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Add another name – and a powerful one at that – to the list of incumbent New Mexico lawmakers being challenged in court over their official candidate paperwork.
A Republican opponent of Senate President Pro Tem Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, filed a complaint Friday against the veteran legislator, arguing Jennings should have his name removed from the ballot for failing to list his district number on voter nominating petitions.
Cliff Pirtle, a farmer and former congressional candidate, described the decision to file a challenge in Roswell District Court as a matter of principle.
“It’s a prime example of legislators writing a law but not following it,” said Pirtle, who had previously said he did not plan on filing a complaint.
Three other incumbent legislators – Republican Reps. Dianne Hamilton of Silver City and Rick Little of Chaparral and Democratic Sen. Pete Campos of Las Vegas – have been the target of similar court challenges.
They were filed after Secretary of State Dianna Duran decided to follow advice from Attorney General Gary King’s office and leave the candidates’ names on the ballot, despite recent approval of legislation that clarified what information should be included on voter signature forms.
- Dan Boyd, dboyd@abqjournal.com
Return to sender: The attorney for three voters challenging the legitimacy of nominating petitions filed by Republican Rep. Ricky Little of Chaparral said he would amend a court complaint to include allegations that the incumbent has misrepresented his true residential address.
On his 2012 candidacy declaration form, Little listed his residential address as 305-5 Mesilla View, Chaparral, which is also the address of his business, “R” Little Enterprises, a moving company. Little said Monday that he sleeps next door to the business in a mobile home, and also spends a substantial amount of time at another Chaparral house on Nike Air Road, the home of his ex-wife with whom he is trying to reconcile.
An Albuquerque group called ProgressNow New Mexico filed a complaint with the secretary of state Monday saying the Nike Air Road home was located outside of District 53 when Little successfully ran for the representative seat in 2010.
- Rene Romo, rromo@abqjournal.com
Minor parties protest: The Constitution Party and Green Party have filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Dianna Duran, alleging state election laws for minor political parties are unfair.
Specifically, the suit seeks to have the deadline for turning in qualifying party petitions -which would allow the parties’ candidates to be listed on this year’s general election ballot – pushed back from April to July.
“Requiring minor political parties to gather signatures on their petitions so early, when the mind of the general public and the attention of the media is not focused on the general elections, is unduly burdensome,” says the suit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque.
Both the Constitution and Green parties have had their presidential candidates listed on the New Mexico ballot in recent election years.
- Dan Boyd, dboyd@abqjournal.comtent>
— This article appeared on page C2 of the Albuquerque Journal
