Election Info 2026
| Condition | Description | Date/Time |
|---|---|---|
| Nomination Timeline | ||
| Nomination Period Begins | April 1, 2026, 12:01 a.m. | |
| Nomination Period Ends | April 30, 2026, 11:59 p.m. | |
| If No Contested Races | ||
| Secretary Sends Formal Notice to all Voting Members along with Link to Candidate Statements | May 4, 2026 | |
| Meeting Held to Vote by Acclamation the Election of Candidates | May 21, 2026 | |
| If Contested Races | ||
| Voting Members will be Notified by Email that Elections will be held electronically (link to list of candidates and statements will be attached) | May 4, 2026 | |
| Election Officially Begins | All Voting Members receive electronic ballot | May 4, 2026 |
| Voting Period Ends | May 18, 2026, 11:59 p.m. | |
| Election Administrators Count Ballots | May 19-20, 2026 | |
| Results of Elections are Announced to membership by email and at Membership meeting, | May 21, 2026 | |
| Election Results are Verified and Certified | May 26, 2026 | |
| Newly Elected Officers Begin Term | May 26, 2026 | |
| Election information shared with DPNM | May 26, 2026 |
To be Eligible to Run for Any of the Following Positions:
State Positions |
|---|
Chair |
Vice Chair |
Secretary |
Treasurer |
Other Positions |
|---|
CD 1 Rep |
CD 3 Rep |
At Large 1 |
You Must:
- Have completed the Membership Form by the Nomination deadline of 11:59 p.m. on April 30, 2026.
- Identify yourself as Hispano, or any variation of, as defined by Fuerzas Unidas Caucus By-Laws (Article III, Section A: Voting Membership Requirements)
- For congressional district representative positions, you must live in the District in which you are running.
- You can be an elected public official to run for an elected position within the caucus with the exception of State Level positions of Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. If you are an elected public official your completed self-nomination form serves as agreement that you will not use membership information for your campaigns, nor hold campaign events as a representative of Fuerzas Unidas Caucus. Additionally, you must be able and willing to fulfill the role of the position you are running for.
- Persons may not hold or run for more than one Caucus position.
- All nominations are by self-nomination and must include 2-3 paragraphs stating why you are running for the position.
- Nomination forms must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. April 30, 2026.
Self nominated candidates and their candidacy statements
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Why I Am Running |
|---|---|---|---|
| Felice | Garcia | Statewide Treasurer | I am the current treasurer of the Fuerzas Unidas Caucus. I have been effective in my position keeping the caucus compliant, maintaining a healthy treasury and would like serve another term. |
| ** | ** | ** | ** |
| Cynthia | Arellano | Statewide Chair | Familia de Fuerzas - I am running for Chair of Fuerzas Unidas because I believe deeply in the power of our community to lead, organize, and create lasting change. Fuerzas Unidas is more than a caucus. It is a space where our voices, our lived experiences, and our collective strength come together to advocate for equity, opportunity, and justice. |
| As a first-generation citizen, my life and work have been shaped by service. I have organized grassroots efforts, led political strategy, built coalitions, and worked directly with communities to make sure people feel seen, heard, and empowered. My background in Criminal Justice, immigration advocacy, and community outreach has taught me that meaningful progress only happens when leadership is rooted in action, accountability, and inclusion. | |||
| I want to serve as Chair because I am ready to help strengthen and grow Fuerzas Unidas. I want to build on the work of those who came before us, bring in new voices, create more opportunities for engagement, and make sure our caucus continues to be a force for advocacy and empowerment. I believe in leadership that listens, works hard, and brings people together around a shared purpose. | |||
| I am not seeking this role for a title. I am seeking it because I care about our community, our representation, and the future we are building together. I would be honored to lead with energy, vision, and a deep commitment to service. | |||
| Together, we can continue moving Fuerzas Unidas forward with strength, unity, and purpose. ¡Adelante! | |||
| Familia de Fuerzas - Me postulo para la Presidencia de Fuerzas Unidas porque creo profundamente en el poder de nuestra comunidad para liderar, organizarse y generar un cambio duradero. Fuerzas Unidas es más que un caucus. Es un espacio donde nuestras voces, nuestras experiencias vividas y nuestra fuerza colectiva se unen para luchar por la equidad, la oportunidad y la justicia. | |||
| Como ciudadana de primera generación, mi vida y mi trabajo han estado guiados por el servicio. He organizado esfuerzos de base, dirigido estrategias políticas, construido coaliciones y trabajado directamente con las comunidades para asegurarme de que las personas se sientan vistas, escuchadas y empoderadas. Mi formación en Justicia Criminal, defensa migratoria y alcance comunitario me ha enseñado que el progreso verdadero solo ocurre cuando el liderazgo está basado en la acción, la responsabilidad y la inclusión. | |||
