Amanda Lopez Askin

Provide a short bio of yourself and tell us how you got into public service?

I’m a proud Las Cruces native, raised in southern New Mexico by a hardworking single mom who, like so many families, relied on community support to keep us stable. Before serving as county clerk, I was a therapist working with kids in foster care.

Public service has always been about helping people navigate systems that can feel overwhelming. When the opportunity came to serve Doña Ana County as clerk in 2018, I took it because I knew I could keep doing that work on a bigger scale and in a different way. 

Both you and your primary election opponent have run elections at the county level—what would you change at the statewide level that isn’t working right now?

What I would change at the statewide level is the way the Secretary of State’s office works with county clerks. Too often, counties are expected to carry out major changes without enough coordination, consistency, or practical support from the top.

Having run elections at the county level, I know how important clear guidance, reliable communication, and real partnership are. I want the state office to be more responsive, more collaborative, and more focused on helping counties succeed so voters have a better and more consistent experience no matter where they live. 

How would you respond if the federal government tried to impose new voting requirements—like stricter ID laws or national oversight of elections?

I would push back hard if the federal government tried to override New Mexico’s authority to run its own elections. We’ve already seen efforts to nationalize elections, force stricter ID requirements, and demand voter data in ways that create fear and confusion.

I would follow the law, but I would also defend New Mexico voters, protect their privacy, and ensure decisions about our elections are made here in New Mexico, not by politicians in Washington chasing a problem that does not exist. 

What is the biggest vulnerability in New Mexico’s election system today — and how would you fix it?

One of the biggest vulnerabilities is uneven access. New Mexico has made progress, but not every voter starts from the same place. For some Tribal communities, pueblos, and Navajo Nation voters, the barriers can include distance, limited infrastructure, language access, and the simple fact that standard mailing systems do not always reflect how people live in their communities.

That is exactly why stronger Tribal outreach matters. I would fix that by investing more in voter education, better early-vote access, stronger partnerships with Tribal governments, and fully implementing the tools already allowed under state law, including using Tribal government buildings for ballot delivery and voter registration purposes. 

How do you balance making voting more accessible with maintaining voter confidence in election integrity?

I don’t think those goals are in conflict. If anything, communities have more confidence in elections when they can see that the system is built to include them and treat them fairly. For me, that means ensuring voters in Tribal communities, pueblos, and the Navajo Nation are not expected to overcome extra barriers just to participate.

We can protect ballot security, maintain strong procedures, and still expand access through language assistance, voter education, and practical support that recognizes the realities of rural and Native communities. That is what a fair system looks like. 

The Secretary of State also enforces ethics and campaign finance rules—what is one reform you would push, even if it affects your own party?

I would push for stronger, clearer, and more timely campaign finance disclosure across the board, with no exceptions. If people are spending money to influence elections, the public deserves to know who is behind it and when. That should apply equally, whether it helps Democrats, Republicans, or anyone else. If we want people to trust our elections, then transparency cannot be optional when it is politically inconvenient. 

What’s a moment from running elections in your county that changed how you think about voting in New Mexico?

A moment that changed how I think about voting in New Mexico was seeing just how different the voting experience can be depending on where someone lives. Running elections in Doña Ana County showed me that even when people are determined to vote, the process is not always equally easy to navigate.

That stayed with me. It made this work feel even more personal, because I saw that election administration is not just about rules and procedures. It is about making sure every voter feels respected, informed, and confident that their voice matters.