Lori Martinez wins Democratic House District 37 primary
Lori Martinez won the Democratic primary for New Mexico House District 37 and is set to face Republican Isabella Solis in November.
Lori A. Martinez is set to face Republican Isabella Solis in November for the Doña Ana County seat held by retiring Rep. Joanne Ferrary.
Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News
LAS CRUCES - Lori A. Martinez won the Democratic primary for New Mexico House District 37 on Tuesday night, advancing in the race to succeed retiring state Rep. Joanne Ferrary.
With all 27 precincts reporting partial returns at 9:30 p.m., Lori A. Martinez had 1,761 votes, or 60%, while Matilda "Tilli" McCarthy Villalobos had 1,193 votes, or 40%, according to unofficial election results from the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office.
Republican Isabella Solis was unopposed in her party’s primary and is set to face Martinez in the November general election.
Ferrary, a Democrat, announced in January that she would not seek reelection after representing House District 37 for the past decade. Her departure created an open-seat race in the Doña Ana County district.
Martinez is executive director of Ngage New Mexico and told KRWG she has worked as a social worker in southern New Mexico for 23 years. Her campaign has emphasized early childhood education, health care access, paid family and medical leave, public benefits and education-to-workforce pathways.
New Mexico In Depth and Source New Mexico interviewed both Democratic candidates ahead of the primary about education, economic development and Project Jupiter, the proposed data center development in southern Doña Ana County that has raised questions about water use and environmental effects.
Danielle Prokop
Villalobos called for legislative oversight, environmental responsibility and ensuring jobs tied to the project benefit New Mexicans. Martinez raised concerns about transparency surrounding the project’s water use and emissions.
Updated unofficial vote counts are available on the Secretary of State's website. The results are unofficial until canvassed.
Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis.
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