SANTA FE — Contested Democratic primaries have emerged for Santa Fe- and South Valley-based seats in the state House as legislative races start to take shape ahead of next month’s filing deadline.
Santa Fe County Commissioner Henry Roybal launched a campaign for the northern New Mexico seat now held by state Rep. Andrea Romero, who defeated an incumbent herself four years ago to join the House.
Roybal, who lives in El Rancho north of Santa Fe, has served for almost eight years on the County Commission and cannot run for reelection because of term limits.
Romero, who lives in Santa Fe and is running for reelection, has represented District 46 since 2019. She is the chamber’s parliamentarian and chairwoman of the House Rules & Order of Business Committee.
The district includes Pojoaque and parts of northern Santa Fe, Española and Chimayó. It’s a heavily Democratic district.
In the Albuquerque area, meanwhile, newly appointed Rep. Art De La Cruz and Melissa Armijo, executive administrator at the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation, are competing for the Democratic nomination in District 12.
De La Cruz, a former Bernalillo County commissioner, was appointed by the commission to the House seat after Democratic Rep. Brittney Barreras resigned in late January.
House District 12 covers a chunk of the South Valley in Albuquerque, roughly between Bridge and Rio Bravo.
The campaign announcements come ahead of the March 8 filing day, when legislative candidates must file declarations of candidacy and financial disclosures.
All 70 House seats are on the ballot this year.
WEST SIDE: Republican Adelious Stith announced a campaign for the House seat now held by Democratic Rep. Joy Garratt, setting up the possibility of a rematch in the general election.
The district covers neighborhoods by Petroglyph National Monument on the West Side of Albuquerque.
Garratt defeated Stith two years ago by about 8 percentage points, but the district has been redrawn to reflect new census data.
Democrats have had roughly a 6 point edge over Republicans in the area that makes up the new district, according to an analysis of elections over the last decade, conducted by Research & Polling Inc.
