SANTA FE — Two Republican state representatives are calling on the New Mexico State Purchasing Division to scrutinize and potentially deny a wave of sole source contract requests from state agencies, warning that a lame-duck administration environment is fueling abuse of procurement shortcuts at taxpayer expense.

In a letter dated April 23 to State Purchasing Division Director Dorothy Mendonca, Reps. Rebecca Dow, R-Truth or Consequences, and Randall Pettigrew, R-Eunice, flagged 46 pending sole source contract requests totaling more than $49.1 million currently awaiting approval on the division’s website.

“These sole source contracts are a convenient method for governmental institutions to avoid adhering to the inherent safeguards within the statutory procurement process,” the letter states.

The letter singles out three contracts for particular scrutiny: a $350,000 request by the Department of Justice to hire a Washington, D.C. consulting firm for public relations services; a $108,000 request by the Children, Youth and Families Department to hire a New York City firm to provide AI-driven simulations for child welfare training; and an $800,000 request by the Department of Public Safety to contract a Madrid, Spain consultancy for executive security services tied to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s official duties.

Dow and Pettigrew, both members of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee, argue the approaching end of the fiscal year and the governor’s final seven months in office create incentives for agencies to fast-track spending to benefit preferred contractors.

“There is no excuse to ‘waive’ the normal procurement process simply because contracting authorities do not want to take the time to fulfill the process’ requirements,” they wrote.

The lawmakers noted that while some pending requests may legitimately qualify for sole source status — which requires a showing that only one vendor can meet the contract’s needs — the volume and dollar amounts warrant a comprehensive staff review. They urged Mendonca to use the division’s existing authority to deny contracts that lack legal sufficiency.

Lujan Grisham is term-limited and will leave office in January 2027.