The New Mexico Green Party is ballot-qualified. But under a restrictive election law, ballot-qualified parties that didn’t poll 5% of the vote in the last election must submit petitions for all their nominees (except no such petition is needed for president).

This year, the Green Party nominated Rick Lass for Public Regulation Commission. He needed 1,377 valid signatures by June 24, and he is about to turn in 3,500 signatures. Public Regulation Commission was formerly called Corporation Commission. It is a 5-member body that regulates utility rates, and also enforces state rules concerning insurance and transportation companies. New Mexico is divided into 5 districts, with each district electing one member of the Commission.

Lass probably has also qualified for public funding. He needed to receive $5 contributions from each of 260 people, and he will submit evidence that he did so. New Mexico state public funding only applies to Public Regulation Commission elections, and judicial elections. In 2006, another Green also qualified for Public Service Commission, and also qualified for public funding. However, in 2006, the public funding was much smaller. The 2006 Green candidate received approximately $12,000 in public funding. This year, if Lass does qualify for public funding, he will receive approximately $63,000. His only opponent is a Democrat.