By Mike Cook
A total of 51 people from Doña Ana County filed in March to run for office in the Tuesday, June 2, Primary Election to either represent some portion of Doña Ana County in the New Mexico Legislature or to hold a county office, and only one has been disqualified.
Among local candidates, 42 listed Las Cruces as their home, along with three from Anthony, three from La Mesa, two from Chaparral and one from Sunland Park, all in Doña Ana County. Also running for legislative seats that include parts of Doña Ana County are eight candidates, including two from Silver City and one each from Deming, Lordsburg, Alamogordo, Cloudcroft and Elephant Butte.
Statewide, 692 candidates filed to run for federal, district and county offices. 17 were disqualified and 16 withdrew.
The disqualifications had a major impact on one local race. In Doña Ana County, Incumbent District Attorney Mark D’Antonio, a Democrat, did not file to run for a third consecutive four-year term, and no Republican filed to run for the office. Two other Democrats did file: Gerald M. Byers and Davis R. Ruark. Ruark received a March 17 letter from Doña Ana County Clerk Amanda Lopez Askin informing him that he did not have a sufficient number of valid signatures on his nominating petitions to qualify for the primary election ballot. Without a Republican running, that means Byers is the presumed new Third Judicial District attorney come next January.
Local and regional candidates include one for U.S. Senate, two for U.S. representative (one is the incumbent), 35 for 14 seats in the legislature and 18 for county offices.
Eighteen people filed for six state Senate seats that represent parts of Doña Ana County, including primary challengers to three incumbents. Another 17 are running for eight state House of Representatives seats that cover the county, including two former state representatives trying to get their seats back and one incumbent county commissioner. There are no uncontested legislative races.
There are 17 candidates for county offices (not counting district attorney), including the incumbents and two challengers in the races for both county clerk and treasurer (sheriff, assessor and probate judge are not on the 2020 ballot); and 11, including one Libertarian, running for three seats on the Doña Ana County Commission. Incumbents are running in two commission races, while the other seat is open.
The only incumbent not running for re-election to the county commission is Isabella Solis. Elected to the commission as a Democrat in 2016, she changed party affiliation to Republican after her unsuccessful run for mayor of Las Cruces last November, and, instead of filing for re-election to the commission – she has served only a single four-year term and could have run for re-election – Solis chose to file for the District 37 state House of Representatives seat that is held by Democrat Joanne Ferrary.
Here are the local and regional candidates on the primary ballot:
Races for federal office
- President: There are no candidates from New Mexico. A total of six Democrats, nine Libertarians and one Republican (incumbent Donald Trump) could be on the primary ballot. Former Vice President Joe Biden of Delaware is the Democrats’ presumed nominee.
- U.S. Senate: Gavin S. Clarkson of Las Cruces is a candidate in the Republican Primary for the seat being vacated by Tom Udall, a Democrat, who is retiring after two six-year terms. Two other Republicans, Elisa Maria Martinez and Mark V. Ronchetti, both of Albuquerque, also qualified for the ballot. The only Democrat running for the seat is U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan of Santa Fe, who represents New Mexico’s Third Congressional District. Bob Walsh of Santa Fe is running as a Libertarian.
- U.S. Representative, District 2: Incumbent Xochitl Torres Small of Las Cruces is seeking her second two-year term and is the only Democrat on the ballot. Republicans are Chris Mathys of Las Cruces, Yvette Harrell (the 2018 Republican candidate for the seat) of Alamogordo and Claire Chase of Roswell.
Statewide races
There are no candidates from Doña Ana County among the four candidates for the two positions on the New Mexico Supreme Court or the five candidates for two positions on the state Court of Appeals that are on the ballot.
Races for governor, attorney general, land commissioner, state treasurer and state auditor are not on the 2020 ballot. Additionally, there are no races this year for state Public Regulation Commission or state Public Education Commission that include Doña Ana County.
New Mexico Legislature (Candidates are from Las Cruces unless otherwise stated.)
- State Senate, District 31: Democrats are incumbent Joseph Cervantes, seeking his third consecutive four-year term, Melissa Ontiveros and Arturo E. Terrazas of Sunland Park; and Republican John Thomas Roberts of Anthony.
- State Senate, District 34 (The district includes a single Doña Ana County precinct.): Incumbent Republican Ron Griggs of Alamogordo is seeking his third term. He is opposed by Democrat Darren M. Kugler of Cloudcroft.
