New Mexico Democrats will convene a party-only selection process July 25–29 to fill the vacancy on the November ballot for lieutenant governor created when Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver withdrew after winning the party primary.
Compressed timetable to meet ballot deadline
State party rules require the State Central Committee to pick a replacement when a primary winner withdraws more than 90 days before the general election. The committee’s vote must be completed so the nominee’s name can be submitted to the Secretary of State by July 30, a deadline that sets the structure for the party’s four-day selection window.
“State law hands the pick to party insiders, not primary voters, whenever a nominee withdraws more than 90 days before a general election,”
The balloting will be carried out by roughly 300 State Central Committee members, a group that includes county delegates, caucus representatives and 28 seats reserved for tribal communities. The committee opens July 25 at noon and will vote through July 29, with results due to be transmitted to the Secretary of State on July 30.
Candidates and endorsements
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Deb Haaland has endorsed Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard and earlier named her one of five finalists for the post. The other finalists identified were state Sens. Harold Pope and Leo Jaramillo, attorney Antonia Roybal-Mack and former Veterans Services secretary Sonya Smith. Roybal-Mack indicated she was stepping back to return to legal work representing wildfire victims.
- Candidate forum scheduled for July 18 at 11 a.m., at which SCC members may submit questions directly to candidates.
- Voting opens July 25 at noon and will remain open through July 29 at 5 p.m.
- If three or more candidates remain formally in contention, the SCC will use ranked-choice voting to determine the winner.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 18, 11 a.m. | Candidate forum |
| July 25, noon | SCC meeting opens; voting begins |
| July 29, 5 p.m. | Voting window closes |
| July 30 | Results announced and sent to Secretary of State |
The committee’s selection mechanism reflects state law and party rules that transfer the choice from primary voters to party insiders when timing triggers the vacancy process. Party officials have outlined the calendar publicly and provided a process overview online.
The outcome will determine which Democratic name appears on the November ballot alongside the party’s gubernatorial nominee, with the SCC’s decision finalized under a tight timeline that leaves little room for extended public engagement beyond the scheduled forum and the internal deliberations of committee members.
