Introduction

New Mexico Democrats from every corner of the State know the potential damaging influence that big money from SuperPACs and billionaires have on local, state and federal elections.

In October 2025, the County Central Committee of the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County (DPBC) adopted by acclimation a resolution to establish a “People’s Primary Pledge" Deterring Billionaires and Corporations from Buying or Unduly Influencing Democratic Primaries. The People’s Primary Pledge was pioneered by Elizabeth Warren in her race against Republican Scott Brown for the Massachusetts US Senate race in 2012. Then it was used again by Ed Markey and his Democratic primary opponent Stephen Lynch in their 2013 primary for the other Massachusetts US Senate seat. In both cases the pledge was effective in largely shutting down the outside spending that the pledge prohibited.

DPNM Pre-Primary Convention March 7, 2026
Photo Credit: Janet Resnick-Wandel

In December 2025, the Chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico (DPNM) appointed an ad-hoc committee to draft the People's Primary Pledge. The committee has a diverse representation from the DPNM Caucuses, including Young Democrats of New Mexico, Rural Caucus, LGBTQIA+ Caucus, Environmental Justice Caucus, the DPBC Resolutions Committee, SPARC, DPNM Vice Chair, Grant County Democratic Party and others. The ad-hoc committee worked diligently from December until the present to fulfill its mandate, sought legal advice and counsel, and drafted both a People's Primary Pledge Resolution and Rule.

The goal is to limit, to the greatest extent possible, the use of massive private wealth in primary campaigns and ensure that Democratic primary candidates are not benefited by, dependent on, or elected due to outside or independent electioneering spending funded by big donors who are circumventing legal limits on direct contributions to a candidate’s campaign fund. The Democratic Party is the party of the working class who believe in a one person, one vote democracy where our elections are determined by the people –– not billionaires and big corporations; and working class voters should have no doubt that the candidates chosen in our primaries are not beholden to the same billionaires and corporations that are exploiting and hurting them. The platform of the Democratic Party of New Mexico (DPNM) affirms that “money is not speech and corporations are not people” and “demand campaign finance reform and the repeal of laws that enable secret money in politics."

The DPNM, as a voluntary association, has the authority and responsibility to regulate its internal affairs, including nominating processes and primary elections, to ensure fairness, integrity, and alignment with our values. To strengthen our party’s brand, win back trust from our voters, and empower our party to win elections and govern to deliver for the working class, the DPNM must act to confront the crisis of big money corrupting our democracy within the arena under our direct authority: our primary elections.

In April 2026, the governing body of the Democratic Party of New Mexico (DPNM) approved the People’s Primary Pledge resolution with more than 90% of the delegates voting in the Pre-Primary Convention in support. Now the DPNM Rules Committee is reviewing the draft rule. We are looking forward to the People's Primary Pledge Rule returning to the governing body for final adoption.

We are grateful for the early endorsements for the NM People's Primary Pledge and encourage every NM Democrat who supports getting billionaires and SuperPACs out of our Democratic Primaries to sign on here.

CLICK HERE TO READ: The People's Primary Pledge

People's Primary Pledge Endorsements

Our list of endorsers is constantly growing.

Want to add your name as an endorser? Go to this form to sign in support.

