Candidate Information for November 7, 2023, Election | City of Santa Fe

Candidate Information for November 7, 2023, Election

28 Apr, 2023

The local regular election for Municipal Judge and City Council (one seat in each district) will take place on November 7, 2023.

Forms and information for candidates seeking Public Campaign Financing for an elected position will be available beginning Monday, May 8, 2023.

Additional Information will be available on the City’s website. 

All candidates must be residents of the city of Santa Fe. In determining the residency of candidates, the rules set forth in Section 1-1-7 NMSA 1978 shall apply.

City Councilor Candidates: only persons residing in the municipal election district they seek to represent and who otherwise meet all applicable requirements imposed by law or ordinance shall be allowed to be candidates for the position of city councilor.

Municipal Judge Candidates: Only persons residing in the city of Santa Fe and who otherwise meet all applicable requirements imposed by law or ordinance shall be allowed to be candidates for the position of municipal judge.

 

Candidates Seeking to Utilize Public Campaign Financing 

Any candidate for Municipal Judge or City Councilor may qualify as a participating candidate eligible to receive payments from the Public Campaign Finance Fund. 

Per City Code, the qualifying period means the period during which a candidate seeking to become a publicly financed candidate is permitted to collect $5 qualifying contributions and to apply for certification as a participating candidate. Qualification begins 183 days (May 8, 2023) before the election and ends 106 days (July 24, 2023) before the election. The qualifying period only applies to publicly financed candidates.

 

Participating candidates shall collect the requisite number of five dollar ($5) qualifying contributions as follows:

  • Municipal Judge Candidates: Six hundred (600) five dollar ($5) qualifying contributions from separate city of Santa Fe registered voters.
  • City Councilor Candidates: One hundred fifty (150) five dollar ($5) qualifying contributions from separate registered voters in the council district in which the candidate is running.

 

Qualification for Candidacy

A candidate for the office of Municipal Judge for a four-year term shall:

  • be a registered voter who resides within the city limits of the city of Santa Fe;
  • file a Nominating Petition containing the valid names, addresses and signatures of at least one-half of one percent of the registered voters of the city.

 

A candidate for the office of City Councilor for a four-year term, for any of the four (4) council districts, shall:

  • be a registered voter who resides within the district from which they are running; and
  • file with a Nominating Petition containing the valid names, addresses and signatures of at least one-half of one percent of the registered voters of the district which the candidate seeks to represent.

 

If you are interested in running for elected office, you can also contact the City Clerk at kmmihelcic@santafenm.gov (subject line: November 7, 2023, Election) for additional information.

The City "opted-in" to the Local Election Act in 2018 (Ord. 2018-24) and is no longer responsible for running the election. The election is conducted by Santa Fe County.

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