Commentary: The Good Ole Boy Machine’s Racist, Misogynist Assault on Alamogordo’s Female Mayors

By Mica Maynard, Guest Contributor, Alamogordo Town News & 2nd Life Media

Alamogordo, NM — The “good ole boy” machine in Otero County isn’t subtle anymore. It’s blatant, ugly, and rooted in the same racist, misogynist entitlement that has poisoned local governance for decades. The coordinated attacks on Mayor Sharon McDonald — Alamogordo’s first African American mayor and the first Black woman elected to hold the office in New Mexico — expose a desperate effort by entrenched interests to preserve control at all costs.

This isn’t mere policy disagreement; it’s a systemic backlash against a populist Black woman who dared to win and lead with fresh vision and follows a similar pattern that followed former Mayor Susan Payne. 

Immediate, Vindictive Pushback Against Historic Leadership

From the moment Mayor McDonald was sworn in amid roaring applause in January 2026, the resistance was swift and targeted. Commissioner Josh Rardin immediately pulled her financial campaign filings in what appeared to be a fishing expedition — none yielded violations. He escalated by threatening an FCC complaint against KALHRadio.org for alleged “preferential” coverage. The FCC did not investigate and thus found zero violations. These moves, echoed by Commissioners Stephen Burnett and Baxter Pattillo, reflect the male-dominated business establishment’s deep discomfort with a strong, populist African American woman ascending to power.

The condescension runs deeper. Commissioner Baxter Pattillo — a white male roughly half Mayor McDonald’s age, with just six months in elective office versus her six years of experience — has repeatedly spoken down to her in patronizing tones during public meetings. Overspeaking, nudging her along, and setting verbal traps to make her stumble are not random; they form a coordinated campaign by Rardin, Pattillo, and allies to erode her popularity and reputation.

This group of men operates with arrogant entitlement, acting as if they inherently know better than better-educated women of color in leadership. It is textbook disrespect rooted in bias.

Even Commissioner Al Hernandez, who is Hispanic, has been part of this bloc despite his own background. Hernandez, who lost decisively to Mayor McDonald twice in District 5 elections before his recent appointment to fill her vacated seat, carries a well-known personal grudge in the community. Reports and public sentiment indicate he has spoken down to women in leadership contexts, aligning himself with the machine’s resistance rather than championing broader equity. His inclusion in the four-commissioner bloc underscores how personal animosities and insider loyalty can override community progress.

Pattern of Misogyny: Not Just McDonald

This toxic dynamic is not isolated to Mayor McDonald. Former Mayor Susan Payne, a woman who served with distinction, reportedly faced similar misogynistic behaviors and resistance from Rardin, Al Hernandez, and others during her tenure. The pattern of undermining strong female leadership through condescension, opposition to populist initiatives, and behind-the-scenes maneuvering has been a recurring theme, eroding collaboration and public trust.

Further evidence of entrenched bias comes from reports that Josh Rardin was investigated within city government for inflammatory statements, including allegedly telling members of the Alamogordo Fire Department that “although Dr. Stephanie Hernandez may be qualified, she will never serve as permanent city manager as long as I remain a commissioner. “ Al Hernandez has also been associated with racial undertones and misogynistic statements toward female staff members, each contributing to a hostile environment investigations that has led to costly settlements and multiple occasions of EEOC scrutiny.

A Long, Documented History of Discrimination and Settlements

This isn’t new. Alamogordo’s track record of bias is costly and shameful. In 2017, the city settled a federal discrimination and retaliation lawsuit with former Hispanic utility billing manager Armando Ortega for $500,000 — taxpayer money wasted on systemic failures. Similar controversies, including issues surrounding former Black Police Chief Brian Peete and other minority employees, highlight recurring patterns of unfair treatment in hiring, promotions, and terminations. Court records and local reporting confirm these settlements and rulings have repeatedly exposed discrimination, yet the machine refuses to change. The city has reportedly spent over $1 million in the past decade on related payouts tied to actions involving investigations with ties to Rardin, Burnett, Al Hernandez, and others.

The Four Commissioners’ War on Qualified Diverse Leadership

The bloc — Josh Rardin (Mayor Pro Tem, District 4), Stephen Burnett (District 2), Al Hernandez (District 5), and Baxter Pattillo (District 1) — has waged open war on progress. After a unanimous 7-0 vote to negotiate a permanent contract with highly qualified Acting City Manager Dr. Stephanie Hernandez (a Hispanic woman with a PhD, local roots, and nearly 28 months of proven leadership), they flipped to a 4-3 vote.

