SANTA FE, N.M., April 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The New Mexico Supreme Court has ruled that Republican gubernatorial candidate Duke Rodriguez will stay on the ballot for the June 2, 2026 primary election. The New Mexico Supreme Court’s decision hammers the final nail into the coffin of multiple attempts to strike Rodriguez’s name from the ballot.
On April 1, 2026, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled in Rodriguez’s favor in an appeal brought by plaintiffs James Maes and John Rockwell. That appeal sought to overturn a prior trial court decision rendered by Judge Curtis Gurley of the Seventh Judicial District Court in Aztec, New Mexico. The Supreme Court case is numbered S-1-SC-41325.
The Supreme Court’s order is the final answer to the question of whether Duke Rodriguez may legally run for governor.
“Now that the New Mexico Supreme Court has spoken, no questions remain. I, Duke Rodriguez, can legally run for governor. And I will continue my run for governor,” Rodriguez declared.
“I thank New Mexico’s courts, judges, and justices for handling this matter so professionally,” Rodriguez said. “Although responding to these legal maneuvers wasted a lot of time and energy, I must look on the bright side: the process gave me a much deeper understanding of New Mexico law and procedure. I want to share that understanding with voters. Voters deserve to know the entire sequence of events which led us to today’s final decision.”
The sequence of events began on February 3, 2026, when statewide candidates submitted petition signatures to the Secretary of State. Duke Rodriguez submitted around 8,000 signatures on February 3. On that basis, the New Mexico Secretary of State qualified him to run for governor.
On February 12, 2026, plaintiffs James Maes and John Rockwell sued Duke Rodriguez. The suit, which was numbered D-116-CV-2026-00277, begged the District Court to remove Rodriguez’s name from the ballot on the basis that Rodriguez was allegedly not qualified to run for governor. Maes and Rockwell brought their suit pro se, meaning they were not represented by an attorney and proceeded on their own.
A similar suit was filed on February 13, 2026 by plaintiff James Ellison, a competitor for the Republican nomination for governor. The Ellison case was numbered D-101-CV-2026-0464. Ellison also alleged that Rodriguez was not qualified to run for governor and also begged the Court to strike Rodriguez’s name from the ballot.
In the Maes/Rockwell case, Judge Curtis Gurley conducted a lengthy hearing on February 24, 2026 in a courtroom in Aztec, New Mexico. Judge Gurley held that the Court would not overturn or reverse Duke Rodriguez’s qualification for the primary election.
Judge Gurley entered his written order on March 4, 2026. Judge Gurley’s decision meant that Duke Rodriguez’s name stayed on the ballot.
In the case brought by competitor candidate James Ellison, Judge Matthew Wilson of the First Judicial District Court held a hearing on February 27, 2026 in Santa Fe. Judge Wilson dismissed Ellison’s case because of both substantive and procedural shortcomings. Judge Wilson’s decision likewise meant that Duke Rodriguez remained a viable and qualified candidate for office.
On March 9, 2026, Maes and Rockwell filed a Notice of Appeal with the New Mexico Supreme Court, pleading with the state’s highest court to revisit their suit, to second-guess Judge Gurley, and to kick Duke Rodriguez off the ballot.
The New Mexico Supreme Court rejected the plaintiffs’ attempts at a Hail Mary pass. In a ruling entered on April 1, 2026, the New Mexico Supreme Court simply stated, “It is further ordered that the order of the district court, filed on March 4, 2026, in cause number D-1116-CV-2026-00277 is affirmed.”
The Court’s order stated, “It is further ordered that there shall be no rehearing and this order shall serve as the mandate of the Court pursuant to Rule 12-603(J) NMRA.”
The Supreme Court thus affirmed Judge Gurley’s earlier decision keeping Rodriguez’s name on the ballot. The Supreme Court’s decision was unanimous.
As for the suit brought by competitor candidate James Ellison, the clock ran out on that suit several weeks ago.
“I have learned over the past weeks that all of the special rules and laws on election cases exist to protect voters,” Duke Rodriguez recounted. “When someone tries to remove a candidate from the ballot, what they really want to do is restrict voter choice. Voters, not political machines, should choose the candidates who win.”
Albuquerque attorney Jacob Candelaria, himself a former New Mexico state senator, represented Duke Rodriguez in both lawsuits. His reaction to the Supreme Court decision: “The lesson here is that if you come for the Duke, you better not miss.”
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E: kristina@runwithduke.com
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