GRANTS, N.M. – The Grants City Council will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 4:00 p.m. to decide whether Dolores P. Vallejos is qualified to hold the District 1 council seat, according to a legal notice published Dec. 10 and signed by City Clerk Frances Salas. The hearing will be at 600 W. Santa Fe Ave. in the council chamber. As of Dec. 9, the city had not posted the agenda or packet for the meeting on its website.
The hearing comes as a certification in the District 1 race is underway at the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office, Vallejos was certified the victor in the November 2025 Election on December 2. Unofficial election-night totals were Vallejos 133 (39%), incumbent Zachery T. Gutierrez 130 (38%), and Bob W. Tenequer 81 (24%)—a three-vote margin in a 344-ballot contest.
Why This Matter is Now
Before the Council
After the election, Mayor Erik Garcia questioned whether Vallejos resided at the address listed on her voter registration for District 1.
Vallejos has said she updated her registration to her mother’s home last summer for medical caregiving reasons and confirmed her District 1 status at the polls. Public records obtained by the Citizen show she has maintained multiple properties in Grants and changed her registration to Del Norte Blvd. on July 28, 2025 after years of listing Kabrico Dr. as her residence.
Her change of voting address, and subsequently the district she can run for office in, came less than four months before the election.
The council has placed Vallejos’ eligibility on its agenda multiple times. At its most recent discussion on Nov. 19, members tabled action after being presented with several possible determinations, including findings of full eligibility, ineligibility at filing, current forfeiture for loss of residency, or the need for additional proceedings.
A previously noticed special meeting on the topic was cancelled to allow more due process, according to the mayor.
The Citizen has also learned of a call between the Secretary of State and the City of Grants; details and participants were not available at press time.
What the Grants City Charter Requires
The City of Grants operates under a Home-Rule charter. Three sections of the charter, which is essentially the city’s constitution, are central to this review:
Section 2.02(B) – Residency.
A city councilor must be a resident of the district on and after the date of filing and must continue to reside in that district throughout the term.
Section 2.05 – Vacancies; Forfeiture. A councilor automatically resigns (forfeits office) if they fail to possess the required qualifications during the term. Redistricting alone does not cause a vacancy.
Section 2.07 – Judge of Qualifications. The governing body is the judge of its members’ qualifications and grounds for forfeiture. To exercise that power, the council may hold a public hearing, subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, and require production of evidence. Notice of such a hearing must be published at least one week in advance.
In prior materials, the city outlined the types of evidence it may consider when determining “residency,” including physical presence, where the candidate sleeps most nights, voter-registration and driver’s-license addresses, utility bills, mail receipt, property records, and testimony.
The Citizen has requested additional records and will continue to report verified updates as they become available.