ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., March 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gubernatorial candidate Duke Rodriguez has defeated two separate legal attacks seeking to remove him from the 2026 election ballot. Rodriguez's campaign, which he has dubbed 'Run With Duke,' won favorable court rulings in two lawsuits, in two separate judicial districts, from two different judges. With two courtroom victories secured, candidate Rodriguez will appear on the June 2, 2026 Republican primary election ballot. Judge Curtis Gurley, who sits in Aztec, New Mexico, dismissed one of the lawsuits on February 24th, 2026 after a lengthy hearing. Judge Matthew Wilson, sitting in Santa Fe, dismissed the second lawsuit on February 27th. The two cases were captioned D-1116-CV-2026-00277 and D-101-CV-2026-00464, respectively. “Certain political operatives tried to manufacture confusion because they cannot win on substance,” Duke Rodriguez said. “New Mexicans deserve an honest campaign, not courtroom theater. Fortunately, the judges in these cases–Judge Gurley and Judge Wilson–displayed an admirably high level of intellect, professionalism, and efficiency. The judges rose above the politically manufactured sabotage efforts.” Rather than nitpick the validity of Rodriguez's supporting petition signatures, Rodriguez's opponents attacked him on residency. In both of the two lawsuits, the plaintiffs alleged that Rodriguez's candidacy violates Article V, Section 3 of the New Mexico Constitution, despite the New Mexico Secretary of State already certifying Rodriguez as a proper gubernatorial candidate. Two New Mexico judges rejected the plaintiffs' plea to revisit the issue of ballot access qualifications. Instead of focusing on the plaintiffs' merely hypothetical arguments, the judges focused on the actual qualifications for a candidate to run for office. The judges refused to enter the political fray and properly recognized voters' power to make their own decisions. Additionally, in one of the lawsuits, the court held that the plaintiff did not comply with special procedural rules governing ballot access challenges. In the Santa Fe case, styled D-101-CV-2026-00464, Judge Wilson held that missed deadlines and overlooked notification mandates resulted in the court losing jurisdiction over the matter. “When opponents cannot win on ideas, they try to win in court,” Rodriguez stated. “It should be up to voters, not judges, to decide who will be the next governor of New Mexico.” Albuquerque attorney Jacob Candelaria represented Rodriguez in both cases. Candelaria, himself a former New Mexico state senator, colorfully articulated the stakes when he said, “The plaintiffs in these cases brought a butter knife to a gunfight. If you want to kick someone off of a ballot and disenfranchise voters, you better not miss. The plaintiffs here missed.” The losing plaintiffs can try to appeal to the New Mexico Supreme Court, but with deadlines looming to print ballots for overseas and military voters, “time is not on their side,” Candelaria opined. “We can leave these frivolous lawsuits behind in the dust,” Duke Rodriguez declared. “Now, can run all over the Land of Enchantment making our case to voters on crime, healthcare, immigration, and building a stronger economy so families can thrive. My mantra has become, 'New Mexico is not a poor state. It is a poorly run state.'” Finally, Rodriguez added, “I really loved one thing Judge Gurley said during our hearing: 'the law is there to be read.'” Press Inquiries: A PDF accompanying this announcement is available at http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/1e0157af-f7a9-4bcb-972d-a1e0f8f0a160
E: kristina@runwithduke.com
