A New Mexico judge has disqualified Republican state Rep. Rebecca Dow from the June 2 primary ballot after ruling her nominating petitions did not comply with state law. The decision stems from a legal challenge filed by Democrat Tara Jaramillo, who previously held Dow's District 38 seat. The judge found that Dow submitted screenshots of nominating petitions instead of the required physical forms and that her paperwork incorrectly listed her office as 'House of Repres' rather than 'House of Representatives, District 38.'
Dow, who has represented the district since 2016, plans to appeal the ruling. House Minority Floor Leader Rep. Gail Armstrong (R-Magdalena) criticized the decision, calling it 'disenfranchisement' and arguing that Dow was disqualified due to a 'flaw in the electronic system.' The ruling leaves no Republican candidates on the primary ballot for District 38, potentially weakening the party's influence in the state House, where Democrats currently hold a 44-26 majority.
In a separate development, Republican Jose Orozco withdrew from the primary race for U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez's (D-N.M.) seat to consolidate support behind another candidate. However, his name will still appear on the ballot due to untimely paperwork filing.