Helpful vocabulary: DPNM = New Mexico Democratic Party

New Mexico Leaders

  • Sara Attleson, Chair, Democratic Party of New Mexico
  • Cam Crawford, Vice-Chair, Democratic Party of New Mexico
  • Javier Martinez, NM Speaker of the House
  • Jacob Trujillo, Chair, Democratic Party of Bernalillo County
  • Harold Pope, Jr., NM State Senator (Dist. 23), SCC
  • Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, NM State Senator (Dist. 16)
  • Dede Feldman, former NM State Senator (Dist. 13)
  • Debbie O'Malley, NM State Senator (Dist. 13)
  • Eleanor Chavez, NM State Representative (Dist. 26), SCC
  • Miguel P. Garcia, NM State Representative (Dist. 14)
  • Patricia Roybal Caballero, NM State Representative (Dist. 13), SCC
  • Joaquin Baca, Albuquerque City Councilor (Dist. 2)
  • Tammy Fiebelkorn, Albuquerque City Councilor (Dist. 7)
  • Robert Kmak, Chair, Pct. 154, Bernalillo County
  • Terry Storch, Chair, Pct. 185, Bernalillo County
  • Sarah Cobb, Chair, Pct. 108, Bernalillo County, SCC
  • Deborah Potter, Chair, Ward 15E, Bernalillo County, SCC
  • Lora Lucero, Chair, Ward 11A, Bernalillo County, PDA-CNM
  • Coby Gentry, Young Democrats of NM
  • Marty Jacobson, LGBTQIA+ Caucus
  • Ronnie Ray, Rural Caucus
  • Carl Peterson, Vice-Chair Ward 31A, SCC
  • Glenn Griffin, Grant County Democratic Party, Ward AW Chair
  • Charles Bennett, Vice-Chair, Ward 19B, Bernalillo County, SCC
  • Roxanne Allen, CCC CD1, Bernalillo County
  • Lawrence Compton, Chair, Ward 17C, Bernalillo County
  • Nancy M. Bearce, CCC CD1, Bernalillo County
  • Jane Yee, Chair, DPBC Resolutions Committee, CCC CD1, Bernalillo County, SCC
  • Lourdes Remillard, Chair, Pct. 162, Bernalillo County, SCC
  • Barbara Grothus, Vice-Chair, Ward 14C, Bernalillo County, SCC
  • Eric Olivas, CCC, CD1, SCC
  • Donald A. Gallegos, Ward Chair, 31C, Bernalillo County, SCC
  • Daniel Alfredo Garcia, CCC CD1, Secretary of DPBC
  • Karl Horak, CCC CD1
  • Tracey Jordan, Chair, Pct. 195, Bernalillo County
  • Ralph Wrons, Vice Chair, Ward 24B, Bernalillo County
  • Donald Meaders, CCC CD1, SCC
  • Julie Rochman, Chair, Ward 31B, Bernalillo County
  • Maria Felice Garcia, Chair, Pct. 165, Bernalillo County, SCC
  • Ana Canales, Chair, Ward 25B, Bernalillo County, SCC
  • Jennifer Thorne-Lehman, Chair, Pct. 408
  • Margaret Warigia Bowman, Chair, Ward 30D, Bernalillo County
  • Alex Applegate, Environmental Justice Caucus, SCC
  • Jennifer de Garmo, CCC CD1
  • Frank Theodore Cloak Jr. a/k/a Ted Cloak, Chair, Pct. 640, Bernalillo County
  • Rachel Coleman, Environmental Justice Caucus, SCC
  • Chase Jacques-Maynes, Chair, Environmental Justice Caucus, SCC
  • Nancy Galloway, SCC - Alt
  • Janet Resnick-Wandel, Chair, Pct. 15, Bernalillo County
  • Christine McIntosh
  • Ann Lowe, Grant County Democratic Party
  • Frances Gonzales, Fuerzas Unidas Caucus Vice-Chair, SCC
  • Wendy Graves
  • Barbara Gabioud
  • Mark Duran
  • Tom Wakely
  • Harry Browne
  • Ronald Lee Ray, Chair, DPNM Rural Caucus
  • Jennifer Lamborn
  • Maree McHugh
  • Margaret L. Hadderman
  • Doreen McKnight, Vice-Chair, Ward 11C
  • Claudia Risner, SCC
  • Grace Dukes
  • Arnold Lane Leckman
  • Janet Wallace-Ortiz, Grant County SCC
  • Stephen Smith, Rio Grande Indivisible
  • Deborah Michel, Young Democrats of New Mexico National Committee Person
  • Melinda Smith
  • Nancy Stephens
  • Michael Effron, Chair, Precinct 550
  • Carol Trujillo-Fay
  • Matthew “Mateo” Martinez, Ward 11-C Delegate
  • Lisa Franzen
  • Mara Salcido, Precinct chair and delegate ward 11C
  • Sarah Stephen
  • Marisol Enriquez (she/her/ella), Precinct Chair, 460
  • Denise Fort
  • Sandra Griffin, GCDP delegate
  • Madigan Ray
  • Pamela Neas, SCC, CCC EC Sandoval, Ward B Chair
  • Rebecca Black
  • Karen Umland, PDA-CNM, Delegate Ward 11A
  • Lisa Padilla, LMSW, Chair, Ward 14C, CCC
  • Loralyn Conover, Chair, Ward 12B precinct 66
  • Chris Crouch, SCC, CCC, Chair, Ward 22B Bernalillo - E. Mtns

