NEWS
Ex-Democrat Ken Miyagishima endorses Republican Gregg Hull after dropping his own bid for governor
Former Las Cruces mayor recently failed to qualify for general election ballot as independent
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SANTA FE 鈥� Ken Miyagishima鈥檚 campaign for governor began with the former Las Cruces mayor running in a three-way Democratic primary race.
It ended with him endorsing Republican nominee Gregg Hull, after ending his own longshot campaign as an independent.
Miyagishima, the former mayor of Las Cruces, announced his support of Hull last week, saying he would work to rally support for the GOP candidate in southern New Mexico.
鈥淚 have known Mayor Hull for almost 12 years. He is intelligent, hardworking and a man of integrity,鈥� Miyagishima said in a statement.
Facing a daunting campaign finance disadvantage in the Democratic primary race for governor, Miyaghishima changed his party affiliation to independent just before candidate filing day in February.
However, he failed to qualify for the general election ballot last month after Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver鈥檚 office determined he fell short of submitting the minimum number of voter signatures.
Miyagishima had filed a lawsuit challenging New Mexico鈥檚 ballot access requirements for independent candidates, but ultimately decided against appealing the ruling of a state judge who declined to issue an order in the case.
The decision means New Mexico鈥檚 open race for governor will be a head-to-head showdown in November 鈥� between Hull and Democratic nominee Deb Haaland 鈥� and will not feature any independent or minor party candidates.
Hull, the former Rio Rancho mayor, won the GOP nomination in a three-way contest last month. He welcomed the backing of Miyagishima by pointing out the two share similar perspectives despite their different political roots.
鈥淲e both know what it means to lead a city, balance a budget, work with people from every background, and be held accountable for real results,鈥� Hull said in an email to supporters.
However, it鈥檚 unclear how big of an impact the endorsement will have, as Haaland has significantly outraised Hull in recent months and had a roughly 7-to-1 cash advantage over her opponent as of last month.
Dan Boyd covers state government and politics for the Journal in Santa Fe. Follow him on X at @DanBoydNM or reach him via email at dboyd@abqjournal.com.
