New Mexico Democratic Party to meet Saturday to select new lieutenant governor candidate

Beginning Saturday, roughly 500 Democratic Party of New Mexico members will begin casting ballots to replace Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver as the party’s nominee for lieutenant governor in the Nov. 3 general election.

Toulouse Oliver dropped out of the race June 18 citing health reasons shortly after handily winning the June 2 primary election against State Sen. Harold Pope (D-Albuquerque). In the month since, candidates waged a mini-campaign targeted at members of the Democratic Party’s State Central Committee, composed of party insiders that members elect at the county level.

Four candidates — Pope, Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard, Geoffrey Luehring and Toni Pinedo — have jumped in to replace Toulouse Oliver, though Pope and Garcia Richard have done the most campaigning. Haaland endorsed Garcia Richard as her running mate.