The Roundhouse in Santa Fe pictured Jan. 24, 2024. (Photo by Patrick Lohmann / Source NM)
Candidates seeking 112 state legislative seats on the ballot this Election Day, including the 63 who are running unopposed, reported raising more than $3 million since mid-September.
All 70 House seats and 42 Senate seats are on the ballot Nov. 5. All told, candidates on the ballot have raised about $10 million and spent $6 million of it, according to a Source New Mexico analysis. That includes long-time, unopposed powerful lawmakers who have amassed hundreds of thousands of dollars in their war chests and hotly contested cases where both candidates are going door-to-door seeking donations.
Candidates were required to submit financial disclosures last week. They’ll also have to report their fundraising activity on Halloween. That’s the last time the public will know where candidates stand, in terms of fundraising, before voting ends in 12 days.
The biggest Senate fundraiser since mid-September was Cindy Nava, a Democrat seeking 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 in the same period. According to Secretary of State data, Trujillo has about $33,867 remaining to spend before Nov. 5, and Nava has $76,000.
In the House, Democrat Sarah Silva raised the most in the last reporting period, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. She’s reported more than $120,000 raised for a contentious House race in Las Cruces. Her opponent, Republican Elizabeth Winterrowd, raised a little more than $27,000.
After the election, candidates will again have to report their final-stretch fundraising activity. Those reports are due in January 2025.