New Mexico House of Representatives elections, 2020
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| 2020 New Mexico House Elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | November 3, 2020 |
| Primary | June 2, 2020 |
| Past Election Results |
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| 2020 Elections | |
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New Mexico Democrats lost seats but kept their majority in the 2020 House elections. All 70 House seats were up for election. Heading into the election, Democrats had a 46-24 majority—one seat short of the 47-seat majority required to override a governor's veto. Democrats lost a net two seats, while Republicans gained a net one seat and one independent legislator was elected, leaving the chamber's post-election partisan balance at 44-25 with one independent.
The New Mexico House of Representatives was one of 86 state legislative chambers holding elections in 2020. All 70 seats in the New Mexico House of Representatives were up for election in 2020. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections.
New Mexico's 2020 state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In New Mexico, the state legislature is responsible for drafting both congressional and state legislative district plans. District plans are subject to gubernatorial veto.
Election procedure changes in 2020[edit]
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
New Mexico modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Absentee/mail-in voting: Absentee ballot applications were sent to all registered voters in the general election.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Party control[edit]
| New Mexico House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 46 | 44 | |
| Republican Party | 24 | 25 | |
| Independent | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 70 | 70 | |
Candidates[edit]
General election[edit]
New Mexico House of Representatives general election |
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| Office |  Democratic |
 Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
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| District 2 |
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| District 3 |
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| District 6 |
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| District 10 |
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| District 11 |
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| District 12 |
Art De La Cruz (i) (Write-in) |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 13 |
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| District 14 |
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| District 15 |
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Ranota Banks (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 16 |
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| District 17 |
Scott Goodman (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 18 |
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| District 19 |
Mark Curtis (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 20 |
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| District 21 |
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Paul McKenney (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 22 |
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| District 23 |
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| District 24 |
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| District 25 |
Stephen Verchinski (Green Party) |
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| District 26 |
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| District 27 |
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Jason Barker (Independent) (Write-in) |
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| District 28 |
Robert Vaillancourt (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 29 |
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| District 30 |
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Randall Sobien (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 31 |
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Steven Penhall (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 32 |
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| District 33 |
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| District 34 |
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| District 35 |
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| District 36 |
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| District 37 |
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| District 38 |
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William Parrish Kinney (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 39 |
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| District 40 |
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| District 41 |
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| District 42 |
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| District 43 |
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| District 44 |
Jeremy Myers (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 45 |
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Helen Milenski (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 46 |
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| District 47 |
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Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 48 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 49 |
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| District 50 |
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Jerry Gage (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 51 |
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| District 52 |
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| District 53 |
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| District 54 |
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| District 55 |
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| District 56 |
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| District 57 |
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| District 58 |
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| District 59 |
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| District 60 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 61 |
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| District 62 |
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| District 63 |
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| District 64 |
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| District 65 |
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| District 66 |
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| District 67 |
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| District 68 |
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| District 69 |
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| District 70 |
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Note: District 48 incumbent Linda Trujillo (D) withdrew from the general election and was replaced on the ballot by Tara Lujan (D).
Note: District 60 incumbent Timothy Lewis (R) withdrew from the general election and was replaced on the ballot by Joshua Hernandez (R).
