New Mexico Republican delegates selected two of five gubernatorial candidates during the party’s pre-primary convention Saturday to appear on the June 2 primary election ballot.
Both state parties held their pre-primary conventions this weekend, with Republicans convening in Ruidoso and Democrats appearing in neighboring Mescalero, to help candidates from major parties secure spots. The selection also determines the ballot order, with candidates picked as pre-primary nominees appearing higher up on the ticket, according to state election guidelines.
Gregg Hull, the 12-year mayor of Rio Rancho, received more than 55% of the 430 delegate votes. Doug Turner, a charter school advocate, public relations professional and gubernatorial candidate from 2010, received 24% of the delegate votes.
“New Mexicans want safer communities, better schools and an economy where families can succeed. That is the leadership I brought to Rio Rancho as mayor and that’s the kind of leadership I will bring as governor of New Mexico,” Hull said in a statement after the vote.
Turner, who also served as campaign manager for former Republican Gov. Gary Johnson, said he was grateful to receive the second-highest amount of votes.Turner launched his campaign Jan. 22.
“As we move into the next phase of this race, I look forward to continuing to earn the trust and support of Republicans across the state while also welcoming independents who share our vision for a stronger New Mexico. Our best days are ahead of us,” Turner said in a statement to Source NM.
New Mexico Republican Chair Amy Barela called the whole group of GOP candidates “outstanding” in a statement following the vote.
“The state of our party is incredibly strong. New Mexico Republicans are more unified than ever before, and we are committed to showing New Mexico voters why Republicans are worthy of their trust this November. It’s time we take our great state back,” she said.
Two of the three remaining candidates chose not to participate in the pre-primary convention debate Friday, but attended events on Saturday.
Losing out on the GOP delegates vote does not mean the other three candidates are off the ballot. Instead, those candidates who failed to secure 20% of the votes will have to submit the required 2,351 petition signatures to appear on the ballot in the primary.
“The convention results have proven to be a kiss of death when voters actually had their say,” Duke Rodriguez, a cannabis mogul and former health cabinet secretary under Johnson, told Source New Mexico after the vote. “Conventions tend to favor candidates the room already knows — the recycled, rinse-and-repeat names.”
Steve Lanier, a former San Juan County Commissioner and freshman state senator, also did not participate in the debate. Lanier and Rodriguez told Source NM in interviews they did not agree with the party’s requirements for attendees to pay $50 to watch the debate and for candidates to make a $2,000 donation to participate. Both told Source NM they have enough signatures to qualify to be on the ballot, regardless.
Under state rules, candidates who fail to secure 20% of the votes must submit the required 2,351 petition signatures to appear on the ballot in the primary.
Fellow candidate James “Jim” Ellison, a former state utility regulator, received seven delegate votes, and did not respond to requests for comment about his campaign’s next steps.
The declarations of candidacy and nominating petitions for candidates who did not secure pre-primary nominations are due 10 days after the date of the convention, according to the Secretary of State’s election proclamation.
Lieutenant governor candidate
sDelegates selected David Gallegos, a state senator from Eunice, as the party’s nominee for lieutenant governor, with 66% of the 416 votes. His competitor, A. Blair Dunn, an attorney and former Libertarian attorney general candidate, said he would seek an additional 2,000 signatures to appear on the ballot.
In a call with Source NM, Dunn said he was unsurprised at the outcome and that he clashed with party leadership over the requirements for candidates to pay to participate in the debate.
“It’s not unusual that the Republican conventions go this way, and it’s part of the way I took a stand and said: ‘No, I’m not going to go pay your candidate tax’ for the debate,” he told Source NM.
Ben Luna, a campaign manager for the third lieutenant governor candidate Manuel “Manny” Lardizabal, told Source NM on Sunday the campaign would continue.
Lieutenant governor candidates
Delegates selected David Gallegos, a state senator from Eunice, as the party’s nominee for lieutenant governor, with 66% of the 416 votes. His competitor, A. Blair Dunn, an attorney and former Libertarian attorney general candidate, said he would seek an additional 2,000 signatures to appear on the ballot.
In a call with Source NM, Dunn said he was unsurprised at the outcome and that he clashed with party leadership over the requirements for candidates to pay to participate in the debate.
“It’s not unusual that the Republican conventions go this way, and it’s part of the way I took a stand and said: ‘No, I’m not going to go pay your candidate tax’ for the debate,” he told Source NM.
Ben Luna, a campaign manager for the third lieutenant governor candidate Manuel “Manny” Lardizabal, told Source NM on Sunday the campaign would continue.
