Alamogordo Town News KALHRadio.org 2026 Endorsement and Recommendation Scorecard

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. — With unofficial results in from the Nov. 3 general election, Alamogordo Town News is publishing a straightforward accounting of its major endorsements and ballot recommendations against the outcomes. The goal is transparency: readers can see where the outlet’s positions aligned with voters and where they did not.

Candidate Endorsements

• House District 51: Alamogordo Town News endorsed independent Grace Nagamine over Republican incumbent John Block. The editorial was approved unanimously by the outlet’s editorial advisory board (two Republicans, two Democrats, one Libertarian, and one decline-to-state member).
  Result: Block won, 5,037 votes to 4,045 (55 %–45 %). The 10-point margin was Block’s narrowest in a general election.
  Score: Endorsement did not prevail.
• Senate District 33: The outlet endorsed Liam Griffin.
  Result: Rex Wilson won the seat.
  Score: Endorsement did not prevail.
• Otero County Commission: The editorial board split and issued no formal endorsement between Republican Jonathan Emery and independent Evan Lambert.
  Result: Emery defeated Lambert 2,947–1,628 (64.4%–35.6%).
  Score: No endorsement to score.

Ballot Questions

Alamogordo Town News published explicit recommendations on Nov. 1:

Overall Notes

On the two highest-profile local measures where Alamogordo Town News took a clear position—the LEDA tax and the HD 51 race—the outcomes were mixed. Voters rejected the LEDA tax in line with the outlet’s recommendation. They reelected Block, though by a substantially narrower margin than in his previous general elections.

Statewide amendments and bonds largely passed regardless of local recommendations, consistent with broader New Mexico trends. The scorecard reflects only positions explicitly published by Alamogordo Town News; it does not include third-party endorsements covered by the outlet or races in which no recommendation was made.

Unofficial results remain subject to canvass. Full returns are available from the New Mexico Secretary of State. The original endorsement and ballot-recommendation articles remain available on AlamogordoTownNews.org.

This scorecard is a record, not a claim of influence. It shows where Alamogordo Town News’ and KALHRadio.org published positions matched voter decisions and where they did not.

On the eight ballot questions where the outlet issued clear yes/no recommendations, voters aligned on seven: Amendments 1, 2, and 3, all three bond questions, and the county LEDA tax. That is an 87.5% alignment rate with the public vote on ballot measures. 

The single miss was Amendment 4 (legislator pay), which voters approved despite the outlet’s recommendation against it.

On candidate endorsements, the record was different. The outlet’s endorsement of Grace Nagamine in House District 51 did not prevail, though Block’s margin was the narrowest of his general-election career. The endorsement of Liam Griffin in Senate District 33 also did not prevail. No formal endorsement was issued in the contested county commission race.

What this tells readers is straightforward. 

Ballot recommendations that focused on transparency, accountability, and local fiscal caution aligned with Otero County voters at a high rate and with this outlets mission. 

Candidate endorsements, which involve more personal and partisan factors, did not. 

The gap is common in local media: voters are often more receptive to arguments about how government spends money and operates than to arguments about which individual should hold a particular seat.

The 87.5% ballot alignment does not prove that the outlet’s coverage moved votes. It does show that the outlet’s stated standards on those measures—open government, clear plans before new taxes, and accountability—tracked closely with how a majority of local voters ultimately decided. 

Readers can weigh that record for themselves.

This scorecard is limited to documented endorsements and recommendations published by Alamogordo Town News prior to Election Day.

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