Dear Valencia County Democrats,
The Democratic Party of New Mexico has issued an official CALL for a 2026 State Central Committee meeting to fill the Democratic nominee vacancy for Lieutenant Governor on the general election ballot.
DPNM received notice from the Secretary of State’s office on June 25, 2026, that the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor is withdrawing from the race. Under New Mexico law, when a vacancy occurs after the primary election but at least ninety days before the general election, the vacancy is filled by the central committee of the qualified political party. This means there will not be another primary election for this race. The nominee will be selected by the DPNM State Central Committee.
The SCC meeting will be held virtually:
📅 Saturday, July 25, 2026
⏰ 12:00 PM
💻 Zoom registration:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/JINJOXJ7T5-eDiJ4ObMlJg
All 2025–2027 SCC members are invited to participate, and voting will be conducted by absentee voting by non-secret ballot, in accordance with DPNM rules.
We know many Democrats across the state have strong feelings about this process and about who should be selected as the nominee. Some members support Stephanie Garcia Richard, who has been endorsed by Deb Haaland, while others believe Senator Harold Pope, Jr. should be selected because he was the only other candidate in the primary and worked hard throughout the campaign.
Valencia County Democrats deserve an opportunity to share their thoughts with the SCC members who will be part of this decision. To make that easier while keeping individual contact information private, we have created a Google Group email address where county Democrats may send comments, concerns, or candidate preferences.
📧 Send your thoughts to:
2025scc@valenciademocrats.org
Messages sent to this address will be shared with Valencia County SCC members. We ask that everyone keep their comments respectful and focused on the process, the candidates, and the future of our Democratic ticket.
This is an important decision for our party, and we want to make sure Valencia County voices are heard.
