On June 2, two term Democrat Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver won the Democratic Party nomination to be New Mexico’s next Lieutenant Governor in a landslide primary election victory over her opponent State Senator Harold Pope (D-Albuquerque). On June 18, Maggie Toulouse Oliver announced she was suspending her campaign and dropping out of the race. On June 22, 2026 Democratic Party nominee for Governor Deb Haaland sent an email to all the State Central Committee members announcing that she would be interviewing interested Lt. Governor candidates and that she would be making an endorsement. On June 26, Deb Haaland Deb notified the New Mexico Democratic Party State Central Committee (SCC) that she picked State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard as her running mate in her campaign for New Mexico Governor.
BERNALILLO COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY MONTHLY MEETING
On Saturday, June 27, the Bernalillo County Democratic Party held its monthly meeting with about 40 people attending in person and many more attending virtually. A presentation was made by Issah Baca, a New Mexico Democratic Party codirector. Baca spoke at length about the process the State Central Committee will use to fill the parties vacancy for Lieutenant Governor that is a result of Maggie Toulouse Oliver dropping out.
Under New Mexico primary election laws, candidate for governor and lieutenant governor run independently in the primary. The winners of these races who share the same party affiliation are then paired on a ticket for the general election. Baca explained that under the state’s election code, when a candidate is elected in a Democratic Party primary election, and then drops out, it is the Democratic Party State Central Committee that has the exclusive authority to nominate and select candidates to fill the vacancy. The State Central Committee (SCC) membership are elected every two years by individual County Democratic Party Organizations. Registered voters and members of the county party can attend to elect the SCC membership. Any New Mexico Democrat in good standing is a member of their local county party organization. Currently, there are 480 SCC members statewide. The 480 SCC members hail from every county in the state and include elected officials, as well as party officials and volunteers. Approximately 40% of SCC membership hail from Bernalillo County.
Some audience members expressed anger during Baca’s presentation that on Friday, June 26, Deb Haaland sent the Democratic Party State Central Committee an email notifying them that she endorsed Stephanie Garcia Richard for Lt. Governor. Five 5 applied and all five submitted answers to written questions sent to them by the Haaland campaign:
- Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard
- State Senator Leo Jaramillo
- State Senator Harold Pope
- Antonia Roybal-Mack, attorney at law.
- Sonya Smith, Ret. US Air Force
Confidential sources confirmed that all five were personally interviewed by Deb Haaland and all 5 submitted answers to a questionnaire sent to them by the Haaland for Governor campaign. Baca said Deb Haaland had the right to endorse whoever she wanted and that despite the endorsement, it will be the State Central Committee (SCC) that will decide who will replace Maggie Toulouse Oliver on the ballot for Lieutenant Governor.
The Chairman of the Bernalillo County Democratic Party is Jacob Trujillo. He is a lifelong New Mexican and community organizer focused on enhancing precinct-level organizing and voter engagement. After Issah Baca spoke about the process that will be used to fill the Lt. Governo vacancy, Bernalillo County Democratic Party Chairman Jacob Trujillo spoke and discussed the importance of the November 4 general election to the Democratic Party. Chairman Trujillo noted how the New Mexico Democratic Party is “bucking history” by attempting to retain control of the Governor’s office in 2026 noting how the office has flipped from Democrat to Republican after control by the Democrats. This was the case with incumbent Democrat Governor Bruce King who was defeated by Republican Governor Gary Johnson and Democrat Bill Richardson who was succeeded by Republican Governor Suzana Martinez. Chairman Trujillo emphasized party unity if Democrats are to retain control of the Governor’s office.
THREE LT. GOVERNOR CANDIDATES ATTEND MEETING
On June 27, three of the five Democratic Party Lt. Governor candidates attended the Bernalillo County Democratic Party monthly meeting. State Senator Harold Pope, Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, and attorney Antonia Roybal-Mack all spoke to the audience in that order. All 3 were well received by the audience who listened attentively.
State Senator Harold Pope said he was still in the race despite Haaland’s endorsement of Stephanie Garcia Richard. Senator Pope said he wanted to be the “people’s representative to the 4th floor”, ostensibly referring to the location of the Governor’s office in the state capital. He said he has always fought for “the people” indicating his own populous agenda. What was revealing is that Senator Pope never told the audience that he would work, and could work, with Deb Haaland to get elected despite her endorsing Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard. Senator Harold Pope Jr. was born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force where he retired some 20 years later. Pope has a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from the University of New Mexico and a Master of Science in pharmaceutical chemistry from the University of Florida. Pope was first elected to office in 2020 defeating incumbent Republican Sander Rue to serve Senate District 23rd and he assumed office on January 19, 2021.
