CD3 candidate vows to contest disqualification (New Mexico)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | February 14, 2020 | T. S. Last

[CedarDave]

SANTA FE — A prospective candidate in the race for the 3rd Congressional District seat who was disqualified by the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office for using the wrong form to collect petition signatures is vowing to contest the decision through legal means.

In an inculpatory statement provided to the Journal, the campaign for Republican Anise Golden-Morper accused Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse-Oliver, a Democrat, of playing politics and using “dirty tricks” to eliminate the leading fundraiser among GOP candidates.

“Anise is being targeted by a hyper-partisan witch hunt similar to what just happened to President Trump in Washington D.C. by a weaponized Secretary of State,” the statement said. “Toulouse-Oliver is doing exactly what her D.C. puppeteers are ordering her to do. ... The desperate Democrats know that they can’t hold this seat so they are resorting to desperate dirty tricks. We plan on taking this to the courts and fighting tooth and nail against this flagrant abuse of power.”

Golden-Morper, of Angel Fire, was disqualified by the Secretary of State’s Office this week because she did not use the required legally prescribed form to collect the 463 signatures of registered voters in the district to get her name on the ballot for the June primary.

“Secretary Toulouse Oliver is obligated to follow state law and to ‘maintain uniformity in the application, operation and interpretation of the Election Code,’ which she does every day and this case is no exception,” said Alex Curtas, a spokesman for the Secretary of State’s Office. “Ms. Golden-Morper came up short on the required number of signatures she needed to be placed on the ballot because she didn’t use the required form prescribed in New Mexico law and made available well in advance to all candidates.

[CedarDave]

I think the lady doth protest too much. If she used the wrong form for signatures, she's out. On the other hand, if someone from the SOS office told her to use that form, she may have a case. But technicalities count; Dems get away with mistakes but Pubs have to have all i's dotted and t's crossed.

[CedarDave]

NM list PING!

I may not PING for all New Mexico articles. To see New Mexico articles by topic click here: New Mexico Topics

To see NM articles by keyword, click here: New Mexico Keyword

To see the NM Message Page, click here: New Mexico Messages

(The NM list is available on my FR homepage for FR member use; its use in the News Forum should not be for trivial or inconsequential posts. Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the list.)
(For ABQ Journal articles requiring a subscription, scroll down to the bottom of the page to view the article for free after answering a question or watching a short video commercial.)

[House Atreides]

Good post...I agree 100%.

[Secret Agent Man]

yup

[Oscar in Batangas]

But how many times might a Dem be allowed to get by on such a trivial matter, seeing as how it’s a Dem SoS?

[LegendHasIt]

Well, Oliver IS a rather accomplished Election Thi...... Uh... Manipulator.... I wouldn’t be surprised if she, or her office intentionally misled any Republican candidate.

[TigersEye]

On the other hand, if someone from the SOS office told her to use that form, she may have a case.

That would be the $64 thousand dollar question.

[Svartalfiar]

On the other hand, if someone from the SOS office told her to use that form, she may have a case.

That would be the $64 thousand dollar question.

That would seem to be the answer to me. Even someone with zero experience in campaigning should realize oh, maybe there's a form I need for my signatures, a bunch of lists on yellow legal pads is probably not acceptable. And especially if she has any prior experience running for any other seat or working in government. I would bet she was either informed incorrectly by the Gov workers, or they posted the wrong info/form online.