- State Senate, District 35 (The seat includes portions of Luna, Sierra, Hidalgo and Doña Ana counties.): Democrats are incumbent John Arthur Smith of Deming, seeking his ninth term, and Neomi O. Martinez-Parra of Lordsburg. Crystal R. Diamond of Elephant Butte is running as a Republican.
- State Senate, District 36: Incumbent Democrat Jeff Steinborn is seeking his second term and is opposed by Republican Roger Martin Baker II.
- State Senate, District 37: Incumbent Democrat Bill Soules is seeking his third term and is opposed by Republican David W. Gallus.
- State Senate, District 38: Incumbent Mary Kay Papen, who is president pro-tem of the state Senate, is seeking her sixth term. She has two opponents in the Democratic primary: Carrie Hamblen and Tracy L. Perry. Charles Wendler is running unopposed in the Republican primary.
- State Representative, District 33: Incumbent Micaela Lara Cadena is seeking her second two-year term and is the only Democrat running. The Republican on the ballot is Beth E. Miller.
- State Representative, District 34: Two years ago, state Rep. Ray Lara defeated then-incumbent Bill Gomez in the Democratic primary to win the seat. This year, Gomez is challenging Lara in the Primary. The winner will face Republican Dawn E. Ladd. All three candidates live in La Mesa.
- State Representative, District 35: Incumbent Democrat Angelica Rubio is seeking her third term and is unopposed in the Democratic primary. The Republican is Richelle A. Ponder.
- State Representative, District 36: Incumbent Democrat Nathan Small is seeking his third term. His Republican opponent is Brandi L. Polanco.
- State Representative, District 37: Incumbent Democrat Joanne Ferrary is seeking her third term. Her opponent is Doña Ana County Commissioner Isabella Solis, a Republican.
- State Representative, District 39 (the district includes parts of Grant, Sierra and Doña Ana counties.): Incumbent Rudy Martinez is seeking his third consecutive term (he also held the seat for four earlier terms, 2007-14). His opponent is Republican Luis M. Terrazas. Both are from Silver City.
- State Representative, District 52: Incumbent Democrat Doreen Gallegos, the House majority whip, is seeking her fourth term. She has no Primary opponent. The Republican running is John Foreman.
- State Representative, District 52: This race is a rematch between incumbent Democrat Willie Madrid and Republican Rickie Little, both of Chaparral. Little defeated Madrid in 2016 and Madrid defeated Little in 2018.
Doña Ana County races (Candidates are from Las Cruces unless otherwise stated.)
- Third Judicial District (Doña Ana County) district attorney: Incumbent Democrat Mark D’Antonio is not running for a third consecutive four-year term. The only candidate who qualified for the ballot is Democrat Gerald M. Byers.
- County clerk: Incumbent Democrat Amanda Lopez Askin is running for her first full four-year term. She was appointed in September 2018 when Scott Krahling resigned. Andrew J. Ostic is also running in the Democratic Primary. The winner will face Republican Cheryl De Young in November.
- County treasurer: Incumbent Eric L. Rodriguez is running for a second term. His opponent in the Democratic Primary is Gina Ortega, who lost to Rodriguez in the primary four years ago and also has run twice for mayor. The winner will face Republican Bernadette A. Dorazio.
- County commission, District 2: Incumbent Ramon S. Gonzalez of Anthony is seeking a second four-year term. His opponent in the Democratic primary is Anthony Mayor Diane Murillo-Trujillo. There is no Republican running.
- County commission, District 4: Incumbent Isabella Solis, a Republican, is giving up the seat to run for state representative. Candidates in the Democratic Primary are former county Magistrate Judge Susie Chaparro, Debra Ann Hathaway and Sam Bradley. Buck Bonner is running as a Libertarian. Republicans are Stacie Michelle Durham of Organ, Richard J. Reynaud and Jesus O. Oropeza.
- County commission, District 5: Incumbent Democrat Manuel A. Sanchez was appointed to the seat in March 2019 to replace former Commissioner Karen Trujillo, who she was appointed secretary of the New Mexico Public Education Department. (Trujillo has since become superintendent of Las Cruces Public Schools.) Robert Bruce Flora is running as a Republican.
There are no Third Judicial District judge or county magistrate judge races on this year’s ballot.
