Retention of district judges on new schedule

Valencia County voters will be able to weigh in on the retention of three judges with the 13th Judicial District Court.

District court judges Allen Smith, Cindy Mercer and Allison Martinez — Divisions 3, 6 and 9, respectively — are on the ballot for retention due to the adoption of a constitutional amendment and legislative changes, which staggered elections of district court judges.

Voters adopted a constitutional amendment in 2020 authorizing the Legislature to stagger the terms of “officers for a particular state, county or district office throughout the state.” Lawmakers followed up in 2021 by approving Senate Bill 266 for staggered elections for judges of district courts and the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court.

In New Mexico, appellate, district and metropolitan court judges run in a partisan election in the first statewide general election after their appointment. If elected, they are subject to periodic nonpartisan retention elections at the end of their terms. Voters decide yes or no whether to retain a sitting judge for another term.

Judges James Lawrence Sanchez, Amanda Villalobos and Christopher Perez — Divisions 1, 4 and 7 — will be up for retention in 2026, and the judges who serve in Divisions 2, 5 and 8 — George Eichwald, James Noel and Cheryl Johnston — will be on the ballot for retention in 2028.