[Editor's Note: This information was found in a commentary sent to me and written by an unknown person. I could not learn who wrote it and therefore did not receive permission to post the entire document. I chose the salient parts of it in order to inform Beat readers.]
No Republican candidate has qualified for the U.S. Senate seat, now held by Ben Ray Lújan, including announced candidate Christopher Vanden Heuvel, due to his not having enough valid signatures on his nominating petitions. According to the state, the required minimum number for Republicans seeking the Senate seat via the pre-primary convention route was 2,351. That number is calculated as 2 percent of the total votes cast for the party's gubernatorial candidates in the last relevant primary election.
Vanden Heuvel, who was the only Republican who filed for the seat, did not qualify after the Secretary of State's Office reviewed and invalidated signatures, because of the person not being a registered Republican, not residing in the state or for duplicate signatures.
He was not the only candidate disqualified, as two Republicans and one Democrat also fell short across other races for the same reasons.
Those disqualified do have a chance to challenge the rejected signatures by filling a petition to district court within 10 days of receiving notification of disqualification. The court must hear the case within 10 days and the decision can be appealed to the New Mexico Supreme Court within five days, with an expedited ruling.
New Mexico law offers no formal process for curing the signatures, with no process of notification to the signers.
However, New Mexico law (NMSA 1978 Section 1-8-33) does provide an alternative route to the primary ballot for major party candidates. Those, who choose not to obtain pre-primary convention designation, can qualify by filing a declaration of candidacy and presenting nominating petitions by March 10, 2026.
The number required is at least 4 percent of the party's prior gubernatorial vote in the most recent relevant primary, about double the convention route number.
The state recommends that any person seeking signatures should gather at least 10 percent more than the number required due to strict disqualification rules.
Other articles pertinent to this article can be read at: https://www.grantcountybeat.com/nm-news/non-local-news-releases/explanation-of-why-there-is-no-republican-candidate-for-us-senator and https://www.grantcountybeat.com/category-editorials/some-republicans-disqualified-from-running-for-office-in-2026, which is the link to an article posted in the Albuquerque Journal.
