On November 8, 2022, New Mexico elected a State Auditor. The only two candidates were a Democrat and a Libertarian. The Libertarian, Travis Sanchez, polled 38.07% of the vote. That is the highest percentage ever received by a minor party or independent candidate in a New Mexico statewide office. The previous record had been set in 1912 by Theodore Roosevelt, Progressive Party presidential nominee, who got 35.91% in New Mexico.
The 2022 showing for Sanchez was the second highest Libertarian percentage showing in a statewide race, in Libertarian Party history. The record for Libertarians running for statewide office was set in 2012 by Mike Fellows, Libertarian nominee for Montana Clerk of the State Supreme Court. He got 43.13%.
The story should mention Mike Follows’ state: Montana.
https://www.lp.org/blogs-staff-mike-fellows-sets-national-lp-record-in-mt-mulls-another-run-for-office/
DOES TS GET A *FREE* SODA FROM THE ELEPHANTS ???
thank you, John.
Doesn’t New Mexico only count President and Governor vote percentages for the vote test for ballot retention?
For major party status, any office counts. But the vote for that office (whatever it is) must equal 5% of the total vote cast for Governor or President.
Congratulations to Travis Sanchez and best wishes to he and the New Mexico Libertarian Party for continued success!
Congratulations for losing?
In the losertarian party the question is not whether you lose, but by how much.
I recall a controversy with the LP of NM in the late 1990’s or early 2000’s where a candidate for Land Comissioner got a lot of votes buy the state claimed they did not count toward a vote test for ballot retention.
A lot of people would rather vote for a dirty Sanchez than a femocrap.
Is he part of the legitimate New Mexico Libertarian Party or the sham that the National LP set up?
The sham party was run by Chris Luccini. He repeatedly called illegal conventions to stay in power.
Ok so it looks like he is part of the legitimate NM LP https://lpnm.us/candidates-for-office/
Andy, you have a good memory, and you are right. But that was just a lower court decision and various Secretaries of State and Attorneys General have ignored it. And in 2022 when an independent candidate sued the Secretary of State to force her to remove the LP’s status, the New Mexico Supreme Court sided with the Secretary of State and the Libertarian Party, so that overrides that 1998 lower court decision.
Brandon, just because Chris Luchini and Co are on a website claiming to be the Libertarian Party of New Mexico, it does not mean that they are really the Libertarian Party of New Mexico. Luchini and Co clearly called a convention without giving proper notice, as mandated in their own state by-laws, so all votes from that convention are fraudulent, including the votes where Luchini and Co were elected to the state committee. The legitimate faction of the Libertarian Party of New Mexico is the faction recognized by the LNC. Luchini and Co are usurpers.
Richard, I joined and have been following the Libertarian Party since 1996, and I have been following your site, Ballot Access News, since 2000. Thanks for working to keep us informed all of the years you have been doing this.
PERVERT ALERT – @super_shazbot is back on Twitter – all girls under the age of 18, block him immediately!
https://twitter.com/Super_Shazbot
Is super_shazbot Chris Luchini?
The “party” set up by the national LP are the clear sham. The state recognizes the legitimate party as the one with ballot access. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_Party_of_New_Mexico
By NM law they can’t even call themselves “Libertarian”
Brandon Lyon supports sham conventions and commies like Chris Luchini. Sounds like another fake libertarian to me.
I recall Brandon being here supporting Bill Weld in the past, so this is not surprising.
If you have to use Wikipedia, which anyone can edit, you’ve immediately lost the argument.
I have been a registered Libertarian since 2012. I support the Libertarian Party of NM as it existed when I agreed to campaign for office prior to all of the current drama. I am disappointed with all of the infighting that has occurred over 2022, and I look forward to resolution and a united party that will work for real change in NM.
A couple of interesting notes about this campaign:
The Democrats raised a combined $376,016 compared to my $44.50.
The winner, Joseph Maestas, spent $197,139 compared to my $10 (which was a fee the bank charged by mistake and later refunded me).
Read into that what you will. What it tells me is that the major parties don’t have enough confidence in retaining the votes of their registered constituents to write-off a Libertarian candidate. It also tells me that they have zero reservations about spending their constituents’ money for no reason. They spent over a quarter million dollars to keep a seat they were statistically virtually guaranteed.
Let’s go ahead and take these jobs they’re so worried about losing!
What Travis Sanchez is saying is he’s a commie supporting illegal conventions and crooks like Luchini.