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Campaign finance requirements in New Mexico
 in New Mexico |
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Federal campaign finance laws and regulations |
|---|
| Campaign finance reform |
| History of campaign finance reform |
| State by state comparison of campaign finance reporting requirements |
| Election policy |
| State information |
Campaign finance requirements govern how much money candidates and campaigns may receive from individuals and organizations, how they must report those contributions, and how much individuals, organizations, and political parties may contribute to campaigns. In addition to direct campaign contributions, campaign finance laws also apply to third-party organizations and nonprofit organizations that seek to influence elections through independent expenditures or issue advocacy.
This page provides background on campaign finance regulation, lists contribution limits to state candidates and ballot measures in New Mexico, compares contribution limits to gubernatorial and state legislative candidates in New Mexico with those from other states, and details the candidate reporting requirements in New Mexico.
The information on this page pertains to candidates for state office and state ballot measures. Candidates for federal office are subject to federal campaign finance law. Candidates for local office are subject to all applicable state laws as well as any separate local campaign finance regulations.[1]
Background
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the independent regulatory agency that administers and enforces federal campaign election laws. The FEC is responsible for disclosing campaign finance information, enforcing limits and prohibitions on contributions, and overseeing public funding of presidential elections.[2] According to the FEC, an individual becomes a federal candidate and must begin reporting campaign finances once he or she has either raised or spent $5,000 in his or her campaign. Within fifteen days of this benchmark, the candidate must register with the FEC and designate an official campaign committee, which is responsible for the funds and expenditures of the campaign. This committee must have an official treasurer and cannot support any candidate but the one who registered it. Detailed financial reports are then made to the FEC every financial quarter after the individual is registered. Reports are also made before primaries and before the general election.[3]
The Supreme Court of the United States has issued a number of rulings pertaining to federal election campaign finance regulations. In the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision, the court held that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited. The court's decision also overturned the ban on for-profit and not-for-profit corporations and unions broadcasting electioneering communications in the 30 days before a presidential primary and in the 60 days before a general election.[4] In the SpeechNOW.org v. Federal Election Commission decision, the first application of the Citizens United decision, the court held that contribution limits on what individuals could give to independent expenditure-only groups, and the amount these organizations could receive, were unconstitutional. Contribution limits on donations directly to candidates, however, remained unchanged.[5][6] In 2014's McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission decision, the court overturned biennial aggregate campaign contribution limits, and held that individuals may contribute to as many federal candidates as they want, but may only contribute up to the federal limit in each case.[7]
While the FEC governs federal election campaigns and contribution limits, individual states enforce their own regulation and reporting requirements. Regulations vary by state, as do limits on campaign contributions and third-party activities to influence elections. Candidates for local office must follow any applicable state and local campaign finance regulations.
Contribution limits
The table below details contribution limits as they applied to various types of individuals and groups in New Mexico as of August 2025. The uppermost row of the table indicates the contributor, while the leftmost column indicates the recipient.
| Individuals | PACs | Candidate | Legislative caucus committee | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| To a non-gubernatorial candidate | $6,200 | $6,200 | $6,200 | $6,200 | |||||
| To a gubernatorial candidate | $12,400 | $12,400 | $12,400 | $12,400 | |||||
| To a PAC | $6,200 | $6,200 | $6,200 | $6,200 | |||||
| To a PAC | $31,000 | $31,000 | $31,000 | $31,000 | |||||
| Limits apply per election cycle. | |||||||||
| Sources: New Mexico Secretary of State, "Campaign Contribution Limits," accessed August 15, 2025 | |||||||||
State comparisons in the 2024 elections
Candidate reporting requirements
See statutes: Article 19 of the New Mexico Election Code
A candidate for state-level office must register with the New Mexico Secretary of State upon: 1.) raising or spending $1,000 or more for a non-statewide race; 2.) raising or spending $3,000 or more for a statewide race; 3.) or at the time of filing a declaration of candidacy, whichever occurs earlier.[9]
Statutory requirements
A treasurer must be appointed and constantly maintained. A candidate may also serve as the candidate's own treasurer. All disbursements of money and contributions must be authorized by the candidate or treasurer. A separate bank account must be established and all contributions of money contributions and all expenditures of money must be deposited in and disbursed from this account. The treasurer, upon disbursing or receiving money or other things of value, must immediately enter and thereafter keep a proper record of such transactions.[10]
No anonymous contributions may be accepted in excess of $100. The aggregate amount of anonymous contributions received by a candidate during a primary or general election cannot exceed $2,000 for statewide races or $500 for all other races.[11]
It is unlawful during the prohibited period for a state legislator or a candidate for state legislator, or any agent on behalf of either, to knowingly solicit a contribution for a political purpose. "Prohibited period" means the period beginning January 1 prior to any regular session of the state legislature and ending on adjournment of the regular or special session.[12]
Reporting requirements
Campaign finance reports are filed electronically through the New Mexico Campaign Finance Information System. Each required report of expenditures and contributions must include the following:[13]
- the name and address of the person or entity to whom an expenditure was made or from whom a contribution was received, except as provided for anonymous contributions
- the occupation or type of business of any person or entity making contributions of $250 or more in the aggregate per election
- the amount of the expenditure or contribution or value thereof
- the purpose of the expenditure
- the date the expenditure was made or the contribution was received
Each report must contain an opening and closing cash balance for the bank account maintained by the reporting individual during the reporting period and the name of the financial institution. Each report must specify the amount of each unpaid debt and the identity of the person to whom the debt is owed.
