About the ProgressNow New Mexico Votes Voter Guide
ProgressNow New Mexico Votes is dedicated to a vision that prioritizes systemically excluded communities to ensure that families and individuals have equitable access to the tools and resources they need to grow, create, and thrive in our communities. We use our Progressive Voter Guide (PVG) to support candidates who will champion policies that communities across our state have been working towards for years, working towards an equitable and just New Mexico.
For the November 2024 elections, we have included research for every contested race in the US Senate and House and in the State Senate and House. If you do not see a specific race listed, it is because it is an uncontested seat. The research team exhaustively researches candidates for several months, ensuring the information we provide is accurate, transparent, and the information voters need to make a choice based on their values.
Which locations and races do we include?
Unfortunately, our small team cannot research and write recommendations for each of the hundreds of candidates who run each year. We prioritize which races to research based on many factors, including:
- The number of voters and progressive voters in the jurisdiction
- If it is a political swing area or has a potentially close race with broader political or policy implications
- If partners identify a candidate or race as a high priority
- If the candidate identifies as being a member of a historically underrepresented group
- What information is available on candidates in the races (i.e. did they return a questionnaire, do they have a website, etc.)
What information do we consider for our recommendations?
We compile information from many sources, including, but not limited to:
- Candidate campaign websites and social media pages
- News articles
- Candidate statements for other voter guides
- Legislative voting records
- Candidate partner endorsement questionnaires
- Partner organization endorsements
- Past campaigns and election results
- Candidate mentions and/or affiliations with other community groups
How do we make decisions in complicated races?
There are multiple factors that we consider in making our recommendations in crowded or politically complex races. Here are some factors considered, roughly in order of importance. However, sometimes a single factor, like inappropriate behavior or a vote on a key policy issue can outweigh everything else.
- Partner endorsements: We strongly weigh the endorsements of our official partner organizations, which are listed on the website. We give extra weight to candidates who have diversity of partner support across varying issue areas (i.e. both Environmental and Reproductive Justice endorsements)
- The best choice in a given race: We do not automatically choose the most progressive candidate in the race. Instead, we weigh all of the information available and use the factors listed here to determine who we think is the best choice for progressive voters in a race.
- Equity and diversity: As an extremely diverse state, we believe that our elected bodies should reflect that. We seek to support candidates whose voice is particularly lacking in the office they are seeking. We give significant weight to improving representation when evaluating races with multiple qualified progressives.
- Viability: We will rarely recommend a candidate we deem to have a very low chance of winning when there are multiple progressive candidates. Factors considered when assessing viability include money raised, the strength of the candidate’s campaign, perceived local enthusiasm for the candidate, and the strength of their opponent.
- Experience and track record: We look for candidates with personal or professional experience related to the office they seek. We prioritize candidates who have a proven track record of community engagement. For incumbents, we heavily weigh their track record in office including their voting record, sponsorship of legislation, and interactions with fellow elected officials and community members.
- Appropriate behavior and alignment with progressive values: There are times that we will oppose a politically progressive candidate if we believe their behavior or values are so abhorrent that we cannot justify putting our name behind them.
- Prioritization of resources: With limited resources, we try to focus on the most important races where we think we can be a game-changer. Therefore, we usually will not oppose an established progressive incumbent unless they have a viable challenger and we’re prepared to run a comprehensive campaign.
Who makes the recommendation decisions?
The ProgressNow New Mexico Votes electoral team, in consultation with partner organizations and the Executive Director of our PAC’s sponsoring organization make most of the recommendations. The Board of Directors of our sponsoring organization (ProgressNow New Mexico) is consulted on races that we anticipate will be most controversial.
How can the public weigh in?
You can submit a comment here.