DA Races Hotly Contested Among Democrats In 3 Districts—Associated Press
The debate emerging from three races for district attorney in New Mexico's largest population centers are stirring up debate over crime and public safety issues that all remain hot topics in the state.
Contested races are underway on the Democratic side for the job of top prosecutor in state's First, Second and Third judicial districts, which separately encompass Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Las Cruces.
Meanwhile, the Republican candidates in the three districts are running unopposed in Tuesday's primary.
Among Democrats, Dona Ana County District Attorney Mark D'Antonio is seeking a second term in the Third Judicial District amid a challenge from Alamogordo prosecutor James Dickens.
Ed Perea and Raul Torrez are vying for outgoing, longtime D.A. Kari Brandenburg's post in Bernalillo County.
And a three-way race is in play in the First Judicial District, which includes Santa Fe.
The Latest On Early Voting Leading Up To New Mexico's June 7 Primary—Associated Press
New Mexico's most populous county is seeing more people vote early and by absentee ballot than during the last presidential primary in 2012.
Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver said Friday that the turnout so far of nearly 34,000 people is almost twice what it was four years ago. On Thursday alone, about 4,300 people voted.
She says the race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders appears to be driving turnout since 70 percent of early voters have been Democrats.
Bernalillo County has mailed out more than 11,000 absentee ballots, also more than in 2012. Most of those have been sent to Democrats.
As of Friday morning, nearly 6,700 of those ballots had been returned by voters and were being processed by the county.
Early voting wraps up Saturday. The primary is Tuesday.
Health Dept: 3rd Confirmed Case Of Zika Virus In New Mexico—Associated Press
State health officials say there's a third confirmed travel-related case of Zika virus in New Mexico.
They say a 41-year-old Chaves County man acquired the virus while traveling to Central America.
The state Department of Health's Scientific Laboratory Division recently began Zika testing and confirmed the case.
One of the mosquito species that can transmit the Zika virus has been found in Chaves County in the summer and fall.
But authorities say in this case, there was no risk of local transmission because there was no mosquito activity when the case occurred.
Officials say a 40-year-old Bernalillo County woman was the second person in New Mexico to contract the virus while traveling in the Caribbean.
Trump Changes Tone, Seeks Endorsement From Latina Governor—Associated Press
Donald Trump is making indirect overtures to New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez in search of an endorsement from the nation's only Latina governor.
Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks on Friday confirmed comments the presumptive GOP presidential nominee made Thursday during a telephone call with a reporter for the Santa Fe New Mexican.
Trump said he respects and likes Martinez and would like to have her endorsement.
Trump chastised Martinez last month for not doing her job in front a crowd of thousands in Albuquerque. Martinez skipped that rally.
Martinez told reporters Friday she wants to talk personally with Trump to find out more about what he intends to do for New Mexico's military bases and national laboratories before helping his campaign.
Martinez is chairwoman of the Republican Governors Association and had endorsed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio before he suspended campaigning.