Carl Trujillo
The Democratic Party of New Mexico is denying a request from House Speaker Ben Luján’s primary challenger to access the party’s voter information database, but it claims that isn’t tantamount to endorsing Luján.
Carl Trujillo, Luján’s first primary challenger in 20 years, thinks otherwise.
The state party allows access to its database for all Democratic incumbents who want to pay for it. It has also provided the database to at least some Democratic primary challengers in the past, state Democratic Party spokesman James Hallinan confirmed.
But when Trujillo tried to buy access to the database last month, his request was denied.
The database, called Vote Builder, is owned by the national Democratic Party. In addition to publicly accessible voter registration information, the database includes information such as voters’ positions on issues and who they’ve supported in past elections, when that information is available from past phone banking or other contact.
Many campaigns consider it an important tool in developing and carrying out their strategy.
In response to an e-mail about the situation, Hallinan pointed to a portion of the agreement between the state and national parties that says the New Mexico party “shall not be obligated to provide such information to candidates in a Democratic primary in which there is a Democratic incumbent running for office.”
Ben Luján
“The Democratic Party of New Mexico is therefore not obligated to grant access to Mr. Trujillo,” Hallinan wrote in an e-mail. “Vote Builder is an important tool provided to state parties to raise money and support incumbent Democrats. The state party is given discretion on who it wants to sell this tool to and, as such, will sell it to incumbent Democrats who have a track record of supporting our party platform.”
Not an endorsement, but still an advantage
Refusing to sell the file to Trujillo isn’t the same as endorsing Luján, the second most powerful official in state government behind the governor, Hallinan claimed.
“Neither the chairman or the Democratic Party will endorse a candidate in this race or any other Democratic primary,” Hallinan wrote in an e-mail. “We wish all Democrats including Mr. Trujillo good luck during this campaign season and look forward to keeping New Mexico blue in November.”
While it may not be an official endorsement of Luján, I wrote back, isn’t this at least a willingness to provide some advantage, however slight, to “incumbent democrats who have a track record of supporting our party platform” by giving them access to the database?
“Correct, the party, nor the chairman, endorse any candidate in a primary election,” Hallinan responded. “The party provides tools to incumbent Democratic officials that they may use in their efforts for a successful re-election campaign. The vast majority of the information in Vote Builder is available from the Secretary of State’s Office.”
I asked Hallinan how the party decides which challengers can have access to Vote Builder and which can’t. He hasn’t answered that question.
‘Please reconsider’
Trujillo, in a letter sent to Democratic Party Chairman Javier Gonzales protesting the decision to deny him access, cited the fact that the party has provided access to Vote Builder to Democratic primary challengers in the past.
“Therefore precedent exists, and we are asking that the party comply with its previous past practices and allow us access to Vote Builder,” Trujillo wrote. “We understand this is an important tool in running an effective campaign. Please reconsider your stance.”