Why This Matters

The Research is Clear

Big Money is Bigger than Ever

  • Nearly 60% of ads in 2022 Democratic House primaries were funded by outside groups, not candidates.
  • In 2012, just 159 donors gave $1 million or more, accounting for nearly 60% of all Super PAC funding nationwide.

New Mexico Hasn't Been Spared from Outside Spending

FAQ

We can’t disarm Democrats in their fight against the GOP.

The People’s Primary Pledge only impacts the Democratic Primaries, not the General Elections. In races pitting Democrat against Democrat, the candidates should win their primary based on the merits of their positions and arguments, a contest of ideas, not on who has the biggest SuperPAC or billionaire in their corner. Democratic voters should know that their candidates will be representing the people’s interests, not the special interests that have corrupted the election process with their money.

Citizens United! Campaign donations are speech and we can’t stop that spending.

While the Supreme Court decision certainly tilted political influence towards wealthy donors and corporations (see here), there’s a whole line of cases from the US Supreme Court-down that affirm the rights of voluntary associations under the First Amendment. The Democratic Party of New Mexico (DPNM) is a voluntary association with the authority and responsibility to regulate its internal affairs, including nominating processes and primary elections, to ensure fairness, integrity, and alignment with our values. The People’s Primary Pledge does not ban big money, but there are consequences if an outside big spender decides to exert his/her influence on a campaign. The People’s Primary Pledge does not keep any candidates off the ballot. The People’s Primary Pledge is consistent with the New Mexico campaign laws.

What about unions?

Because unions are funded by individual members, and because union SuperPACs or traditional PACs are generally funded by many union members making small dollar donations, the People’s Primary Pledge does not restrict or disadvantage unions in any way. Any external spending that is under the Grassroots Threshold is allowed. Unions can spend up to $50,000 for a Congressional race, for instance, regardless of where the money came from. In addition, the draft rule permits unlimited external spending, as long as that external spending is funded by smaller dollar donations. So, union SuperPACs or traditional PACs, for instance, would be able to spend unlimited funds, as long as the source of the money was individuals donating $5000 or less. There are no restrictions on spending for communications to members. Unions and all organizations would be free to do unlimited outside spending without conditions for general elections.

Shouldn’t we be focused on fighting Trump’s fascism right now instead of reforming our primaries? Is this really the time for this?

Now is exactly the right time. To effectively resist Trump’s fascism and win the power to stop it, Democrats must be trusted by voters and uncompromised in our fight for working people. The uncomfortable truth is that some Democrats have been weak in fighting back against Trump; and those are often the ones most beholden to big money interests. When candidates depend on billionaire donors and corporate SuperPACs, they’re less likely to take the bold, uncompromising stands we need right now. This reform will strengthen our ability to defeat Trump and MAGA extremism.

We want to hear your questions about the People's Primary Pledge. Send them to Lora Lucero, Chair Ward 11A at 505-453-3938.

Resources

Included are links and documents that can help us learn and win!

