Members of the Forward Party have launched a new affiliate in New Mexico following a change to state election law recently signed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham allowing unaffiliated voters to participate in primary elections.
According to local media, the New Mexico Forward Party held its formal launch this month at the Old San Ysidro Church in Corrales. The announcement follows the enactment of Senate Bill 16, legislation passed earlier this year that establishes semi-open primaries in New Mexico.
The state party is chaired by Bob Perls, a former Democratic state representative and founder of New Mexico Open Elections, an electoral reform nonprofit that advocated for the measure recently signed by Grisham. In interviews with Source New Mexico and IVN, Perls said the affiliate intends to focus on further election reforms such as redistricting and campaign finance, along with broader changes aimed at increasing voter participation in competitive races.
The party is also seeking to collect 3,500 valid signatures to qualify as a ballot-access recognized minor party, as it plans to field candidates in the 2026 election cycle targeting legislators who opposed opening up the primary process. As of this article, New Mexico currently recognizes four political organizations: the Republican, Democratic, Green, and Libertarian parties.
According to a map of state affiliates maintained by the national Forward Party, New Mexico is the 28th state where an organizing committee has been established or where such a committee is pursuing recognition. The party currently has state-recognized affiliates in Colorado, Utah, Florida, and South Carolina, as well as official local committees in the Connecticut towns of Stonington Borough and Newton.
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