How to run in New Mexico, 2028
What it takes to get on New Mexico's 2028 ballot for the U.S. House or President, from the state's election office and laws. New Mexico has no U.S. Senate seat up in 2028.
U.S. House
Who can run
- At least 25 years old
- A U.S. citizen for at least 7 years
- Living in the state when elected (the Constitution doesn't require living in the district)
Getting on the New Mexico ballot
| Where to file | New Mexico Secretary of State (Bureau of Elections), Santa Fe. U.S. Representative candidates file with the Secretary of State, not the county clerk. |
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| When | Major-party candidates for U.S. Representative file their declaration of candidacy and nominating petitions on the first Tuesday in February of the even-numbered year, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (NMSA 1978 § 1-8-26(A)); for 2028 that is Tuesday, February 1, 2028. A candidate who seeks but does not receive pre-primary convention designation may file a new declaration and additional signatures either 10 days after the convention or on the general filing day (second Tuesday in March in 2026), whichever is later (§ 1-8-33(D)). (expected: follows state law; the 2028 calendar isn't published yet) |
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| How | In person at the filing officer's office during the filing-day hours, by the candidate or by a designee with a signed Affidavit of Designee. File the Declaration of Candidacy (completed beforehand; information must match the candidate's voter registration, including party) together with original nominating petition pages on the Secretary of State's prescribed form. Signatures may be gathered on paper or through the SOS electronic petition portal (printed out for filing), or a combination. The campaign committee registration form is not required for federal candidates. |
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| Fee | None. Offices that require nominating petitions, including U.S. Representative, pay no filing fee. |
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| Petition instead | Major-party primary: signatures of voters of the candidate's party in the congressional district equal to at least 2% of the party's total vote for governor at the last primary in which it nominated a governor, or 77 voters, whichever is greater (§ 1-8-33). 2026 figures were District 1: 946 (D) / 938 (R); District 2: 584 (D) / 657 (R); District 3: 974 (D) / 755 (R); the SOS recalculates for each cycle. A candidate not receiving convention designation may add signatures to total at least 4%. Unaffiliated (decline-to-state) candidates do not run in the primary; they file a declaration of candidacy and a petition signed by district voters equal to 2% of the district's vote for governor at the last general election (2026 figures: 5,678 / 3,903 / 4,619 for Districts 1-3), filed on the 23rd day after the primary (§§ 1-8-51, 1-8-52). Registration must show no qualified-party affiliation on the date of the SOS general election proclamation. Minor-party candidates need 1% under § 1-8-2. |
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Official filing information · U.S. Constitution
President
Who can run: At least 35 years old; A natural-born U.S. citizen; A U.S. resident for at least 14 years (U.S. Constitution).
Getting on New Mexico's presidential primary ballot
| How | Candidates do not file. A committee convened in Santa Fe nominates the primary candidates and certifies them to the Secretary of State. The committee is chaired by the chief justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court and includes the house speaker, the house and senate minority floor leaders, the senate president pro tempore, and the state chairs of the participating major parties. It names everyone generally advocated and nationally recognized or supported as candidates of those major parties (NMSA 1-15A-5). A candidate the committee does not name can get on by petition (NMSA 1-15A-6). The Secretary of State notifies each nominee by certified mail. A nominee stays on the ballot unless the nominee asks in writing, at least 63 days before the election, to be removed (NMSA 1-15A-7). The presidential primary is held with the state primary (NMSA 1-15A-2) on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June (NMSA 1-8-11): June 6, 2028. A major party may opt out of the primary and use its own selection procedure by notifying the Secretary of State at least 30 days before the governor must issue the primary proclamation (NMSA 1-15A-3). |
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| Where | New Mexico Secretary of State, 325 Don Gaspar, Suite 300, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (petitions go on the SOS-prescribed form). |
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| When | Committee certification is due no later than February 15, 2028. Petitions are due by 5:00 p.m. on the 30th day after the committee's nominations (March 16, 2028 if the committee acts on February 15; earlier if it acts sooner). The deadline to ask to be withdrawn is 63 days before the primary: April 4, 2028. (expected: follows state law) |
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| Fee | None stated in the Presidential Primary Act (NMSA 1-15A). |
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| Petition | Optional route: signatures of registered voters in each congressional district equal to at least 2% of the total presidential vote cast in that district at the last preceding presidential election (2024). Each voter may sign only one such petition (NMSA 1-15A-6). |
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Sources: Item (nmonesource.com)
Running as an independent in November
| How | File a sworn Declaration of Independent Candidacy for President and, at the same time, a nominating petition with the required signatures. The vice-presidential candidate files a sworn Declaration of Independent Candidacy for Vice President (NMSA 1-8-49). The candidate's voter registration must show no affiliation with a qualified political party on the date of the Secretary of State's general election proclamation (NMSA 1-8-45; SOS 2026 Candidate Guide). Signers must be New Mexico voters but need not share a party (NMSA 1-8-50). A voter may not sign petitions for two independent candidates for the same office (NMSA 1-8-51(G)). |
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| Where | New Mexico Secretary of State (the proper filing officer for federal offices under NMSA 1-1-5.9), 325 Don Gaspar, Suite 300, Santa Fe, NM 87501. |
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| When | Single filing day: between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the 23rd day after the primary (NMSA 1-8-52(B)): Thursday, June 29, 2028. (expected: follows state law) |
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| Fee | None stated in statute or the SOS candidate guide. |
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| Petition | The same number of signatures required to qualify a new political party (NMSA 1-8-51(B)). That is at least one-half of one percent of the total votes cast for governor at the preceding general election (NMSA 1-7-2(A)). For 2028 the base is the November 3, 2026 governor's race. SOS publishes the exact count with its petition forms. That count was not yet published as of this check. |
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| Also | Yes, the running mate and electors are named. The vice-presidential candidate files a separate sworn declaration. The presidential candidate must name independent presidential electors who are registered New Mexico voters, of any or no party; U.S. senators, U.S. representatives and other federal officeholders are ineligible (NMSA 1-8-49(D)). For 2024, SOS posted a 'Nominating Petition for Independent Candidacy for the Office of President' and the presidential and vice-presidential declaration forms on its General Election Candidate Information page; expect 2028 versions there. |
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Sources: Item (nmonesource.com) · IT-0106-19C8BDB9C6B-0D43C033C1201771C1-2026-Primary Candidat… · 2024 general election candidate information (sos.nm.gov)
Campaign money
- Once you raise or spend more than $5,000, file a Statement of Candidacy (FEC Form 2) within 15 days.
- Your campaign committee then files a Statement of Organization (FEC Form 1) within 10 days and reports to the FEC.
FEC: registering as a candidate · FEC campaign guides
Checked November 4, 2026. Rules can change; confirm with New Mexico's election office and the FEC before you file. ← All states
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