The Resolution

Resolution Title: Resolution to Establish a People’s Primary Rule Deterring Billionaires and Corporations from Buying or Unduly Influencing New Mexico Democratic Primaries

Submitted by: the DPNM Ad Hoc Committee appointed by Chair Attleson in December 2025.

WHEREAS, New Mexico Democrats from every corner of the State know the damaging influence that big outside money has on our local, state and federal elections, and we want to ensure that our elected leaders represent our interests, rather than big outside corporate interests; and

WHEREAS, on September 25, 2025, the Resolutions Committee of the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County (DPBC) approved a resolution entitled To Establish a “People’s Primary” Policy Deterring Billionaires and Corporations from Buying or Unduly Influencing Democratic Primaries; and

WHEREAS, such Resolution was presented to the County Central Committee of the DPBC on October 11, 2025 and adopted by acclimation; and

WHEREAS, such Resolution was presented to the County Central Committee of the DPBC on October 11, 2025 and adopted by acclimation; and

WHEREAS, such Resolution charged the ad hoc committee with developing the proposed DPNM People's Primary Rule to implement and enforce the goal of the Resolution; and

WHEREAS, such Resolution directed that the People’s Primary Rule was to be prepared and submitted for a vote by the State Central Committee at the earliest possible date in the spring of 2026; and

WHEREAS, the ad-hoc committee worked diligently and expeditiously from December until the present to fulfill its mandate, and sought legal advice and counsel, and drafted a Rule to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that candidates in New Mexico Democratic primaries are not benefited by, dependent on, or elected due to big donors spending tens or hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars to elect the candidates of their choice; and

WHEREAS, the Democratic Party is the party of the working class and Americans who believe in a one person, one vote democracy where our elections are determined by We the People as equal citizens –– not billionaires and big corporations; and

WHEREAS, working class voters should have no doubt that the candidates chosen in our primaries are not beholden to the same billionaires and corporations that are exploiting and hurting them; and

WHEREAS, the platform of the Democratic Party of New Mexico (DPNM) affirms that “money is not speech and corporations are not people”; and “demand campaign finance reform and the repeal of laws that enable secret money in politics;” and

WHEREAS, the DPNM, as a voluntary association, has the authority and responsibility to regulate its internal affairs, including nominating processes and primary elections, to ensure fairness, integrity, and alignment with our values; and

WHEREAS, to strengthen our party’s brand, win back trust from our voters, and empower our party to win elections and govern to deliver for the working class, the DPNM must act to confront the crisis of big money corrupting our democracy within the arena under our direct authority: our primary elections.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of New Mexico will establish a "People's Primary" Rule to reduce, to the greatest extent possible, the use of massive private wealth to buy or unduly influence our primary elections. This Rule will ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that candidates in New Mexico Democratic primaries are not benefited by, dependent on, or elected due to outside or independent electioneering spending funded by big donors who are circumventing legal limits on direct contributions to a candidate’s campaign fund to spend tens or hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars of private wealth to elect the candidates of their choice.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the proposed People’s Primary Rule will be submitted to the DPNM Rules Committee for its consideration and possible revision in April 2026 at the Call of the DPNM Chair, and will be submitted to the State Central Committee (SCC) for its consideration and possible revision in May 2026. If approved by the SCC and incorporated into the DPNM’s governing documents, the People’s Primary Rule is expected to be effective in 2027 and beyond.

About Us

The Stop Big Money NM campaign is a project of a grassroots of Democrats committed to building a party that puts the working class first, not billionaires and big corporations. We are united by the mission to bring the progressive values of our communities to the state legislature and beyond, to create the New Mexico and United States of America we all deserve. Interested in joining us? Email Lora Lucero at loralucero3@gmail.com.

See a problem with the website? Contact the original site author, Ben Armentrout, at benarmentrout29@gmail.com. Please be nice - I'm better at building lasers than websites :) Or reach out to Amelia Pardo at Beaei@pm.me who has updated it for New Mexico.

Media or other inquiries can be directed to loralucero3@gmail.com.