Primary candidates removed from the ballot

PRC, state House, district judge hopefuls have five days to appeal district court rulings

Judges ordered candidates for the Public Regulation Commission, state House and a district judgeship off the ballot Monday because they didn’t collect enough valid signatures on their nominating petitions.

Republicans Tony Schaefer and Doug Moore, who had been seeking the PRC District 5 seat, were removed by judges in Valencia County. Patrick J. Marron, a Republican who had been seeking the House District 15 seat, was removed from the ballot in Bernalillo County. Joseph E. Campbell, a Democrat who had been running for a district judgeship in Santa Fe County, was also removed.

The candidacies of Schaefer, a former PRC member, and Moore, an Otero County commissioner, were challenged by one of their opponents in the GOP primary, Jamie Estrada. According to the final order issued by District Judge John W. Pope, Schaefer submitted at least 84 invalid signatures, so he fell two signatures short of qualifying for the ballot.

Moore submitted at least 240 invalid signatures, according to the final order issued by District Judge William A. Sanchez.

“Challenging these nominating petitions is one of those things I wish I didn’t have to do,” Estrada said. “However, I am strongly committed to defending the integrity of our election process. If we want to restore the public trust in our Public Regulation Commission, we must begin with ensuring that those who run for office obey the law. New Mexico Republicans are now starting with a clean slate of qualified candidates.”

The remaining GOP candidates in the PRC race are Estrada, former Doña Ana County Commissioner Kent Evans, Ben Hall of Ruidoso and Robert Maez of Las Cruces. They’re battling for the right to take on Democrat Bill McCamley, a former Doña Ana County commissioner, in November.

Marron’s candidacy in the House race was challenged by his Republican primary opponent, Justin Horwitz. Horwitz spokesman Mario Sanchez said the campaign is “pleased that the rule of law won out.”

“We should expect our elected officials and candidates to, at the very least, do their due diligence in ensuring they act within the boundaries of state statute,” Sanchez said.

That ruling leaves Horwitz without a primary challenger, unless Marron successfully appeals. The seat is currently held by Democrat Bill O’Neill, who is seeking re-election and is unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Campbell was taking on two other Democrats – Yvonne Kathleen Quintana and Sheri A. Raphaelson – in June. There is no Republican in the race.

The candidates who were removed from the ballot have five days to appeal the district court rulings to the New Mexico Supreme Court.

‘A busy week’

Deputy Secretary of State Don Francisco Trujillo II, who’s also serving as elections director, said there are other cases that will be heard this week:

• The secretary of state rejected an application for public financing from another Republican candidate for the District 5 PRC seat, Robert P. Maez, saying he didn’t submit enough qualifying financial contributions. His appeal will be heard today by the Secretary of State’s Office, Trujillo said.

• Last week, the secretary of state also rejected appellate judge candidate Dennis W. Montoya’s application for public financing, saying he provided more seed money to his campaign than is allowed. His appeal will be heard Wednesday, Trujillo said.

• Democrat Billy W. Moore was disqualified from running for the House District 5 seat last week because he submitted some petition signatures on the major-party form and others on the form for minor-party candidates. Moore’s challenge to his disqualification will be heard in district court on Thursday, Trujillo said.

“It’s a busy week,” Trujillo said.

There’s another case pending. The secretary of state disqualified Republican House District 23 candidate David Doyle last week because he submitted nominating petitions with both counties the district represents listed on each page. According to the Secretary of State’s Office, the signatures must be separated by county.

Doyle has challenged his disqualification in district court, but a hearing has not yet been scheduled, according to the state courts Web site nmcourts.com.

As I’ve disclosed in the past, I’m friends with McCamley. Click here to read more about that.