The journey along the campaign trail took an unexpected detour this week when a judge kicked an incumbent state lawmaker seeking reelection off the June 2 primary ballot.
Incumbent Republican Rep. Rebecca Dow lost her spot after Tara Jaramillo, a Democrat who previously represented District 38 along the Rio Grande near Truth or Consequences and Elephant Butte, won a legal challenge alleging that Dow had inappropriately turned in digital screenshots of nominating petitions.
Dow, who first won the seat in 2016 before unsuccessfully running for governor in 2022, vowed to appeal the decision. She has backing from her party. In a Thursday statement, House Minority Floor Leader Rep. Gail Armstrong (R-Magdalena) characterized Dow’s ousting as “disenfranchisement, plain and simple.”
Dow, Armstrong continued, “was ultimately disqualified – not because of fraud or misconduct, but because of a flaw in the electronic system that the state created to help her,” Armstrong wrote. “The House Republican Caucus stands firmly behind Rep. Dow as she appeals this ruling. We will continue fighting to ensure that the people – not bureaucratic errors or procedural gamesmanship – decide who represents them in the New Mexico Legislature.”
One of the Republicans vying to face incumbent U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) in the Nov. 3 general election dropped out of primary race this week in hopes of “consolidating support” behind the other Republican on the ballot, former Marine and Albuquerque detective.
When he withdrew, though, Jose Orozco neglected to file the proper paperwork with the New Mexico Secretary of State on time. Although he is no longer running because he didn’t want to split the vote with Greg Cunningham, the Secretary of State’s office told Source NM his name will still appear on the ballot.
Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, who’s seeking the Democratic nomination to be New Mexico’s next governor, released a 30-second campaign ad this week titled, “Sam Bregman: As DA.” In it, the gubernatorial hopeful appears first in a courtroom to tout his experience putting “criminals behind bars” and then in a school gym to mention his zero-tolerance policy for kids who bring guns to school.
The latter raised a red flag for one state senator.
Sen. Heather Berghmans (D-Albuquerque) emailed Albuquerque Public Schools officials on Wednesday and copied several news organizations on the email thread. In it, she said she was concerned that a “school-sponsored event – clearly depicting students and staff – has since been used in a political campaign advertisement” for Bregman’s gubernatorial campaign.
“This situation raises serious questions about our public schools being used for political activities labeled as educational, non-political events,” she wrote. “Public schools should not serve as venues for political campaign productions, and students must never be featured – either directly or indirectly – in campaign materials without explicit, informed consent. Using a government-affiliated appearance to produce separate campaign content raises serious ethical and legal issues.”
Berghmans did not respond to Source NM’s request for comment. A spokesperson for Bregman’s campaign did not immediately respond to request for comment.
First-term Santa Fe Mayor Michael Garcia on Thursday endorsed former U.S. Interior Secretary and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland.
“From fighting to lower costs for working families to standing up for our communities and our values, Deb knows what it takes to tackle our challenges head-on. As Mayor of Santa Fe, I need a governor who will listen, lead with integrity, and deliver real results,” Garcia said in a statement.
After winning election in 2025, Garcia told Source NM that he wanted to build a “a strong coalition” between the city and the governor’s office.
State Rep. Joanne Ferrary (D-Las Cruces), who has held the seat for House District 37 for five terms, endorsed Lori Martinez, the executive director of Las Cruces education nonprofit Ngage, in the Democratic primary to succeed her for the seat following her decision to not seek re-election.
Martinez faces Matilda “Tilli” Villalobos, a federal prosecutor-turned defense attorney, for the Democratic nomination in the June 2 primary. The race to represent a broad swath of northeastern Las Cruces is the first election campaign for both Martinez and Villalobos.
Ferrary’s term concludes at the end of December, and she said she would continue work during the interim session in the summer. Ferrary, a retired traffic safety planner, told Source NM she chose to step down because “Ten years was the right amount of time to have devoted to the people of my district.”
Several of Ferrary’s most prominent bills, including an alcohol tax to curb excess drinking and a “green amendment” in the state constitution failed to pass in the most recent sessions. Ferrary said she would continue to advocate after adhering to a “one-year cooling off period” that lawmakers follow.
“Change is good for representation, for new ideas and energy,” Ferrary said. “Lori Martinez is a great candidate and person to continue protecting and supporting children and families in our state.”
Martinez, a social worker and former early childhood educator, told Source NM that Ferrary’s endorsement “means a lot.”
“Just knowing the kind of champion she’s been for people in the Legislature, it’s incredibly humbling and I’m really grateful to be able to have the opportunity to fill her shoes, but also to step into the issues that I also care about,” Martinez said.
Her opponent, Villalobos, said she said the decision is ultimately up to the voters.
“I’m grateful for Rep. Ferrary’s representation of the district and all of her hard work,” she told Source NM. “But I don’t think her endorsement is going to impact the race, since the voters will be the ones to decide.”
With New Mexico’s June 2 primary election ballots just about set (minus a few pending legal challenges), Source NM reporters have been working the phones (along with email, DMs and a dash of telepathy), contacting candidates and asking them a few key questions about their backgrounds, positions and plans. This week, we kick off what will be an ongoing series of interviews with candidates for statewide and legislative races. These include the first of five profiles for the Democratic and Republican gubernatorial primaries with GOP Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, who has thoughts about what the rest of New Mexico can learn from his city. You’ll also find the first coverage of (counts on fingers) races for 19 districts in the New Mexico House of Representatives across both parties with the two-person Democratic primary between incumbent state Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena and challenger lawyer Ramona Martinez for District 33. That southern New Mexico district is a stone’s throw from the proposed Project Jupiter data center project, and both candidates have thoughts to share. Keep up with Source NM’s election coverage here. We are also hard at work on this year’s Voter Guide – a compendium of all the races along with important dates and guidance – so keep an eye out for that as well. Have election tips? Send them in to info@sourcenm.com.
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