In the end, it wasn’t even close. After a 43-percentage point defeat by Farmington Republican Tom Mullins, Santa Fe’s Adam Kokesh is blaming his loss, in part, on the “corrupt” Republican Party leadership that embraced his more traditional opponent.

It likely had as much to do with Kokesh’s unorthodox positions and campaign organization—which was evidently stronger online than it was on the ground. As late as election eve, the Kokesh campaign was advertising for paid sign-wavers on Craigslist, suggesting a dearth of volunteers.

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The new issue of SFR has a big crazy chart on where Republican Congressional candidates Tom Mullins and Adam Kokesh are pulling their financial support.

Would-be muckrakers who try finding their campaign finance information on the New Mexico Secretary of State’s new Campaign Finance Information System will come up dry. That’s because the candidates in US House and Senate races file reports with the same agency that tracks Presidential campaign money: the Federal Election Commission.

Unfortunately, while the FEC website is full of historical and up-to-date information, it’s not exactly easy to navigate. To make matters worse, many FEC pages don’t identify second or third donations to a candidate from the same source, adding obstacles to the long slog toward reportorial accuracy.

That’s why the Center for Responsive Politics’ campaign finance site, OpenSecrets.org, is so handy.

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When Santa Fe mayoral candidate Asenath Kepler lost the March 2 mayoral election—pulling 4,400 votes, or roughly one-third of the votes cast—she promised to stay involved. At least for know, we know how she plans to do so: As chairwoman of Adam Kokesh’s Congressional campaign committee.

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Delegates at today’s Republican pre-primary convention were decisive: With 46.65% and 41.2% respectively, Susana Martinez and Brian Moore are poised to headline the GOP’s gubernatorial ticket for 2010.

Martinez, who’s running for governor, beat out four other candidates (the closest was former GOP chairman Allen Weh with 26.3%; Pete Domenici Jr got a measly 4.6%). Moore’s closest contender was Lieut. Gov. hopeful Kent Cravens (27.6%).

Susana Martinez

Matt Rush swept the Land Commissioner race with 64% of the vote, and Tom Mullins and Steve Pearce took congressional districts 2 and 3 with 80% and 92%, respectively. For more, check out the New Mexico Independent’s coverage here.

Some speeches were colorful and some staffers scantily clad, but (perhaps unsurprisingly) I found my story—something having to do with Marxism, souls burning in hell and the virtues of Adam Kokesh—in the bar. More after the jump. Continue reading »

This week’s SFR cover story takes a close look at conservatism, Santa Fe style, with a particular focus on Republican Congressional candidate Adam Kokesh. Read the story here. And below, read excerpts from SFR’s interview with Kokesh. At least one thing he says is guaranteed to piss you off, no matter what your political views may be. For instance:

“[W]e don’t have a capitalist system in the United States, and it drives me crazy to hear people blame capitalism for where we are today. We have a system of corporatism and crony capitalism.”

Or this:

“Obviously it’s incorrect about my campaign, and my candidacy, but I think the comparison between the Tea Party and Obama in that sense is fair. There is that dynamic of projection going on very heavily.”

Later this week, look for interviews with former Gov. Gary Johnson and Bob Wright of the New Mexico Militia.

SFR: So you’re all living frat style.
Kokesh: It’s like the liberty frat house, except that instead of throwing parties on Saturday night, we sit around behind our laptops and watch documentaries, and when I’m lucky, I can get one of them to play Scrabble with me.

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