Results Of March 5 Democratic Party Nominating Convention

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The final results of the March 5 Democratic Party Nominating Convention are in with the results announced by the Democratic Party. More than 1,140 delegates attended the convention held in Roswell, New Mexico, either in person or by ZOOM. A voting period was allowed from March 5 to March 9. On Sunday, March 13 results were announced by video call to convention delegates.

In order to be place on the June 7 ballot, each candidate in the contested races were required to get 20% of the convention delegate vote. Any candidate who finished below the 20% threshold can collect more petition signatures to make the ballot.

UNCONTESTED RACES

Those candidates who ran unopposed and received 100% of the delegate votes cast are:
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
Lieutenant Governor Howie Morales
New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver
New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard
Unites States Representative Melanie Stansbury (NM CD -1)
United State Representative Teresa Ledger Fernandez (NM CD-3)

CONTESTED RACES

The winner in each contested race has their name listed first on the June 7 ballot and gets the bragging rights and the benefit of the ballot position. Following are the result of the contested races and percentages of delegate votes each received:

ATTORNEY GENERAL

State Auditor Brian Colón: 61%
Bernalillo County District Attorney Raul Torres: 39%

Democrat Attorney General Hector Balderas is term limited, he has served two terms and cannot run for reelection this year. The winner of the Attorney General nomination will face Republican Jeremy Gay, a Gallup lawyer and former judge advocate in the Marine Corps in the November 8, general election

STATE AUDITOR

Zack Quintero, a former state ombudsman: 62%
Public Regulation Commissioner Joseph Maestas: 38.19%

There’s no Republican candidate for State Auditor, so whoever wins the Democratic Primary on June 7 wins the November 8 general election by default.

STATE TREASURER:

Former Sandoval County Treasurer Laura Montoya: 58%
Former municipal and magistrate judge Heather Benavidez: 41.71%

The winner of the June 7 primary will face Republican Harry Montoya in the general election.

UNITES STATES REPRESENTATIVE, NM CD-2

Las Cruces City Councilor Gabe Vasquez: 80.4%
Darshan Patel: 19.6%

The Democratic nominee will face Republican Yvette Herrell.

A Democratic Party spokeswoman said it will be up to state election officials to determine whether Patel’s vote total would be rounded up to 20% or whether he must submit more signatures. Patel’s campaign for its part contends the number must be rounded up and that he has qualified for the ballot.

COMMENTARY

Now the 2022 elections begin in earnest. Best of luck to all who are committed to public service and will to make the private sacrifice to represent the State of New Mexico.

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About

Pete Dinelli was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is of Italian and Hispanic descent. He is a 1970 graduate of Del Norte High School, a 1974 graduate of Eastern New Mexico University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and a 1977 graduate of St. Mary's School of Law, San Antonio, Texas. Pete has a 40 year history of community involvement and service as an elected and appointed official and as a practicing attorney in Albuquerque. Pete and his wife Betty Case Dinelli have been married since 1984 and they have two adult sons, Mark, who is an attorney and George, who is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Pete has been a licensed New Mexico attorney since 1978. Pete has over 27 years of municipal and state government service. Pete’s service to Albuquerque has been extensive. He has been an elected Albuquerque City Councilor, serving as Vice President. He has served as a Worker’s Compensation Judge with Statewide jurisdiction. Pete has been a prosecutor for 15 years and has served as a Bernalillo County Chief Deputy District Attorney, as an Assistant Attorney General and Assistant District Attorney and as a Deputy City Attorney. For eight years, Pete was employed with the City of Albuquerque both as a Deputy City Attorney and Chief Public Safety Officer overseeing the city departments of police, fire, 911 emergency call center and the emergency operations center. While with the City of Albuquerque Legal Department, Pete served as Director of the Safe City Strike Force and Interim Director of the 911 Emergency Operations Center. Pete’s community involvement includes being a past President of the Albuquerque Kiwanis Club, past President of the Our Lady of Fatima School Board, and Board of Directors of the Albuquerque Museum Foundation.