近距离内射合集

SANTA FE 鈥� The New Mexico Supreme Court gave a political lifeline to state Rep. Rebecca Dow on Tuesday, ruling that the veteran GOP lawmaker should be put back on the June primary ballot after a politically tinged legal dispute.

The unanimous decision by the state鈥檚 highest court, which came after less than an hour of deliberation, reversed a ruling by a Las Cruces judge who had disqualified Dow from the ballot for failing to properly file nominating petitions.

Dow, a Truth or Consequences resident who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2022, said she was relieved by the Supreme Court鈥檚 decision.

鈥淚鈥檓 going to sleep well tonight,鈥� she told supporters after Chief Justice Julie Vargas announced the court鈥檚 ruling.

She also accused Democrats, who hold a majority in both legislative chambers, of trying to engineer her ouster.

鈥淭he party in power, when they cannot win a seat they feel entitled to 鈥�  are looking at technicalities to remove a candidate,鈥� Dow told reporters during a news conference outside the Roundhouse after Tuesday鈥檚 hearing.

The ruling means Dow will run unopposed in the June 2 primary election 鈥� there is also a Democratic write-in candidate in the district 鈥� and avoids what would have been a political fumble for the state Republican Party. Dow is currently the third-highest ranking New Mexico House Republican as GOP caucus chairwoman.

The state Republican Party paid for Dow鈥檚 legal fees in the case, she said, and state GOP chairwoman Amy Barela lauded the ruling as a victory for fairness and election integrity.

鈥淎fter the partisan ruling from the Do帽a Ana County judge, the Supreme Court recognized the truth: the system is flawed, and the signatures collected were valid from the start because they were gathered in accordance with the process as it currently exists,鈥� Barela said in a statement.

She also said the case highlighted the need for the Secretary of State鈥檚 Office to adopt formal rules governing the nominating petition process.

In her appeal of the lower court ruling, Dow said she relied on instructions from Sierra County Clerk Amy Whitehead and Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver鈥檚 office in filing her candidate paperwork.

In addition, Dow鈥檚 attorney, Carter Harrison, said during Tuesday鈥檚 hearing that the incumbent lawmaker had turned in sufficient voter signatures to qualify for the ballot and included identifying numbers for each voter who signed her petition.

While the Secretary of State鈥檚 Office argued Dow鈥檚 submission of screenshots of that voter information did not comply with state election law, her attorney said disqualifying Dow from the ballot would essentially disenfranchise voters who had signed her petition.

鈥淚f there is a close question here, democracy should prevail,鈥� Harrison said.

Supreme Court justices appeared to agree with that thinking, as they raised repeated questions about how candidates鈥� nominating petitions are stored and displayed in an electronic database maintained by the Secretary of State鈥檚 Office.

鈥淚t just seems a bit like a gotcha, quite frankly,鈥� Justice David Thomson said at one point during the hearing.

The hearing was attended by roughly 80 people, with some watching from an overflow room in the Supreme Court building. Those in attendance included a group of supporters who traveled to Santa Fe from Truth or Consequences, along with top state GOP officials.

The court challenge against Dow was filed by former state Rep. Tara Jaramillo of Socorro, a Democrat who was defeated by Dow in the 2024 general election.

In her court petition challenging Dow鈥檚 candidacy, Jaramillo argued the screenshots filed by the incumbent did not show addresses for each individual who signed 鈥� only county names, House district number and voter ID numbers. That left no way to validate the validity of the signatures, Jaramillo argued.

During Tuesday鈥檚 court hearing, her attorney Daymon Ely said Dow had the chance to properly file the nominating petitions but did not do so.

鈥淭his is not a ministerial mistake and I wouldn鈥檛 be here if it was,鈥� said Ely, who is also a former Democratic state representative. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nobody鈥檚 mistake but the candidate鈥檚.鈥� 

However, the Supreme Court鈥檚 final decision was in keeping with a legal tradition that has, in most but not all cases, erred in favor of leaving candidates on the ballot in disputes over their eligibility. The court is expected to issue a written opinion on the case at a later date, after issuing its Tuesday ruling from the bench.

The founder of several Sierra County early childhood nonprofit groups, Dow served in the state House from 2017 to 2022 before giving up her seat to run for governor. She then won reelection to the in 2024 and is seeking reelection to another two-year term this year.

During her time as a legislator, Dow has been one of the leading proponents for changes to New Mexico鈥檚 child welfare system, but has also over alleged violations of the Governmental Conduct Act.

The largely rural House District 38 that Dow represents includes parts of three counties 鈥� Do帽a Ana, Sierra and Socorro 鈥� and has only been held by a Democrat for two years dating back to 1969.

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.