It’s been one of the worst-kept secrets in Santa Fe, and on Thursday, New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver confirmed the speculation about her ambition by declaring herself a candidate for lieutenant governor.
Toulouse Oliver, who spent nearly a decade as the state’s chief elections official, kicked off her entry into the race with a 40-second video, in which she portrayed herself as a battle-tested warrior, willing to spar with the Trump administration.
“Donald Trump is attacking our democracy and pushing an extreme agenda. New Mexico needs a fighter who will stand up to him. That is why I am running for lieutenant governor,” she said.
For weeks, Toulouse Oliver, 49, has been laying the foundation for a campaign launch.
Reports show that since late September, $20,500 has flowed into Toulouse Oliver’s campaign. That is more than the combined total of the six-month cash haul of her two competitors for the nomination.
On Wednesday, in an interview with New Mexico Political Report, Toulouse Oliver insisted that she had initially planned to step away from the political stage when her term as secretary of state ends.
“I was kind of ready to bow out of government, and I decided this is not the time to do that. We’re at a critical time in our nation’s history, there is a lot going on, and I think New Mexico needs people who are experienced in running the government,” she said.
Toulouse Oliver was elected Bernalillo County Clerk in 2006, and held that office until winning a special election ten years later for secretary of state. She was elected to a full term in 2018 and reelected in 2022. In 2020, Toulouse Oliver briefly embarked on a campaign for the U.S. Senate, but ended her bid before the primary.
In New Mexico, Toulouse Oliver admitted that the lieutenant governor’s duties are not all that heavy on policy, but believes that she can provide a valuable voice.
“I am hoping to be a senior advisor to whichever Democratic candidate wins the governor’s race, and I’m hoping to be able to focus on economic development policy, which outside of voting, is my passion,” she said.
Challenging Toulouse Oliver for the Democratic nomination are state Sen. Harold Pope (D-Albuquerque) and Jackie Lee Onsuarez, a member of the Loving Village Council.
Last week, another contender for the nomination, New Mexico Public Lands Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, suspended her campaign. The eventual nominee will likely face Manuel Lardizabal, the only Republican so far to enter the race.
Pope is likely to be Toulouse Oliver’s biggest rival for the nomination. Toulouse Oliver said that while Pope is “a good man” she believes that her executive experience and statewide name recognition give her the advantage. Reporting last week showed that Pope had raised just over $7,000 last quarter and had $17,000 in the bank.
“I don’t take anything away from him, but I think I am just the way stronger candidate in the race,” she said.