Patrick Lohman
Source New Mexico
This story was originally published by Source New Mexico at sourcenm.com.
After winning the Democratic nomination to be New Mexico’s next lieutenant governor in a landslide primary election on June 2, incumbent Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver on Thursday announced she was dropping out of the race.
“This has been an incredibly difficult decision, but a necessary one,” she wrote on Facebook. “Recent changes to my health have caused my family and I to reflect on my commitments at home and to the people of our state — both of which I take extraordinarily seriously. Suspending my campaign will allow me to focus on my family while ensuring I can continue to fulfill my duties as secretary of state.”
In her social media statement, Toulouse Oliver thanked the New Mexicans who cast ballots in the June 2 primary election.
Toulouse Oliver first won election to be secretary of state in 2016. In the ensuing decade, she has often clashed with President Donald Trump, whose Department of Justice demanded she turn over the state’s voter list.
She also decried the Trump administration’s efforts last year to require voters to show proof of citizenship.
Toulouse Oliver did not immediately respond to Source NM’s request for comment.
In a statement, Democratic Party of New Mexico Communications Director Daniel Garcia said the party’s State Central Committee will select a replacement.
“The timeline for that process is being finalized and we will share more details as soon as they are available,” Garcia wrote. “New Mexicans should know that this is a secure, well-established process that has been used successfully for many years, including to fill the CD-1 vacancy in 2021 and nominees for HD-53 and SD-28 in 2024.”
State Sen. Harold Pope (D-Albuquerque), who ran against Toulouse Oliver in the June primary, told Source NM he is thinking of her and her family and wishes them well.
“I want to fill that position if she, indeed, is going to suspend her campaign,” he said. “The results didn’t happen the way I wanted them to in the primary…but with my experience in the Senate and what I stand for, I think I would be a great addition to the ticket.”
Former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who secured the Democratic nomination in the governor’s race and would have shared a ticket with Toulouse Oliver, in a statement wished her well.
“It is a courageous decision to run for office and it’s a decision all New Mexicans understand when you must step back to prioritize your family and health,” Haaland wrote. “Thank you to Maggie for your exceptional, longstanding work for New Mexico, your friendship and your courage.”
In a social media post following Toulouse Oliver’s announcement, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, whose second and final term ends this year, wrote that Toulouse Oliver “has served New Mexicans with great distinction as Secretary of State, and she would have made an excellent lieutenant governor. Maggie is a good friend and I know her decision to suspend her campaign today did not come easy. I respect that Maggie has chosen to prioritize her health and her family and I wish her all the best.”