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Three candidates were disqualified from running in the 2024 elections, causing some races to become uncompetitive in the process.
Two candidates for state legislature and the third candidate for Doña Ana County Commission were disqualified for filing late or for issues with nominating petitions. Two of the candidates were Republicans, and one was a Democrat. All three were challengers, not incumbents.
Letters sent to each candidate show why the Doña Ana County Clerk’s office disqualified the three candidates. The letters were provided to the Las Cruces Bulletin upon request.
“It gives me no pleasure to take a candidate out of the races,” County Clerk Amanda López Askin said, adding that state law is very rigid regarding exceptions or leniency. The disqualifications came after a week of review from clerk staff following filing day earlier in March.
Oscar Vasquez Butler, a Democrat challenging incumbent Manuel Sanchez for the District 5 seat, was disqualified because he filed petition forms that were incorrectly filled out.
County law allows prospective candidates to file a petition with 20 signatures or pay a $50 fee to run for office. Butler chose to file petitions but did not put “District 5” on the petition.
Butler was the lone challenger to Sanchez.
In the state house races, Richard Reynaud, a Republican who launched a write-in candidacy to challenge incumbent Democrat William “Bill” Soules for New Mexico Senate District 37, was also disqualified. According to the clerk’s office, Reynaud filed paperwork for a write-in candidacy after the deadline.
Soules had no other challengers.
Lastly, Republican Ronnie Sisneros was disqualified from running against incumbent Democrat Joanne Ferrary for state representative in House District 37. According to the clerk’s office, Sisneros submitted 82 signatures for his nominating petitions, but the clerk’s office found just 11 of those signatures were valid. State law requires that you have 32 signatures to qualify.
The other signatures were disqualified because Sisneros crossed out “house” and replaced it with “state” on some petitions. Altering the documents in that way invalidated them.
The Las Cruces Bulletin reached out to all three disqualified candidates but did not receive a response by press time. The disqualifications end the three candidates’ chances of running in 2024.
