Mike Anaya
Democrat Mike Anaya dropped his bid for state land commissioner today and endorsed Ray Powell in the race.
“We’ve seen the smart leadership Ray brought to the Land Office. He knows the land, he knows New Mexicans, and he knows the job. I trust him and believe he’s is the best choice for land commissioner,” Anaya said in a news release from the Powell campaign.
Powell, a former land commissioner who’s trying to win the seat once again, said he is “honored” to have Anaya’s support.
“As I’ve come to better know Mike, it’s clear he’s passionate about his support for rural communities,” Powell said in the release. “It’s clear he got into the race for all the right reasons: He’s dedicated to bettering the lives of New Mexican families.”
The move comes after Powell was the only Democratic candidate for land commissioner to secure a spot on the primary ballot by winning the votes of more than 20 percent of delegates at the party’s preprimary nominating convention.
Powell had the support of 44.43 percent of delegates. Harry Montoya had the support of 19.32 percent, while Sandy Jones finished third at 18.64 percent and Anaya came in fourth at 17.61 percent.
Montoya and Jones say they’re staying in the race by collecting the additional signatures required by law. But no candidate who has failed to win the organizational test of securing the votes of 20 percent of delegates has ever gone on to win a primary race in New Mexico.