On Thursday, seven members of the New Mexico Democrat Party will choose a replacement candidate for House District 53 from three contenders. This follows the resignation of Jon Hill, who won the primary for the Southern New Mexico seat with 58% of the vote but stepped down in early August due to health issues. Hill, who died on August 16, was an educator.
Before withdrawing, Hill endorsed Sarah Silva, a long-time organizer and coach from Las Cruces, citing her alignment with his vision for “long-term economic and social growth.”
The selection meeting is set for 6 p.m. tonight but will not be open to the public. The Democratic Party of New Mexico has not disclosed the names of the seven State Central Committee members responsible for the choice, citing privacy concerns.
House District 53 covers most of eastern Doña Ana County, extending to the southern border and including parts of Otero County. It encompasses areas such as Las Cruces, Anthony, and Chaparral.
Daniel Garcia, a party spokesperson, confirmed that all the State Central Committee members involved in the selection reside in Doña Ana County; none are from Otero County.
Among the candidates are Silva, making her first bid for office, and Kasey Peña, a middle school teacher also running for the first time. Rep. Willie Madrid (D-Chaparral), a more moderate Democrat who lost to Hill in the primary, is also seeking the nomination.
Silva has recently gained endorsements from Democratic state legislators in Las Cruces, including Rep. Joanne Ferrary, Rep. Nathan Small, and Sen. Jeff Steinborn. Peña, on the other hand, has received support from six current and former Democratic officials, as well as backing from “LGBTQ” organization Equality New Mexico, Sen. Bill Soules (D-Las Cruces), and Doña Ana County Commissioners Manny Sanchez and Christopher Schaljo-Hernandez.
Madrid, who has not sought endorsements, expressed concerns about the fairness of the process, noting that Chaparral will be represented only by two advisory members at the meeting, who will not have voting rights.
The selected Democrat candidate will face Republican Elizabeth Winterrowd in the November election. Winterrowd narrowly lost to Madrid in 2022.
This was a planned event because Willie is moderate worthless but moderate. Nasty way to political spot. Sneaky lies that have few morals and even less empathy for humanity
Just vote for Elizabeth Winterrowd, she cares about our state.