By Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico — The New Mexico Supreme Court on Wednesday denied the Republican Party of New Mexico’s appeal of a lower court ruling that ordered party Chair Amy Barela to leave her post.
Thirteenth Judicial District Court Judge Cindy Mercer in late May issued a ruling that prohibited Barela from continuing to serve as party chair, citing party rules that prohibit chairpersons from holding the post while also running in a contested primary. Her ruling also prohibited party leaders from endorsing candidates during the primary.
At the time of the ruling, Barela was facing off against Republican Jonathan Emery for an Otero County Commission seat. Emery narrowly beat Barela in the June 2 primary election.
Emery and other Republican candidates — gubernatorial candidate Duke Rodriguez and lieutenant governor candidate Aubrey Blair Dunn — filed the lawsuit April 30, saying that Barela violated party rules and, in doing so, disadvantaged Republican candidates competing in the primary.
The Republican party filed an emergency petition to overturn Mercer’s ruling on May 29, arguing it violated party members’ free speech rights and that courts are not the proper venue to resolve intra-party disputes.
The New Mexico Supreme Court unanimously denied that petition without explanation.
The ruling came after RPNM attorney Carter Harrison asked the court to rule on the case before June 20, when the party’s State Central Committee is scheduled to meet in Las Cruces to name a new party chairperson.
Court filings note that Barela “may” opt to run again and that “suggestions have been made that she is ineligible” due to Mercer’s ruling. Harrison’s filing notes that the defendants are “aware of no basis, now that the primary election is over, on which Ms. Barela would be ineligible.”
Barela did not respond to Source NM’s phone call Thursday morning about whether she intends to run again for party chair.
Source New Mexico is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Source New Mexico maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Julia Goldberg for questions: info@sourcenm.com.