Primary election[edit]
New Mexico House of Representatives primary election |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 2 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 3 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 4 |
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| District 5 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 6 |
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| District 7 |
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| District 8 |
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| District 9 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 10 |
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| District 11 |
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| District 12 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. Did not make the ballot: |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 13 |
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| District 14 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 15 |
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Libertarian Party  Ranota Banks |
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| District 16 |
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| District 17 |
Libertarian Party Scott Goodman  |
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| District 18 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 19 |
Libertarian Party Mark Curtis |
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| District 20 |
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| District 21 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
Libertarian Party Paul McKenney |
| District 22 |
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| District 23 |
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| District 24 |
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| District 25 |
Libertarian Party Jocelynn Paden |
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| District 26 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 27 |
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| District 28 |
Libertarian Party Robert Vaillancourt |
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| District 29 |
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| District 30 |
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Libertarian Party Randall Sobien |
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| District 31 |
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Libertarian Party Steven Penhall |
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| District 32 |
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| District 33 |
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| District 34 |
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| District 35 |
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| District 36 |
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| District 37 |
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| District 38 |
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Libertarian Party William Parrish Kinney |
| District 39 |
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| District 40 |
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| District 41 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 42 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 43 |
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| District 44 |
Libertarian Party Jeremy Myers |
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| District 45 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
Libertarian Party Helen Milenski |
| District 46 |
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| District 47 |
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| District 48 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 49 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 50 |
Libertarian Party Jerry Gage |
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| District 51 |
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| District 52 |
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| District 53 |
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| District 54 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 55 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 56 |
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| District 57 |
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| District 58 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 59 |
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| District 60 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 61 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 62 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 63 |
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| District 64 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 65 |
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| District 66 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 67 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 68 |
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| District 69 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 70 |
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Incumbents who were not re-elected[edit]
Incumbents defeated in the general election[edit]
Two incumbents lost in the Nov. 3 general election. Those incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Art De La Cruz |  Democratic |
House District 12 |
| Rodolpho Martinez | Democratic |
House District 39 |
Incumbents defeated in primary elections[edit]
No incumbents lost in the June 2 primaries, marking a decrease from the three incumbents defeated in primaries in 2018.
Retiring incumbents[edit]
There were 10 open seats where the incumbent legislator did not appear on the ballot.[1][2] Those incumbents were:
The 10 seats left open in 2020 were similar to the last four election cycles, which saw between eight and 12 retired incumbents. The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.
| Open Seats in New Mexico House of Representatives elections: 2010 - 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2020 | 70 | 10 (14 percent) | 60 (86 percent) |
| 2018 | 70 | 9 (13 percent) | 61 (87 percent) |
| 2016 | 70 | 8 (11 percent) | 62 (89 percent) |
| 2014 | 70 | 11 (16 percent) | 59 (84 percent) |
| 2012 | 70 | 12 (17 percent) | 58 (83 percent) |
| 2010 | 70 | 3 (4 percent) | 67 (96 percent) |
Process to become a candidate[edit]
See statutes: Article 8 of the New Mexico Code
A candidate in New Mexico may run with an officially recognized political party, as an independent or as a write-in.
For major party candidates[edit]
