District Court Judge Karl Reifsteck (D)

District Court Judge Karl Reifsteck was appointed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on July 7 to a newly created judicial post in 13th Judicial District Court. Sandoval County Clerk Anne Brady-Romero denied this action because Reifsteck did not register to vote in Sandoval County until June 4.

County Clerk Ann Brady-Romero (D)

State law requires that a candidate nominated by the central committee of a political party must have been eligible to run for the office at the time the election proclamation is issued, Brady-Romero wrote.

Reifsteck filed a lawsuit Aug. 29 asking Judge Francis J. Matthew, who was appointed by the Supreme Court, to order Brady-Romero to place his name on the general election ballot. Reifsteck argued that the judicial post he is seeking did not exist until July 1, when three new judgeships were created statewide.

The  case lasted four days in court. As a result, the judge ordered Brady-Romero to put Reifsteck on the ballot. The judge issued a “Writ of Mandamus” which tells an elected official to do their job correctly.

Find out more about the general election and the new positions installed by the governor here.