Wilson, Madrid race might end up in court

What has been an ugly race for the 1^st Congressional District seat in central New Mexico just got uglier.

The race is expected to end with a photo finish and has been characterized by its negativity. Things got even worse this morning.

U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson found two heavily Republican precincts in her district that received one tenth of the paper ballots they were supposed to get, according to the Albuquerque Tribune. They should have received 1,500 and 1,700, respectively but instead got 150 and 170.

Both ran out early this morning, leaving voters without ballots for about 30 minutes.

“The county clerk has taken steps to disenfranchise Republican voters,” Pat Rogers, an attorney for the Republican Party, said, according to the Tribune. According to the Las Cruces Sun-News, a spokesman for Sen. Pete Domenici said a lawsuit could be filed over the dispute even before the polls close today.

If Wilson wins, there may not be a need. But if her challenger, Democrat Patricia Madrid, stands at the top of the mountain after the votes are counted, look for the Republican Party to use this snafu to challenge the results in court.