The four ignored inside counsel’s recommendation, forced a costly settlement to remove her, and now aggressively push Robert Stockwell — a white elderly former City Manager (1992–1997) fired by a 5-1 vote amid controversies, who received a reported $124,000 settlement and later resigned under pressure in California in 2019. Stockwell’s weaker credentials for today’s challenges make this preference for an old insider over a superior, diverse candidate glaringly obvious.

Lawsuits allege violations of the City Charter, Open Meetings Act, and transparency laws, with court hearings pending. Public polls reflect the disgust: Mayor McDonald enjoys strong support, while members of the bloc face sky-high unfavorability and distrust ratings — the highest in years.

Racist and Misogynist Undertones: Undeniable and Damaging

In a city finally embracing historic diversity through Mayor McDonald and Dr. Hernandez, this male-dominated pushback reeks of racism and misogyny. Past hiring controversies included alleged sexist and racist remarks. The overbearing tactics — talking over, condescending to, and undermining accomplished women of color — expose a group clinging to power through bias rather than merit. The good ole boy network, aligned with broader county cronyism, cannot tolerate strong, independent leadership that threatens their control.

Demand Real Accountability — Or Watch the Machine Win

This cabal of four — Rardin, Burnett, Hernandez, and Pattillo — stands indicted as the public face of a failing, entitled machine that prioritizes personal grudges, insider deals, and outdated power structures over the people of Alamogordo. Their actions have wasted taxpayer dollars, invited lawsuits, damaged the city’s reputation, and actively undermined historic progress begun by former mayor Susan Payne and now represented by Mayor McDonald and Dr. Hernandez. Enough is enough.

Call to Action: Otero County and Alamogordo residents — attend the next City Commission meetings in force, file IPRA requests for all related records and communications, support ongoing lawsuits and ethics complaints, and vote these obstructionists out at the earliest opportunity.

Demand full compliance with the Open Meetings Act, IPRA, City Charter, and anti-discrimination laws. 

Merit-based, transparent hiring — no more crony settlements or backroom deals.

Immediate rejection of racist, misogynist tactics undermining our part mayor, our first first Black mayor and other women leaders. 

Full public disclosure and public statements of ethics complaints, past settlements, court records, and meeting behaviors.

The machine operates in shadows and division.

Sunlight, aggressive journalism, recalls, civic outrage, and votes for reform are the only antidotes. 

Former Mayor Susan Payne, Mayor McDonald and Dr. Hernandez represent the future. 

The four commissioners represent a dying, entitled past. 

Alamogordo must choose progress over this corrupt cycle — dismantle it now, once and for all.

Note: Mica Maynard is an African American political science student at the University of California, Berkeley, studying rural Southwestern political bias, power dynamics, and trends in small-town governance. She occasionally contributes to ATN as an independent voice on equity and accountability. This commentary reflects the independent, truth-seeking voice of Alamogordo Town News. Attend meetings, support court actions, and hold power accountable.

Citations & Sources

• Historic swearing-in of Mayor Sharon McDonald: City of Alamogordo official site and KRWG Public Media (2025-2026). https://coa-utilities.com/342/Sharon-McDonald ; https://www.krwg.org/krwg-news/2025-10-28/sharon-mcdonald-talks-about-her-campaign-for-mayor-of-alamogordo

• Commission dynamics and District 5 appointment (Al Hernandez context): Ballotpedia and local public records. https://ballotpedia.org/Sharon_A.McDonald(Mayor_of_Alamogordo,_New_Mexico,_candidate_2025)

• City Manager settlement with Dr. Stephanie Hernandez: Citizen Portal / civic reporting (April 2026). https://citizenportal.ai/articles/7871881/new-mexico/otero-county/alamogordo/alamogordo-commission-accepts-settlement-with-acting-city-manager-stephanie-hernandez-after-closed-session

• Armando Ortega $500k discrimination settlement: Federal court records (US District Court, NM). https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-nmd-2_16-cv-01247 ; https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/19830702/Ortega_v_City_of_Alamogordo,_et_al

• Josh Rardin background/ethics history: Press-Citizen and Ballotpedia archives. https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/local/2018/01/31/josh-rardin-runs-city-commission-seat/1084888001/ ; https://ballotpedia.org/Josh_Rardin_recall,_Alamogordo,New_Mexico(2012)

• Additional context on patterns: Alamogordo Daily News historical archives and public Facebook/official channels.