Duran withholds cash from publicly financed candidates

Secretary of State Dianna Duran

From NMPolitics.net - By Heath Haussamen - The Secretary of State’s Office is refusing to provide matching funds state law dictates are due to publicly financed candidates who are up against wealthier, privately financed campaigns. To back up her decision, Secretary of State Dianna Duran cites a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a similar law in Arizona in 2011. As a result, six Public Regulation and Court of Appeals candidates are currently without funds state law says they’re due. However, with the June 5 primary days away, the matter may not be fully resolved. A state district judge in Santa Fe will consider a request today to order Duran to release the funds. The biggest impact of Duran’s decision is in the race for the Albuquerque-area District 1 seat on the Public Regulation Commission. State law dictates that Al Park’s publicly financed opponents in the Democratic primary, Cynthia Hall and Karen Montoya, are each due $61,066 because Park, whose campaign is privately financed, has raised almost $139,000. In the Democratic Court of Appeals primary, Victor S. Lopez is due $21,727 under the N.M. Voter Action Act because opponent M. Monica Zamora has raised $107,475. And in the PRC District 3 primary, Danny Maki’s raising of almost $42,000 means his three Democratic primary opponents – Valerie Espinoza, Brad Gallegos and Virginia Vigil – are each due $1,730.90. Read more

Duran withholds cash from publicly financed candidates