A major party candidate files for office by submitting a declaration of candidacy and nominating petition to the proper filing official. A candidate must file the nominating petition and declaration of candidacy at the same time. This paperwork must be filed in person by the candidate between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the designated day for filing. The candidate must be affiliated with the political party with which he or she is running. Affiliation with that political party must be made before the date of the governor's proclamation for the primary election.[3]
A candidate may seek a "pre-primary convention designation" before the primary election. A pre-primary convention designation guarantees a candidate a place on the primary election ballot. Every candidate receiving at least 20 percent of the vote at the party convention will be certified to the New Mexico Secretary of State as a convention-designated nominee for that office by the political party.[4]
According to the New Mexico Statutes, the nominating petition for a pre-primary convention designation candidate must be signed "by a number of voters equal to at least 2 percent of the total vote of the candidate's party in the state or congressional district, or the following number of voters, whichever is greater: for statewide offices, 230 voters; and for congressional candidates, 77 voters."[5]
A candidate who seeks but fails to receive a pre-primary convention designation may collect additional signatures totaling at least "4 percent of the total vote of the candidate's party in the state or congressional district, whichever applies to the office the candidate seeks." The candidate is required to file a new declaration of candidacy and the additional nominating petition for the office for which the candidate failed to receive a pre-primary designation. The post-convention declaration of candidacy and nominating petition must be filed with the New Mexico Secretary of State either 10 days following the date of the pre-primary convention at which the candidate failed to receive the designation, or on the date all declarations of candidacy and additional nominating petitions are due, whichever is later.[6]
For minor party candidates[edit]
The selection method for minor party candidates varies according to the rules of the specific party. Broadly speaking, the following requirements apply:[7]
- The chair and secretary of the state political convention must certify to the New Mexico Secretary of State the names of their party's nominees for federal, statewide, and state legislative offices.[8]
- The names certified to the New Mexico Secretary of State must be filed on the 21st day following the primary election and must be accompanied by a petition containing the signatures of at least 1 percent of the total number of the votes cast at the last preceding general election for the office of governor.[9]
- The petition must contain a statement affirming that the voters signing the petition are residents of New Mexico and the district, county, or area to be represented by the office being sought.[10]
For independent candidates[edit]
An independent candidate files for office by submitting a declaration of candidacy and nominating petition to the proper filing official. Candidates must file nominating petitions at the time of filing their declarations of candidacy.[11]
The petition for an independent candidate for the United States Senate or any other statewide office must be signed by at least 3 percent of the total number of votes cast for governor in the previous general election. The petition for an independent candidate for the United States House of Representatives must be signed by at least 3 percent of the total number of votes cast for governor in the previous general election in that particular congressional district. The petition for an independent candidate for the state legislature must be signed by at least 3 percent of the total number of votes cast for governor in the respective legislative district.[12][13][14]
All requisite paperwork must be filed with the proper filing official before 5:00 p.m. on the 21st day following the primary election.[15]
For write-in candidates in the primary election[edit]
A write-in candidate may only seek the nomination of the party with which he or she is affiliated. The candidate must qualify to be a candidate for the political party whose nomination he or she seeks.[16]
The candidate must file with the proper filing official a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate. The declaration must be filed before 5:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday in March in the year of the election.[17]
No unopposed write-in candidate can have an election certified unless the number of votes received by the candidate at least equals the number of signatures he or she would have had to acquire on a nominating petition.[18]
For write-in candidates in the general election[edit]
A write-in candidate in a general election must file a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate with the proper filing official no later than the 21st day after the primary election.[19]
No person can run as a write-in candidate in the general election if he or she was a candidate in the primary election immediately preceding the general election.[20]
No unopposed write-in candidate can have an election certified unless the candidate receives votes equal to at least 2 percent of the total number of votes cast in the electoral district for governor in the last preceding general election in which a governor was elected.[21]
2020 ballot access requirements[edit]
The table below details filing requirements for New Mexico House of Representatives candidates in the 2020 election cycle.
| Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber name | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| New Mexico House of Representatives | Qualified party | Varies by party and district | N/A | 3/10/2020 | Source |
| New Mexico House of Representatives | Unaffiliated | Varies by party and district | N/A | 6/25/2020 | Source |
Qualifications[edit]
Article 4, Section 3 of the New Mexico Constitution states: Senators shall not be less than twenty-five years of age and representatives not less than twenty-one years of age at the time of their election. If any senator or representative permanently removes his residence from or maintains no residence in the district from which he was elected, then he shall be deemed to have resigned and his successor shall be selected as provided in Section 4 of this article. No person shall be eligible to serve in the legislature who, at the time of qualifying, holds any office of trust or profit with the state, county or national governments, except notaries public and officers of the militia who receive no salary.
