FORWARD PARTY NEWS RELEASE
New Mexico voters remain unable to choose Forward Party candidates for U.S. Senate and State Auditor on their November ballots after a federal judge today denied the party’s request for an emergency order. The party will appeal as it seeks to give voters more choices in both races.
Former state representative and New Mexico Forward Party Chair Bob Perls is seeking to run for U.S. Senate against Democratic incumbent Ben Ray Luján.
Michael Vigil, a certified public accountant, wants to challenge Democratic State Auditor Joseph Maestas.
State law required each Forward candidate to collect 14,200 signatures to qualify for the ballot. The requirement for Democratic and Republican statewide candidates was 2,500. Each Forward candidate submitted more than 2,500 signatures, but the Secretary of State rejected their petitions because they fell short of the higher requirement.
“Voters deserve a chance to hear from more candidates and choose someone who earns their support,” State Party Chairman Perls said. “Michael and I gathered thousands of signatures from people who wanted us on the ballot. We’re pursuing this case because we’ve had conversations with thousands of voters who are tired of the status quo.”
The lawsuit challenges a requirement that candidates nominated by qualified minor parties collect additional signatures to appear on the ballot. New Mexico is the only state where qualified minor parties must have their nominated candidates seek their own signatures to gain ballot access. The Forward Party argues that this creates an unfair barrier for candidates seeking to give voters another choice.
“State laws should not favor any political party. This is a constitutional violation,” Perls said. “Getting on that ballot takes substantial time and money under these rules, which makes it harder for more people to run.”
U.S. District Judge Margaret Strickland denied the party’s request to temporarily block the requirements while the case proceeds.
Attorneys for the Forward Party plan to ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Denver for an emergency order placing Perls and Vigil on the November ballot.
More information about the New Mexico Forward Party and its candidates is available at nmforwardparty.org
The New Mexico Forward Party officially qualified as a minor party earlier this year after submitting nearly 6,000 valid signatures from voters across the state. Forward Party candidates are accountable to the voters, and they will focus on solutions, not partisan fighting, in order to serve their constituents better.