Latest news with #LópezAskin
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Doña Ana County clerk to run for NM secretary of state
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Doña Ana County Clerk Amanda López Askin is making a bid for statewide office. López Askin launched her campaign for New Mexico's secretary of state job last week. Next year's election for secretary of state will not feature an incumbent. Current officeholder Maggie Toulouse Oliver, a Democrat, is term limited out and cannot seek a third term. López Askin said she was running to provide 'proven leadership' in the Secretary of State's Office 'to keep elections safe and help small businesses succeed.' López Askin is a Democrat who was appointed Doña Ana County clerk by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez in 2018. She was elected to full terms in 2020 and 2024. 'I am running for secretary of state because it's never been more important to protect New Mexicans' right to vote,' López Askin said. 'With our elections under assault across the country, it's important we have a secretary of state who's ready to stand up to election deniers and extremists.' López Askin, in her second term as county clerk for New Mexico's second-largest county, has a record of fighting for secure elections, her campaign said in its announcement press release. 'In 2020, when our elections were under attack, López Askin persevered, combating misinformation and pushing back on election deniers. She even partnered with law enforcement to keep election workers safe and voting running smoothly,' the announcement said. Her campaign also said that in her seven years as Doña Ana County clerk, López Askin 'has helped new businesses cut through government bureaucracy so business owners can focus on the work they are passionate about,' the press release said. 'In this time of economic uncertainty, we need to make sure that New Mexico's small businesses can compete and thrive,' López Askin said. 'As secretary of state, I will provide certainty and stability for New Mexico businesses.' Here is what the rest of her announcement said: 'López Askin is a proud public servant with deep roots in New Mexico. She was raised in Las Cruces by a proud, hard-working single mom who relied on support programs to provide a stable life for her children. With the support of her community, hard work and determination, López Askin became a family and mental health therapist and dedicated herself to helping kids in foster care. 'When the opportunity came to serve Dona Aña County as county clerk, she leapt at the chance to continue serving the community that has given her so much. As county clerk, López Askin worked with Democrats and Republicans to ensure the integrity of our elections. 'As secretary of state, Amanda will bring her lived and professional experience to serve all New Mexicans by making sure our elections remain safe, secure, and fair, providing transparency in campaign finance, and supporting New Mexico's businesses.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The race to succeed New Mexico's outgoing secretary of state is underway
Apr. 16—SANTA FE — The contest to determine New Mexico's next top elections official is starting to come into focus. Doña Ana County Clerk Amanda López Askin this week announced her 2026 campaign for secretary of state, becoming the first candidate in the race. But the Democrat might face primary election competition, as Santa Fe County Clerk Katherine Clark said she's also considering running for the office. Next year's secretary of state race will not feature an incumbent, as current officeholder Maggie Toulouse Oliver is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term in office. Toulouse Oliver, a Democrat, has served as secretary of state for eight-plus years. She was first elected to the office in 2016, following former Secretary of State Dianna Duran's resignation after being charged with using campaign funds to fuel a gambling habit. López Askin, a Las Cruces native, presented herself in an interview as a "battle-tested" candidate for the state's top elections officer, citing her experience overseeing contentious elections as well as voting during the COVID-19 pandemic, confronting misinformation about how votes are processed and defending election workers from intimidation and threats. "I have been on the front lines of literally defending our elections," she said. "It has never been more important to have somebody in the secretary of state's role that is willing to fight for the right to vote, for access to the ballot box." She was new to elections in 2018 when Doña Ana County's Board of Commissioners appointed her to complete the term of her predecessor, Democrat Scott Krahling, after he resigned. She took office five days before early voting began in an election cycle that included a widely scrutinized contest in New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District, where an unprecedented volume of absentee ballots upset what had appeared to be an election night victory for Republican Yvette Herrell, only for Democrat Xochitl Torres Small to win the seat. The unusual circumstances gave rise to rumors, conspiracy theories and threats. Herrell impounded and audited the ballots, claiming that fraud had cost her the election, although she never contested the outcome in court. López Askin said the experience, two years before the 2020 presidential election brought similar pressures to election workers nationwide, taught her the value of transparency, engaging with news media and the public to confront false information and encourage participation. "I fell in love with elections," she said, as she cited New Mexico's recent top ranking in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's state-by-state assessment of elections administration. "I continue to be amazed and impressed by how we run elections in New Mexico. I want to continue with that and I want to continue the top ranking we have." López Askin was elected to her own term as county clerk in 2020 and re-elected last November. She is barred from seeking a third term in 2028 and has said she would continue to serve in office while running for secretary of state. All New Mexico statewide offices will be on the ballot next year, including governor, attorney general and secretary of state. Duran is the only Republican who has been elected secretary of state in New Mexico going back to 1929, though Republican Brad Winter was secretary of state for one year after being appointed to the post by then-Gov. Susana Martinez following Duran's resignation.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Doña Ana County Clerk announces campaign for NM Secretary of State
Amanda López Askin (Courtesy Photo) Amanda López Askin, a Democrat who has led the Doña Ana County Clerk's office since 2018, announced her campaign Wednesday for New Mexico's top election office. López Askin, is so far the only Secretary of State candidate in the 2026 election. Current Secretary of State Maggie Tolouse Oliver has served two consecutive terms, and cannot run for the seat in the upcoming election. The position is third in succession, behind the governor and lieutenant governor. The Secretary of State administers elections, enforces ethics and keeps official records for state government. Doña Ana County commissioners appointed López Askin to the office just two months before the 2018 mid-term elections after the previous county clerk resigned; she has since won two elections to keep the seat in 2020 and 2024. López Askin will not step down from the Doña Ana County Clerk's office during the campaign, she told Source, saying she will work more and lean on Deputy County Clerk Caroline Zamora. 'I'll be working double-time evenings and weekends,' she said. 'But I will continue to lead the office in Doña Ana County.' López Askin said she has the 'perseverance and dedication' to fight electoral changes at the federal level, such as House Republicans voting for a bill that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, and the Trump Administration's recent orders to overhaul election rules, 'It's never been more important to protect the right to vote,' she said. 'I've been battle-tested. Since 2018, I have been challenged. I have had to deal with extremists and election deniers and litigation. And in every single instance, I defended what we do, and I defended it well.' Those challenges included a death threat by former Republican candidate Solomon Peña, before his arrest for organizing four shootings at the homes of four Democratic politicians after he lost an election for a New Mexico House of Representatives seat. López Askin has a masters in marriage and family therapy, along with a PhD in educational leadership from New Mexico State University. According to campaign finance records, López Askin has just under $19,000 in the campaign's coffers, transferred from her previous county clerk campaign. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