State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard ran for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor last year, but she told the audience she suspended her campaign when her husband was diagnosed with cancer. Garcia Richard now says that her husband is in remission and that she is ready to continue with her campaign. Stephanie Garcia Richard was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives in 2012 and during her six years as a State Representative, she championed laws to increase access to a quality education, transparency, and investments in renewable energy, job training, and economic development. As Land Commissioner for two terms, Garcia Richard has been focused on the responsible management and stewardship of public lands and preserving the land for generations to come. Stephanie Garcia Richard said she was honored to get Deb Haaland’s endorsement.
Antonia Roybal-Mack attended the meeting with her very young daughter. Roybal-Mack conceded the race Friday, June 26, saying she would not be running, but attended the June 27 meeting none the less to introduce herself the Bernalillo County Democratic Party. Antonia Roybal-Mack is a native of Mora, New Mexico. She is a 2003 graduate of New Mexico State University and a 2009 graduate of New Mexico School of Law. She has a Master of Laws from Texas A&M University. Six years after graduating from the University of New Mexico School of Law, she founded Roybal-Mack & Cordova, P.C. was the first female founder of a mass tort practice in the nation and the only one in the state spurred by the 2022 wildfire disaster in which an out-of-control prescribed burn scorched almost 350,000 acres of her hometown. Roybal Mack has represented thousands of claimants for more than a billion dollars in recovery damages, successfully lobbied for legislation benefiting wildfire victims, and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Center of Southwest Culture–Mora Fire Fund, which she founded and chairs.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
There has been criticism leveled against Deb Haaland by Democrats and especially Republicans for her endorsing a candidate for Lt. Governor. Some Democrats argue Senator Harold Pope ran for the office and for that reason alone he has earned to be elected by the State Central Committee to fill the vacancy.
Just because Senator Harold Pope ran for Lt. Governor does not mean he should automatically be the replacement for Maggie Toulouse Oliver as some Democrats have suggested. That is not how the state election code provides nor mandates. Democratic Party voters have already said NO to nominating Senator Pope Lt. Governor. Toulouse Oliver was elected in a landslide victory over state Sen. Harold Pope Jr., securing 80% (168,109) of the votes to Pope’s 20% (42,127) cast around New Mexico.
Deb Haaland had every right to endorse a candidate given that she is now the party’s nominee for Governor. Deb Haaland won the Democratic nomination for Governor in the largest landslide in State Democratic Party history securing 72.3% of the vote (156,861 votes) to Sam Bregman’s 27.7% of the vote (60,189). Deb Haaland won every single county in the state by varying percentages. In Santa Fe County she won with 80% of the Democratic vote. In Bernalillo County Haaland won with 69%. In Dona Ana County, she won with 79%. In conservative Chavez County, thought to lean moderate Bregman, she won with 73%. The 2026 New Mexico primary for Governor was the most expensive primary in the state’s history. According to finance reports filed with the Secretary of State, Democrat Deb Haaland raised over $12 Million while Sam Bregman raised upwards of $4 Million.
Deb Haaland heads the Democratic Party ticket for state government elective offices. It is totally understandable that Haaland felt the need to make her thoughts known as to who she wanted as her running mate for Lt. Governor. With her endorsement, she has made her feelings known as to who she believes will be able to work with once they are elected as a ticket.
Deb Haaland no doubt wanted to make sure that the Lt. Governor vacancy is filled by someone she can fully trust and someone who will not undercut her agenda but rather someone who will campaign hard for her and promote her and the Democratic Party agenda. More importantly, Haaland no doubt wanted to select a person she was comfortable with, who is fully qualified and who can assume the office of Governor should she leave office before her term ends.
For all practical purposes, it is Deb Haaland who will be raising the required lion’s share of all the money for the Democratic Party as she runs for Governor. Haaland is under the gun to get herself as well as the Lt. Governor elected. From a political and practical stand point, any Lt Gov candidate “goes along for the ride”, must be subordinate to the Governor candidate and is not required to raise money or even campaign with the Governor candidate.
Stephanie Garcia Richard is the right choice to be the Democratic Party candidate for Lt. Governor. She has served in the New Mexico House and has run two statewide races and won them handily. She has a statewide network of supporters and campaign donors. Senator Pope on the other hand is serving his first term as a State Senator and he did not carry his own Senate District when he ran against Maggie Toulouse Oliver for Lt. Governor.
There is no doubt that the other four wanted the endorsement just as bad. Had Deb Haaland given her endorsement to anyone of the other 4, they and their supporters would likely be telling all the others to drop out.
The four who did not get Deb Haaland’s endorsement should drop out of the race in the interest of party unity.
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