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What does environmentalism have to do with the secretary of state race?
Not much. The secretary of state is New Mexico's top elections official, who is also the "ethics regulator," overseeing the reporting of lobbying activity and campaign finance spending. The office also maintains records relating to commerce in the state, like the registration of corporations.
That's why it's odd that Verde Voters PAC, a super PAC established by Conservation Voters New Mexico, is putting money behind the Democratic challenger in the race.
"We're Conservation Voters, right," says Victor Reyes, political director for the super PAC, stressing voters. "So it speaks to the voting element of our mission. And we believe when coming to the environment, people's voice at the ballot box matters. And they need to cast their vote for pro-environment candidates."
The Verde Voters PAC can raise and spend unlimited amounts in the election as long as it doesn't coordinate its spending with candidates. So far, it's spent $711,250 since its creation in 2012, according to data with the secretary of state's office.
While the Conservation Voters New Mexico "conservation scorecard" gives Republican Gov. Susana Martinez an "F" grade, its Verde Voters super PAC isn't supporting her opponent, Democrat Gary King, with any of its cash.
King has struggled to raise money in the race. He's spent just above $2 million while his opponent has spent $7.9 million.
The Conservation Voters political committee has instead focused media buys on the heated contest over what party will control New Mexico's House of Representatives, as well as the close race for a four-year term as secretary of state.
Reyes says the incumbents the organization is supporting in the House is the PACs "top priority." But while the group supports Gary King's environmental record, the governor's race is "just not the race that we felt we can make the difference in."
"And we could put someone over the top," he says. "And we definitely felt we had that ability in the secretary of state's race."
The PAC is throwing its cash behind Maggie Toulouse Oliver, the Democratic challenger seeking to unseat Republican incumbent Secretary of State Dianna Duran. Reyes says its supporting Oliver because of her policies on expanding voter access to the ballot box.
Reyes says the PAC has bought $70,000 in radio ads and is conducting a "phone persuasion program," that targets the secretary of state's race and other contests.
Asked if Toulouse Oliver welcomes the support from the super PAC, Alan Packman, her campaign manager, says "the campaign is focused on turning out voters all across the state." Duran's campaign did not return multiple requests for comment.
Reyes says it's "concerning" that Duran is receiving contributions from the oil and gas sector. Her last campaign finance report shows $2,350 in contributions from political committees established by three different oil and gas companies: Exxon Mobile, Conoco and Chevron.
According to its campaign finance filing, the majority of Verde Voters' contributions in October came from retired Silver City veterinarian Larry McDaniel, who donated $2,000; Patriot Majority New Mexico, a super PAC supporting Democrats across the state, which contributed $40,000; and the 501(c)4 nonprofit, League of Conservation Voters, which lists a Washington DC address and contributed $130,000.
Verde Voters was the 4th largest recipient of contributions from New Mexico's top ten political donors, according to an analysis by New Mexico In Depth that looked at giving from 2011 to this election cycle.
New Mexicans for Honest Leadership is a super PAC supporting Duran in the raise, spending just over $130,000, most of it going to Red Tag Strategies, a political mail firm affiliated with Adam Feldman, a former administration official of Gov. Martinez.
New Mexicans for Honest Leadership's sole source of cash is Advance New Mexico Now, another super PAC run by former District Attorney Matt Chandler, a Republican. SFR caught that PAC misstating the record of state Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard.
Correction appended: A previous version of this post incorrectly reported that Verde Voters spent $711,250 in the 2014 election cycle. Verde Voters has spent that amount since its creation in 2012.
Santa Fe Reporter