SANTA FE, N.M. — The Forward Party of New Mexico announced today that their ballot access lawsuit will be heard in U.S. District Court on August 28 at 1:30 pm at the U.S. Courthouse, Room 201 106 S. Federal Place, Santa Fe. The presiding judge is the Honorable Margaret Strickland. The public is welcome.
The Secretary of State approved the Forward Party as a minor political party on May 14, 2026. On June 25 the Forward Party submitted the names of five nominated candidates. Two were approved immediately and one approved in early August after the Luna County Clerk reversed her decision after reading our lawsuit. The two statewide candidates are the primary plaintiffs in the case and were not qualified by the Secretary of State for failing to turn in enough signatures to qualify per statute. It is that statute the Party is challenging.
“Our lawsuit challenging New Mexico’s unfair and discriminatory ballot access requirements for minor party candidates turns on many legal issues, the primary one being that New Mexico is the only state in the nation that requires the nominees of qualified minor parties to collect signatures. The party was already qualified, and so too should the candidates nominated by the party be qualified to run in the general election,” stated Bob Perls, Chairman of the NM Forward Party.
The New Mexico Forward Party’s lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court on July 14, 2026. The Secretary of State must print the general election ballots by September 18.
Statewide major party candidates are required to turn in approximately 2,500 signatures; statewide minor party candidates, 7,100 if the party has at least 7,100 members, or 14,200 signatures if the party has fewer than 7,100 members— which