Public inspection of reports
A report of expenditures and contributions filed by a candidate's committee is a public record open to public inspection during regular office hours in the office in which the document was filed.[14]
Campaign finance legislation
The table below displays bills related to campaign finance introduced during or carried over to New Mexico's current legislative session.[15]
Election and campaign ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked 18 statewide ballot measures relating to elections and campaigns.
- New Mexico Amendment 4 (1996)
- New Mexico Amendment 3 (1996)
- New Mexico Amendment 2 (1996)
- New Mexico Rules for County Officials in their Second Terms, Amendment 3 (1998)
- New Mexico Modern Election Language Amendment, Amendment 3 (2010)
- New Mexico School Elections Act, Amendment 4 (2008)
- New Mexico Runoff Elections, Measure 3 (2004)
- New Mexico School Board, Amendment 1 (2008)
- New Mexico Dates for School Elections, Amendment 1 (2014)
- New Mexico Candidacy Declarations in Judicial Retention Elections, Amendment 3 (2014)
- New Mexico Proposed Amendment 11, Voter Qualification (1994)
- New Mexico Proposed Amendment 1, Absentee Voting (1940)
- New Mexico Proposed Amendment, Absentee Voting (1958)
- New Mexico Proposed Amendment, Joint Election of Governor and Lieutenant Governor (1962)
- New Mexico Proposed Amendment, Absentee Voting, Removal of Voting Restrictions for Women and Indians (1964)
- New Mexico Proposed Amendment, Municipal Bonds, Special Elections, Nonresident Voting (1964)
- New Mexico Nominating Conventions for Candidates Referendum (1950)
- New Mexico Nominating Conventions for Candidates Referendum (1964)
Contact information
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in New Mexico can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
New Mexico County Clerks
New Mexico Secretary of State: Elections Division
- 325 Don Gaspar, Suite 300
- Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501-4401
- Phone: 505-827-3600
- Email: elections@sos.nm.gov
- Website: https://www.sos.nm.gov
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
- 1050 First Street, NE
- Washington, DC 20463
- Telephone: (202)-694-1100
- Toll-free: 1-800-424-9530
- Email: info@fec.gov
- Website: http://www.fec.gov/
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms New Mexico campaign finance. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Campaign finance regulation
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in New Mexico
- New Mexico
Footnotes
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Campaign Finance Enforcement," accessed May 28, 2025
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "About the FEC," accessed June 27, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate Registration Brochure," accessed December 7, 2012
- ↑ New York Times, "Justices, 5-4, Reject Corporate Spending Limit," January 21, 2010
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Speechnow.org v. FEC," April 7, 2014
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "Two Federal Court Rulings Could Change Campaign Finance Landscape," March 26, 2010
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Ongoing Litigation," accessed March 18, 2015
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Limits on Contributions to Candidates 2023-2024 Election Cycle," accessed May 8, 2025
- ↑ Justia, "NM Admin Code 1.10.13.8," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ Justia, "New Mexico Statutes Chapter 1-19-34," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ Justia, "New Mexico Statutes Chapter 1-19-34(B)," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ Justia, "New Mexico Statutes Chapter 1-19-34.1(A)," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ Justia, "New Mexico Statutes Chapter 1-19-31," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ Justia, "New Mexico Statutes Chapter 1-19-32(A)(2)," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ Bills are organized by most recent action. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.
