Judge Dismisses Typo-Related Campaign Challenge

Published April 5th, 2024 at 7:47 am, Last Updated April 5th, 2024 at 10:39 am

Judge Allison Martinez contacted Sandoval Signpost on Thursday, April 4 to explain her ruling. She said her ruling was based on the fact that she did not believe that a candidate’s county in which they lived was the determining factor in whether or not voters chose to vote for a candidate.

A state district court judge has given the state Senate campaign of a high-profile former DREAMer the green light. 

Audrey Trujillo, a Corrales Republican candidate for State Senate District 9, along with two high-profile local Democrats—County Commissioner Katherine Bruch and former state Senator John Sapien filed a lawsuit asking the judge lawsuit last week, and, to invalidate all of the signatures of local voters nominating Democrat Cindy Nava of Bernalillo to run for the District 9 seat. 

The issue involved a technical error on the petition forms Nava used to qualify for the ballot, which her campaign admits accidentally listed Nava’s Town of Bernalillo address as being in Bernalillo County instead of Sandoval County. 

“Over 250 Democratic voters in Senate District 9 signed petitions to put Cindy’s name on the ballot,” Nava’s campaign manager Sandra Wechsler told the Sandoval Signpost. “They know, as we do, that Cindy’s experience and story is inspiring voters, and that she is a needed voice in the state Senate. It is unfortunate her opponents seek to disenfranchise the will of these voters by filing this challenge.”

The plaintiffs wrote in their suit that good intent isn’t good enough and they say state law is clear that nominating petitions with address errors must be thrown out. The lawsuit asked the judge to direct the county clerk to disqualify Nava and remove her name from the June 5 Democratic primary ballot.

The judge didn’t agree. 

Late Tuesday afternoon, 13th Judicial District Court Judge Allison Martinez issued a ruling that dismissed both complaints by Sapien and Trujillo.

Democrat Heather Balas is running against Nava in the June primary, while Trujillo is the sole Republican. Current State Senator Brenda McKenna (D) announced earlier this year she would not seek re-election. McKenna endorsed Nava as her successor.

Nava’s campaign resumed fundraising on Wednesday.