Forward Party CEO Agrees with New Mexico Attorney General

Forward Party CEO Agrees with New Mexico Attorney General: Minor Party Signature Requirements in the State are Unconstitutional

Washington D.C. – September 14, 2026 – “Late last week we learned the Attorney General of New Mexico, Raúl Torrez, filed an amicus curiae in support of the New Mexico Forward Party’s motion for injunctive relief in its lawsuit, ‘New Mexico Forward Party v. Toulouse Oliver’.

“Our party’s motion for relief asserts the state law requiring minor political party candidates to gather 14,200 signatures each in order to appear on the general election ballot — even after achieving statewide minor party status — is overly burdensome and wildly misaligned with the Democratic candidate requirement of 2,505 signatures and the Republican candidate requirement of 2,351.

“Simply put, New Mexico’s attorney general — a Democrat — agrees that asking minor party candidates in the state to achieve many multiples of what is required of legacy party candidates is unfair, prevents reasonable competition at the polls and effectively eliminates challenges to legacy party candidates in the state. We agree with Attorney General Torrez in his assessment that these burdensome signature requirements are not only unfair, but also unconstitutional.

“The American people are beginning to understand that Democrats and Republicans alike have a vested interest in maintaining their duopoly on American politics. Wrestling power from one another, back and forth, is more closely aligned with the theatrics associated with the lead up to a WWE championship match than representative, consensus-based governance intended by the framers of our constitution. The people of New Mexico deserve choices in who and how they are governed. The easiest way to provide additional candidate options is to even the playing field and equalize signature requirements regardless of party affiliation.

“We at the Forward Party are grateful to Attorney General Torrez for his courage in filing this historic amicus curiae and look forward to the full resolution of this issue — with Forward Party candidates fully present and on the ballot this November.”

— Forward Party CEO, Lindsey Williams Drath

About Forward Party

The Forward Party is bringing moderates, conservatives, and progressives together to heal our political divisions, find our shared ground, and create a brighter future for America. Forward Party candidates are accountable to the voters, and they will focus on solutions, not partisan fighting, in order to serve their constituents better.

If you’re tired of waiting for the system to fix itself — this is your moment.
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