New Mexico Congressional Hopeful Defeats Liberal Secretary of State’s Ruling to Keep Her Off the Ballot
Shane Trejo
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The New Mexico supreme court has determined by a 4-1 decision to restore Republican Congressional candidate Anise Golden Morper to the ballot after the state’s liberal Secretary of State attempted to toss her from the 3rd District race.
New Mexico secretary of state Maggie Toulouse Oliver, a far-left Democrat, attempted to toss Morper from the ballot, alleging that Morper’s campaign used improper forms to collect signatures. Morper maintained that her campaign used the forms printed off of the state website and was completely lawful in her conduct.
“It’s really up to the voters who they want to represent them. Let’s leave it up to the voters,” Morper said while the case was ongoing. “I believe that they have a fear that I can beat their Democrat nominee, and therefore they are attempting to remove me so I cannot be a threat and there’s no chance for me to win this seat.
“It’s unfair game playing. If the field was equal, we would allow everyone’s petitions to be seen, especially if the signatures were valid,” she added.
The state supreme court found Morper’s arguments to be convincing, and they in turn ordered for the district court to vacate their previous order disqualifying Morper and entered in a new order directing the Secretary of State to allow her on the ballots.
Morper talked to Big League Politics about the challenges that have resulted from the Secretary of State attempting to torpedo her rising campaign.
“In a way, it set me back, but in another way, it was amazing the support I had, and to see the people that wanted their voices heard,” she told Big League Politics.
“It was bittersweet because I was moving in a certain direction and had to divert attention away from running my campaign, but it was more sweet than bitter because of the support of the people,” she added.
Morper sees the fight as being more than about her campaign and having broader 1st Amendment implication. She felt that all of the people who signed her petitions had their voices nullified by the secretary of state’s unjust order that was overturned.
“We have a right to petition the government, and that’s what this case was all about,” she explained. “It wasn’t just me who won. This was a victory for the 1st Amendment.”
Morper explained that this victory is emblematic of how she will successfully defend the rights of the people once she elected in Washington D.C.
“I am the strongest candidate. I am the candidate that will take on big government and to protect the Constitutional rights of the people,” she said.
Following the New Mexico supreme court ruling, Morper is back on the ballot for the 3rd Congressional race, which is an open seat due to the departure of influential Democrat Rep. Ben Ray Luján, who is running for U.S. Senate. Morper’s GOP primary opponents include Navajo Nation member Karen Bedonie, cattle rancher Audra Brown, former Santa Fe County Commissioner Harry Montoya, and engineer Alexis Johnson.
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