Two New Mexico State Senators, a Democrat and a Republican, have introduced SB 178. It would eliminate primaries for Lieutenant Governor. Instead, parties entitled to a primary could either have a bylaw saying the gubernatorial nominee could choose a Lieutenant Governor running mate, or else let parties choose someone by convention. See this story.
NONPARTISAN exec/judic officers — via AppV – pending Condorcet.
“Running mate” makes is sound like they’d be on the same ballot line like Pres. and VP. But if an unqualified party nominated someone by convention for Lt. Gov you like but you wanted to vote for a large-party candidate for Gov, how would that work?
http://www.sos.state.nm.us/nmconst2017.pdf
1911 NM Const parts
Art. V
Sec. 1. [Composition of department;
terms of office of members; residing
and maintaining records at seat of
government.]
The executive department shall consist of
a governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of
state, state auditor, state treasurer, attorney
general and commissioner of public lands,
who shall, unless otherwise provided in the
constitution of New Mexico, be elected for
terms of four years beginning on the first
day of January next after their election. The
governor and lieutenant governor shall be
elected jointly by the casting by each voter
of a single vote applicable to both offices.
Such officers shall, after having served
two terms in a state office, be ineligible to
hold that state office until one full term has
intervened.
***
Sec. 2. [Canvass of elections; tie votes.]
The returns of every election for state officers
shall be sealed up and transmitted to
the secretary of state, who, with the governor
and chief justice, shall constitute the
state canvassing board which shall canvass
and declare the result of the election. The
joint candidates having the highest number
of votes cast for governor and lieutenant
governor and the person having the highest
number of votes for any other office,
as shown by said returns, shall be declared
duly elected. If two or more have an equal,
and the highest, number of votes for the
same office or offices, one of them, or any
two for whom joint votes were cast for governor
and lieutenant governor respectively,
shall be chosen therefor by the legislature
on joint ballot. (As amended November 6,
1962
Brandon, a voter in New Mexico and many other states can’t switch tickets for Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Nominees for Governor and Lt. Governor run as a package and a voter must choose the most appealing package.