Harry Montoya
Democratic Land Commissioner candidate Harry Montoya says he’s staying in the race even though he didn’t get 20 percent at the party’s preprimary nominating convention on Saturday.
“Yes Heath, I am going to collect the signatures, already started yesterday!” Montoya wrote in an e-mail.
Ray Powell easily won the land commissioner vote at the convention, winning the support of 44.43 percent of delegates. Montoya came in second at 19.32 percent, while Sandy Jones finished third at 18.64 percent and Mike Anaya came in fourth at 17.61 percent.
Jones says he’s also staying in the race. Anaya hasn’t made a public announcement about his plans.
By law, those who fail to get 20 percent at the convention have to collect twice as many signatures as those who do get 20 percent if they want to appear on the ballot. And no candidate who has failed the organizational test of getting 20 percent at the convention has gone on to win the primary.