state party chair — despite RPNM Uniform State Rules (Rule 1-4-4) requiring party officers to immediately vacate their position upon filing in a contested primary — has ignited widespread GOP infighting. Bernalillo County Republicans and leaders from at least 15 counties have publicly called for her resignation, accusing her of violating party neutrality rules, creating conflicts of interest, and defying calls to step aside. Barela has maintained her position, rejecting the demands and arguing interpretations of the rules that some critics describe as thumbing her nose at established party guidelines. The dispute has amplified divisions within New Mexico Republicans and highlighted ongoing tensions in local and statewide conservative circles.

Griffin’s story and the current dynamics in District 2 serve as a cautionary tale for Otero County residents about the personal and political price of high-stakes involvement in turbulent times — and how the seat seems to recruit controversy.

Future articles in this series will explore, voting patterns in District 2 primaries and generals, demographic shifts, and how this red district navigates state-level politics.

Sources

• KUNM, “Broke and disillusioned, Couy Griffin keeps fighting for Trump” (March 10, 2022)
• Albuquerque Journal, “Cowboys for Trump founder says he will reject a presidential pardon if offered” (January 20, 2025)
• Las Cruces Sun-News, “Couy Griffin receives presidential pardon” (January 22, 2025)
• CBS News, “New Mexico judge bars ‘Cowboys for Trump’ founder from office over participation in Jan. 6 assault” (September 2022)
• Rolling Stone, “Couy Griffin, Cowboys for Trump Founder, Bashes Trump” (October 25, 2021)
• Source New Mexico, “Bernalillo County Republicans call for New Mexico state Chair Barela to step down” (March 17, 2026)
• 2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News, “Internal Rift Deepens in New Mexico GOP as Chair Amy Barela Defies Calls to Resign Amid Contested Otero County Race” (March 14, 2026)
• 2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News, “New Mexico GOP Chair Amy Barela's Media Dominance Over Challenger Jonathan Emery Highlights Institutional Advantage and Purpose of Resignation Rule” (March 16, 2026)
• Wikipedia and court records on Couy Griffin (timeline)
• Otero County official website and New Mexico Secretary of State election results (District 2 history)
• U.S. Census Bureau and related reports (Otero County demographics, 2020–2024 estimates)
• Republican Party of New Mexico Uniform State Rules (USR) and related coverage (2023–2026)

This article is based on publicly available court documents, interviews, party rules, election data, and news reports. Alamogordo Town News encourages readers to review primary sources.

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