Lea County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
Who is running for County Assessor, County Sheriff and County Commissioner, and more, with bios, priorities and campaign sites.
County offices
AssessorAva Benge (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Ava Benge
Ava Benge is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lea County Assessor, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Ava Benge is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageSheriffMark Timothy Rhoads (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Mark Timothy Rhoads
Mark Timothy Rhoads is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lea County Sheriff, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Mark Timothy Rhoads is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageCommissioner, District 2Bradley D. Weber (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Bradley D. Weber
Bradley D. Weber is the sitting Lea County Commissioner for District 2, serving as Vice Chair, per the county's website. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Bradley D. Weber is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageCommissioner, District 3Brian Wayne Pointer (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Brian Wayne Pointer
Brian Wayne Pointer is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lea County Commissioner, District 3, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Brian Wayne Pointer is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageMagistrate Judge, Division 1Clipper G. Miller (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Clipper G. Miller
Clipper G. Miller is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lea County Magistrate Judge, Division 1, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Clipper G. Miller is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageMagistrate Judge, Division 2Willie R. Henry (R) · Boris Dwayne Smith (D)
Willie R. Henry (R) and Boris Dwayne Smith (D) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lea County Magistrate Judge, Division 2.
Willie R. Henry
Willie R. Henry is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lea County Magistrate Judge, Division 2, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Boris Dwayne Smith
Boris Dwayne Smith is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lea County Magistrate Judge, Division 2, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
2 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lea County Magistrate Judge, Division 2, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageMagistrate Judge, Division 3Jimmie Jones (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Jimmie Jones
Jimmie Jones is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lea County Magistrate Judge, Division 3, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Jimmie Jones is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageMagistrate Judge, Division 4Keith Clayton (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Keith Clayton
Keith Clayton is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lea County Magistrate Judge, Division 4, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Keith Clayton is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageJudges
Probate JudgeSandra Kay Goad (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Sandra Kay Goad
Sandra Kay Goad is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lea County Probate Judge, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Sandra Kay Goad is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageNew Mexico 5th Judicial District Court, Division VEileen P. Riordan (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Eileen P. Riordan
Eileen P. Riordan currently serves as the Division V judge of the 5th Judicial District Court, covering Lea County, per the court's own website. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Eileen P. Riordan is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for this seat on the Fifth Judicial District, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. Eileen P. Riordan is the sitting judge in this division, per https://fifthdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/judges/district-judges/. Every voter in Chaves, Eddy, and Lea counties elects this seat, since New Mexico district judges are elected district-wide across the 5th Judicial District (the New Mexico Courts' Courts by District page). New Mexico district judges run in a partisan election the first time they seek the seat, then stand later on a separate nonpartisan retention question; this is that partisan race.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Lea County is split across 4 New Mexico House districts.
Find your districts by addressNew Mexico House: 4 districtsDistricts 55, 61, 62, 66
New Mexico House District 55Cathrynn N. Brown (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Cathrynn N. Brown
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Supports policies that strengthen families
- Supports limited government and empowering local communities
About Cathrynn N. Brown
Cathrynn N. Brown has represented House District 55, covering parts of Eddy and Lea counties, since 2011, per the New Mexico Legislature member page, which lists her occupation as attorney. Brown chairs the House Transportation, Public Works and Capital Improvements Committee, per Brown's campaign site.
Cathrynn N. Brown (R) is the only candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for New Mexico House District 55; unopposed candidates still appear on New Mexico ballots, so the race is on the ballot but is not contested. Cathrynn N. Brown is the sitting member, per the New Mexico Legislature's member roster. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list.
Full race pageNew Mexico House District 61Randall Thomas Pettigrew (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Randall Thomas Pettigrew
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Supports New Mexico's farming, ranching, oil and gas, cattle and dairy industries
- Supports fiscal responsibility in state spending
About Randall Thomas Pettigrew
Randall Thomas Pettigrew has represented House District 61, covering Lea County, since 2021, per the New Mexico Legislature member page, which lists his occupation as engineer. Pettigrew is a senior vice president and principal construction services engineer at Pettigrew & Associates, per Pettigrew's campaign site.
Randall Thomas Pettigrew (R) is the only candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for New Mexico House District 61; unopposed candidates still appear on New Mexico ballots, so the race is on the ballot but is not contested. Randall Thomas Pettigrew is the sitting member, per the New Mexico Legislature's member roster. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list.
Full race pageNew Mexico House District 62Elaine Sena Cortez (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Elaine Sena Cortez
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Supports lower taxes for everyday New Mexicans
- Supports oil and gas industry growth in Lea County
- Supports law enforcement and community safety
About Elaine Sena Cortez
Elaine Sena Cortez has represented House District 62, covering Lea County, since 2025, per the New Mexico Legislature member page, which lists her occupation as business owner and professor. Sena Cortez holds a Doctor of Business Administration and has lived in Hobbs for 37 years, per Sena Cortez's campaign site.
Elaine Sena Cortez (R) is the only candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for New Mexico House District 62; unopposed candidates still appear on New Mexico ballots, so the race is on the ballot but is not contested. Elaine Sena Cortez is the sitting member, per the New Mexico Legislature's member roster. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list.
Full race pageNew Mexico House District 66Leanne Gandy (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Leanne Gandy
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Supports the economy, jobs and reducing the cost of living
- Supports the oil and gas industry and agriculture and water rights
- Supports education reform emphasizing local control
About Leanne Gandy
Leanne Gandy is a former teacher and superintendent of Lovington Municipal Schools, per Gandy's campaign site. Gandy now serves as Director of Leadership Development for Cooperative Educational Services, per the campaign site.
Leanne Gandy (R) is the only candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for New Mexico House District 66; unopposed candidates still appear on New Mexico ballots, so the race is on the ballot but is not contested. The New Mexico Legislature's member roster shows no incumbent seeking this seat. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list.
Full race pageVoting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
New Mexico's field is the Secretary of State's candidate portal list for the November 3, 2026 general election. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2 primary. All 70 state House seats are up; state senators serve four-year terms and are not on the 2026 ballot except where a special election fills a vacancy. The governor and lieutenant governor run as a ticket. Unopposed candidates still appear on the ballot.
Who is on the ballot in Lea County, New Mexico on November 3, 2026?
Lea County sample ballot 2026: who is running for magistrate judge, county assessor and county sheriff, with bios, priorities and campaign sites. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in New Mexico?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for New Mexico are listed on the New Mexico election hub. New Mexico election hub →
How do I see my exact Lea County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
Sample ballot by ZIP code in Lea County11 ZIP codes
Candidate roster last updated Oct 15, 2026 from official election sources.