Salaries and per diem[edit]
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislators | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $0/year | $165/day (January and February); $194/day (March). Tied to federal rate. Vouchered. |
When sworn in[edit]
New Mexico legislators assume office on the first day of January after a general election.[22]
New Mexico political history[edit]
Trifectas[edit]
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
New Mexico Party Control: 1992-2022
Fifteen years of Democratic trifectas • No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Presidential politics in New Mexico[edit]
2016 Presidential election results[edit]
| U.S. presidential election, New Mexico, 2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine |
48.3% | 385,234 | 5 | |
| Republican | Donald Trump/Mike Pence | 40% | 319,667 | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 9.3% | 74,541 | 0 | |
| Green | Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka | 1.2% | 9,879 | 0 | |
| Socialism and Liberation | Gloria Estela La Riva/Dennis J. Banks | 0.1% | 1,184 | 0 | |
| Constitution | Darrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley | 0.2% | 1,514 | 0 | |
| American Delta | Rocky De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg | 0.1% | 475 | 0 | |
| Better for America | Evan McMullin/Nathan Johnson | 0.7% | 5,825 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 798,319 | 5 | |||
| Election results via: New Mexico Secretary of State | |||||
Voter information[edit]
How the primary works[edit]
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. New Mexico utilizes a closed primary process; participation in each party's primary is limited to registered party members.[23][24][25][26]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times[edit]
In New Mexico, all polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time on Election Day. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[27]
Registration requirements[edit]
To register to vote in New Mexico, each applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of New Mexico, and at least 18 years old by the time of the next election. Convicted felons who have not completed the terms and conditions of a felony sentence are not eligible to register to vote, and individuals who have been declared mentally incapacitated may not register to vote.[28] Either the New Mexico voter registration form or the national voter registration form may be used to register. Completed registration materials can be mailed or delivered by hand to election officials. First-time applicants must attach a valid form of identification to their registration materials. Registration can also be completed online.[29] On March 27, 2019, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed into law a bill enacting same-day voter registration, which was scheduled to go into effect in 2021. The bill also expanded automatic voter registration.[30][31]
Automatic registration[edit]
New Mexico practices automatic voter registration.
Online registration[edit]
- See also: Online voter registration
New Mexico has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration[edit]
New Mexico enacted same-day voter registration in 2019; it was scheduled to go into effect in 2021.
Residency requirements[edit]
In New Mexico, individuals can register to vote as soon as they become residents of the state.
Verification of citizenship[edit]
New Mexico does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.
Verifying your registration[edit]
The New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.
Voter ID requirements[edit]
New Mexico does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases. However, if an individual registered to vote for the first time by mail and did not provide verification of his or her identity then, the voter will have to show identification.[32]
Those voters can present the following forms of identification:
- Current and valid photo identification
- Current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, student identification card, or other government document, including identification issued by an Indian nation, tribe, or pueblo that shows the voter’s name and current address
Some municipalities require identification when voting in local elections. Click here for more information.
Early voting[edit]
New Mexico permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Absentee voting[edit]
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in New Mexico. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[33]
The county clerk must receive the absentee ballot application no later than 5 p.m. on Friday before the election. Completed ballots must be returned to the county clerk or voter's precinct before 7 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted.[33]
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ District 48 incumbent Linda Trujillo (D) resigned from her seat and withdrew from the general election. She was replaced in the chamber and on the ballot by Tara Lujan (D).
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-8-21," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-8-21.1(C)," accessed January 14, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-8-33," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-8-33," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-8-1," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-8-2(A)(1)," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-8-2(B)," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-8-2(B)(2)," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-8-45," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-8-51(C)," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-8-45(D)," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-8-45(E)," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-8-52(A)," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-8-36.1(B)," accessed January 14, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-8-36.1(C)," accessed January 14, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-8-36.1(F)," accessed January 14, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-12-19.1," accessed January 14, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-12-19.1(e}," accessed January 14, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Election Code, "Chapter 1-12-19.1(F)," accessed January 14, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Constitution, "Article IV, Section 4, accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ FairVote, "Primaries," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, "FAQs for Primary & General Election Candidacy," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, “Voter Bill of Rights,” accessed October 17, 2019
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, “Voter Registration Information,” accessed October 3, 2019
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, “Voter Registration,” accessed October 3, 2019
- ↑ Office of the Governor, “Gov. Lujan Grisham enacts same-day, automated voter registration,” March 27, 2019
- ↑ The NM Political Report, “Gov. signs same-day voter registration bill,” March 27, 2019
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "Voting," accessed October 7, 2019
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 New Mexico Secretary of State, "Absentee and Early Voting," accessed December 16, 2013
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