Minor Party Candidates Blocked in NM | Santa Fe News

Ten New Mexico candidates—running for governor, Senate, and local offices—got tossed off the ballot for failing to gather enough valid signatures, a common fate for minor party and independent hopefuls under the state’s notoriously strict rules. Four independent gubernatorial candidates, including former Las Cruces mayor Ken Miyagishima, fell short despite collecting tens of thousands of signatures—because they also needed a lieutenant governor running mate to meet the threshold. Miyagishima and his VP, J.C. Lopez, plan to sue, claiming the system is rigged. The Forward Party also suffered losses, with Senate candidate Bob Perls preparing legal action over the tight signature deadline, arguing the rules are stacked against smaller parties. But not all was lost: two Forward candidates, Harry Montoya and Dennis Dinge, successfully qualified for ballot access, seeing ballot placement as a victory—and a stepping stone to future legal challenges. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/3a3625ed78b53ab0