Recount in Probate Judge Race
CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – Final primary election results are now in for Cibola County and New Mexico’s June 2 primary, setting the stage for the November general election.
Statewide turnout for the primary was 24.62%, with 346,647 ballots cast out of 1,408,181 eligible voters. All 2,204 precincts statewide were fully reported.
Cibola County Races
Locally, several Cibola County races were decided by Democratic and Republican primary voters, while other candidates advanced unopposed within their parties.
In Cibola County Magistrate Judge Division 1, Democrat Tony L. Mace received 2,301 votes.
In Magistrate Judge Division 2, Jessica M. Melonas won the Democratic primary with 1,702 votes, or 64%. Michael Chris Cavin received 487 votes, and Dominic John Pargas received 476. Republican Robert Scott Windhorst received 905 votes in his primary.
For Cibola County Commission District 1, Richard Allen Cerno won the Democratic primary with 361 votes, or 62%. Marty R. Molina received 150 votes, and Robert J. Armijo received 71.
In County Commission District 3, Martin M. Vigil won the Democratic primary with 206 votes, or 30%, in a five-candidate race. Robert Francis Horacek received 153 votes, George Rodriguez received 131, Michael W. Lewis received 118, and Stanley E. Michael received 69. Republican Erik Omar Garcia received 191 votes in his primary.
In the Cibola County Sheriff race, Democrat Larry D. Diaz received 2,378 votes, while Republican Aaron Henry Baca received 902 votes. The two are set to face each other in November.
For Cibola County Assessor, Democrat Jenna M. Rodriguez received 2,317 votes.
Recount in Cibola Probate Race
One of the closest local races was for Probate Judge.
Corrine C. Padilla won the Democratic primary with 1,130 votes, narrowly ahead of Marie Martinez-Garcia, who received 1,117. Josephine E. Hurtado received 415 votes.
Padilla’s margin over Martinez-Garcia was 13 votes.
On Page B4 of today’s edition of the Cibola Citizen a legal was published making notice of participation in the 2026 Primary Election Automatic Recount.
According to the legal notice from Cibola County Clerk Natalie Grine, the automatic recount is scheduled to begin June 29 at 9 a.m. at the Cibola County Clerk’s Office, 700 E. Roosevelt Ave., Suite 50, Grants. The public is welcome to attend. The notice lists the selected automatic recount board members as Elven Ray Clemons, Seth Ward Jr., Johnny Pino, Geraldine McDonald, and Shorty Lester.
State Legislative Races
In State Representative District 6, Martha Garcia won the Democratic primary districtwide with 1,437 votes, or 44%. Priscilla Benally received 889 votes, Johnny Valdez received 674, and David L. Alcon received 274. Republican Paul L. Spencer received 913 votes and will advance as the Republican nominee.
In State Representative District 69, Michelle Paulene Abeyta won the Democratic primary with 1,971 votes, or 68%, while Harry Garcia received 939 votes.
Statewide Offices
Statewide, Deb Haaland won the Democratic primary for governor with 158,407 votes, or 72%, while Sam Bregman received 60,582. On the Republican side, Greggory D. Hull won with 56,690 votes, or 47%, followed by Doug W. Turner with 44,467 and Duke Rodriguez with 19,386.
For lieutenant governor, Maggie Toulouse Oliver won the Democratic primary with 169,641 votes, while David M. Gallegos won the Republican primary with 56,623 votes.
Amanda López Askin won the Democratic primary for secretary of state with 108,034 votes, defeating Katharine E. Clark, who received 95,171. Republican Ramona L. Goolsby received 96,589 votes.
Raul Torrez won the Democratic nomination for attorney general, while Samuel Isaiah Kane Sr. won the Republican nomination. Joseph M. Maestas won the Democratic nomination for state auditor, and Laura M. Montoya won the Democratic nomination for state treasurer.
In the commissioner of public lands race, Juan De Jesus Sanchez III won the Democratic primary with 114,957 votes. Michael Jack Perry won the Republican nomination.
Kris Houghton won the Democratic primary for Judge of the Court of Appeals Position 1.
With the primary results complete, voters will next turn toward the November general election, when party nominees will face each other for county, legislative, and statewide offices.