The Roundhouse in Santa Fe, pictured on January 24, 2024. (Photo by Patrick Lohmann / Source NM)
Candidates seeking 112 state legislative seats this Election Day, including the 63 running unopposed, reported raising more than $3 million since mid-September.
All 70 seats in the House of Representatives and 42 seats in the Senate are up for vote on November 5. All told, the candidates on the ballot raised about $10 million and spent $6 million of that, according to a Source New Mexico analysis. That includes powerful lawmakers who have been unopposed for years and have amassed hundreds of thousands of dollars in their war chests, and hotly contested cases with both candidates going door to door seeking donations.
Candidates had to submit financial explanations last week. They will also have to report their fundraising activities on Halloween. That’s the last time the public will know where the candidates stand on fundraising fronts before voting ends in 12 days.
The biggest Senate fundraiser since mid-September was Cindy Nava, a Democrat running to represent District 9, which covers the area north of Albuquerque, including Placitas and Bernalillo. Her opponent, Republican Audrey Trujillo, reported raising about $19,000 during the same period. According to Secretary of State data, Trujillo has about $33,867 left to spend before Nov. 5, and Nava has $76,000.
According to the State Secretary, Democrat Sarah Silva raised the most in the House of Representatives in the past reporting period. She has reported raising more than $120,000 for a controversial House race in Las Cruces. Her opponent, Republican Elizabeth Winterrowd, raised just over $27,000.
View Source NMs voters guide.
After the election, candidates will again have to report their latest fundraising activity. These reports are expected in January 2025.
