Steve Pearce’s Rule of the Gavel: From Leader to King of the Muddle Puddle
Why Pearce’s Legacy Still Haunts New Mexico Republicans
I heard Steve Pearce’s campaign speech when he was running for Governor enough times that I can still listen to him. My Governor’s Race is the Most Important Race in New Mexico for today and the next ten years. Pearce was right, and not for the reasons he may think.
In 2018, the Pearce Campaign justified sacrificing every federal and statewide race (except his protege, who was running for CD-2). The heavy-handedness in the CD-2 primary disillusioned this protege’s opponent’s voters. They sat at home sealing the win for the Democrats.
In 2018, Pearce became the Chairman of the RPNM and fundamentally changed how the RPNM was governed. Roberts Rule of Order (used by almost every state, which ensures meetings are conducted efficiently, fairly, and with respect for every member's opinion), with Rule of the Gavel (I have not found one state that uses this. The gavel represents the presiding officer’s authority and power of the chair to control the meeting). If you are in the Pearce Clique, Rule of the Gavel could not be better. For everyone else, either get in line or get out.
The CD-1 Special Election was a Pearce debacle. Pearce was able to save the RPNM from Eddie Aragon and chose Mark Moore to go up against Melanie Stansbury. The election was a disaster. CD-1 Republicans were disenfranchised, and Stansbury won handily.
Pearce essentially ran the RPNM in 2018 and served as the RPNM Chairman in 2020, 2022, and 2024. Not only were those elections disasters, but Pearce also insulted President Trump when he came to Albuquerque by not allowing Trump’s guest, Governor Martinez, to speak at the Trump Rally. Embarrassing.
In 2024, Pearce once again used the Rule of the Gavel to skew the election to his protege, this time Amy Barela. However, Barela is unable to wield the Gavel as effectively as Pearce, and new rules are needed to ensure the Chairwoman has the necessary power and authority to silence any dissenting voices and pass any future rules. That is why the SCC is meeting in Hobbs to adopt new rules that will enhance the authority and control of the RPNM Chairperson.
The question that State Central Committee Members must ask themselves before voting on September 6, 2025. How many more bodies are to be stacked up before the Chairperson becomes the King of the Muddle Puddle?
Make September 6, 2025, the day the State Central Committee has open and honest discussions on how Republicans come together to welcome the hardworking people of New Mexico into the RPNM, win elections, and turn our state around.
Two SCC meetings (Farmington in July & Hobbs in September), 2 different sets of surprise rule changes, yet both times county parties came together to stop the bad rule changes. The RPNM chair says she wants the party united but this may not be what she had in mind. So far, the SCC has managed to hang on to its primary job, oversight of the state party. The rule changes were designed to turn that model upside down and make the SCC subservient to the state chair.