CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – The November ballot is beginning to take its final shape in Cibola County, and Election Day is closer than it feels.
The General Election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 3, and the local ballot now includes races for state representative, Cibola County Sheriff, Cibola County Commission, Cibola County Magistrate Judge, Cibola County Assessor, Cibola County Probate Judge and other offices that affect daily life in Cibola County.
The Cibola Citizen has followed this election cycle since candidate filing day in March, when crowded fields formed in several races and the June primary set the stage for November. Since then, the ballot has narrowed, a recount has confirmed one of the closest races of the primary, and at least one candidate has withdrawn from the general election.
Now, voters have a clearer picture of what they will be asked to decide.
State Representative State Representative District 6 is one of the most closely watched races locally.
The primary election for HD6 was crowded, contested and at times complicated by court action over ballot access. The ballot began with five candidates on the Democrat ballot and one on the Republican ballot.
The November race is now set between Democrat Martha Garcia and Republican Paul Spencer.
State Representative District 69, Democrat Michelle Pauline Abeyta is listed as the candidate on the general-election ballot.
Abeyta is listed out of Bernalillo County and lives in To’Hajiilee.
Cibola County Commission
County government will also be on the ballot.
In Cibola County Commission District 1, Democrat Richard Allen Cerno is listed as the candidate. Cerno won the Democratic primary in June after defeating Marty Molina and Robert Armijo. County commission races are district- based, meaning only voters who live in the district will vote in that commission contest, there is no Republican candidate.
In Cibola County Commission District 3, Democrat Martin M. Vigil is listed as the candidate. Vigil won a crowded Democratic primary in June. Grants Mayor Erik Garcia appeared on the Republican primary ballot for the same seat and won the primary election but later withdrew from the race and is not listed on the county clerk’s general-election candidate list.
The race began as one of the most crowded local contests of the cycle, but the general-election field has now narrowed and only one candidate remains.
Cibola County Sheriff
For Cibola County Sheriff, voters will see Democrat Larry Diaz and Republican Aaron Henry Baca.
The two advanced from the primary where both ran uncontested and will face each other in November. The sheriff’s office is one of the most visible countywide positions, with responsibility tied to law enforcement, public safety and emergency response across Cibola County.
Cibola County Assessor
For Cibola County Assessor, Democrat Jenna M. Rodriguez is listed as the candidate. She was the only candidate who ran for office.
The assessor’s office is responsible for property valuation for tax purposes, a function that affects property owners and local government funding.
Cibola County Probate Judge
For Probate Judge, Democrat
Corrine C. Padilla is listed as the candidate.
Padilla’s primary race was one of the closest in Cibola County this year. In a race of three candidates, she led the second highest-performer by 13 votes in the Democratic primary, triggering an automatic recount. County officials said the recount board carefully reviewed the ballots and the results did not change. Padilla remains the candidate moving forward.
Cibola County’s Magistrate Judge For Magistrate Judge Division 1, Democrat Tony L. Mace is listed as the candidate. He was the only candidate in the primary and will be the only candidate on the general ballot.
For Magistrate Judge Division 2, Democrat Jessica M. Melonas and Republican Robert Scott Windhorst are listed.
Melonas won the Democratic
primary in June, while Windhorst advanced on the Republican side.
Education Commission and 13th Judicial Judge
Some Cibola County voters will also see Public Education Commission races, depending on where they live. The county clerk’s list includes Republican Sharon E. Clahchischilliage for Public Education Commissioner District 5 and Republican Stewart Alan Ingham for Public Education Commissioner District 6.
Voters will also see a judicial retention question for Thirteenth Judicial District Court Judge Amanda Connie Sanchez Villalobos, Division 4. This is a nonpartisan race, meaning no political affiliation such as D or R will appear with her name.
Beyond the candidate races, the general election ballot will include statewide constitutional amendments and general obligation bond questions. Those questions will ask voters to decide issues involving legislative procedure, school elections, university regent appointments, legislative compensation and state bond funding for senior facilities, libraries and higher education projects.
The next key date is Oct. 6. That is when voter registration by mail or online closes for the general election. It is also the first day absentee ballots can be mailed to voters who have applied, and the first day of early voting and same-day registration at the county clerk’s office.
Expanded early voting begins Oct. 17 at alternate voting locations. The last day to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 20. Early voting ends Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 3.
Voters are encouraged to check their registration, confirm their address and review their sample ballot before Election Day. That is especially important for districtbased races, where the contests that appear on a voter’s ballot depend on where the voter is registered.