SANTA FE — A group of New Mexico Democratic Party insiders will meet this weekend to begin the process of filling a rare ballot vacancy on their gubernatorial ticket.

The run-up to the meeting to replace Maggie Toulouse Oliver, who 

in the June primary election, from continuing to seek the nomination.

Pope has also landed the backing of some Democratic legislators and progressive groups, including the Albuquerque chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Meanwhile, Republicans have criticized the process Democrats are using to pick a new lieutenant governor candidate.

State Sen. David Gallegos, who won a three-way GOP lieutenant governor primary race, described the Democratic convention as a “backroom fight” while arguing that ordinary New Mexico voters were being cut out of the decision-making process.

“I believe leaders should answer to the people who elected them—not to 500 party insiders in a room in Santa Fe,” Gallegos said in a statement this week.

However, Democratic officials have pointed out the process complies with state law, which requires a political party’s State Central Committee to submit the name of its chosen nominee to fill a ballot vacancy, but does not require an election to do so. The Democratic Party has used a similar approach to fill ballot vacancies in past election cycles.

Under New Mexico’s election code, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run independently in the primary election. The winners of those races who share the same party affiliation are then paired on a ticket for the general election.

Dan Boyd covers state government and politics for the Journal in Santa Fe. Follow him on X at @DanBoydNM or reach him via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..