| Quiero servir como Presidenta porque estoy lista para ayudar a fortalecer y hacer crecer a Fuerzas Unidas. Quiero dar continuidad al trabajo de quienes nos antecedieron, integrar nuevas voces, crear más oportunidades de participación y asegurar que nuestro caucus siga siendo una fuerza de defensa y empoderamiento. Creo en un liderazgo que escucha, trabaja arduamente y une a las personas en torno a un propósito compartido. | |||
| No busco este cargo por un título. Lo busco porque me importa nuestra comunidad, nuestra representación y el futuro que estamos construyendo juntas y juntos. Sería un honor liderar con energía, visión y un profundo compromiso con el servicio. | |||
| Juntas y juntos, podemos seguir impulsando a Fuerzas Unidas hacia adelante con fuerza, unidad y propósito. ¡Adelante! | |||
| ** | ** | ** | ** |
| Santiago | Arellano | At large position 1 | I am honored to seek your nomination for an At Large position with Fuerzas Unidas. I come to this work with deep roots in Northern New Mexico. I am from Taos, and I still have a lot of family and friends there, along with strong connections across the region. Those relationships have kept me grounded in the values, struggles, and strength of our communities. I know there are many people across New Mexico who care deeply about representation and civic engagement but have not yet been brought into spaces like this one. I want to help change that by building trust, strengthening relationships, and making sure more of our people see Fuerzas Unidas as a place where they belong. |
| I bring real grassroots experience to the table. I have worked in voting location, canvassing, voter education, community outreach, and event organizing, and I have spent time learning the political landscape in New Mexico through direct work with people and campaigns. That experience has shown me that meaningful organizing starts with listening and grows through consistency, visibility, and follow-through. I know how to connect with people, how to bring them into the conversation, and how to help turn interest into action. Whether it is knocking doors, talking with voters, helping people understand what is at stake, or showing up to support community events, I believe in doing the work that builds long-term power. | |||
| I am seeking this nomination because I want to serve and help Fuerzas Unidas continue to grow statewide. I want to use my background, my relationships, and my commitment to our community to bring in new voices and strengthen the work already being done. I believe our caucus is strongest when it reflects the full depth of our people, our regions, and our lived experiences. I would be proud to serve in an At Large role and to work alongside all of you to keep building a stronger, more connected, and more active Fuerzas Unidas. | |||
| ** | ** | ** | ** |
| Dina | Ortega | CD 3 Representative | During my time as CD-3 Representative, I have traveled across our beautiful state to engage with communities and support important efforts. I attended the SCC meeting in Socorro, assisted with volunteer work following the devastating fires in Lincoln County and the the floods on Chavez County, and spoke at several county meetings. I also represented our Caucus at events like the Curry and Roosevelt County fairs and participated in our Pre-Primary Convention, among many others. |
| Community involvement is at the heart of what we do. I have taken part in initiatives like Rural Candidacy Training to help educate and empower more rural candidates to run for office. I've also worked directly with local communities speaking at high school and distributing over 500 suicide prevention information cards, volunteering at food banks, and participating in trash clean up efforts-- all while proudly representing the Caucus. | |||
| Additionally, I have supported many of our Hispanic candidates by speaking on their behalf, participating in phone banks, and helping with Get Out the Vote efforts. I believe strongly that, by working together, we can address the challenges facing our state and build a stronger future. | |||
| I am committed to continuing this work and serving as a dedicated advocate for our communities. I respectfully ask for your support in my re-election as CD-3 Representative. Thank you- Dina Ortega | |||
| ** | ** | ** | ** |
| flora | Lucero | CD 1 Representative | I am running to be the Fuerzas Unidas CD1 Representative because I believe in building political power from within. When that power truly represents the people, then our government, as a representative democracy, works on behalf of its many people, not just the few. |
| As Hispanos in New Mexico we are part of that "man." But it is up to us to embrace and assert our uniqueness; the many are not a homogenous group. I will bring a commitment to understanding our shared experiences while respecting our differences to the role of FZUC CD1 Representative. And I will endeavor to use that understanding to help strengthen and grow our collective political power. | |||
| I humbly ask for your support in representing CD1 in the Fuerzas Unidas Caucus of the Democratic Party of New Mexico. | |||
| Flora Lucero Precinct 152, Bernalillo County, CD1 |