Cactus Crossfire’s Top 10 of 2025: Speaker Javier Martinez Joins the Hot Seat 🌵❌🔥

Cactus Crossfire
Jan 18
2 min read

Cactus Crossfire closes out 2025 with a bang! For Episode 12, we welcomed New Mexico Speaker Javier Martinez to help us break down our Top 10 moments of the year. From hard-hitting political debates to deeply personal stories, this episode captures everything that makes Cactus Crossfire the Southwest’s go-to for real talk and prickly perspectives.

Why This Episode Stands Out

We dive into the shifts in the Hispanic vote, the ongoing debates within the Democratic Party, government shutdown drama, and the state of our economy. Speaker Martinez shares unfiltered insights—from legislative battles to personal loss—and doesn’t shy away from tough questions or hot takes.

Highlights Include:

The Hispanic vote: What’s changing in New Mexico and beyond, and why it matters for 2026
Democratic Party debates: Is the party too weak or too woke? What does real coalition-building look like?
Government shutdowns & SNAP: How policy battles affect everyday people, and what it took to protect New Mexico’s most vulnerable
The economy, stupid: Why pocketbook issues are still the real driver at the polls
Personal reflections: Sisto and Speaker Martinez share lessons learned from losing their fathers this year—reminding us what public service is really about

Speaker Martinez: From Subscriber to Guest

Not only has Speaker Martinez been with us since Episode 1, but he’s also one of our original YouTube subscribers. His perspective on state and federal politics, community leadership, and what it truly means to serve is a must-hear for anyone who cares about the Southwest.