López Askin Claims New Mexico Secretary of State Seat

In a state-wide contest for executive office, Amanda López Askin secured the position of New Mexico secretary of state. She won the race held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

López Askin, 52, defeated Republican nominee Ramona Goolsby. The victory positions her to take over the role from current Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, who cannot run for another term due to term limits.

López Askin has held local office in Doña Ana County since 2018. She was initially appointed as county clerk that year and later won elections to the same position in 2020 and 2024.

Her opponent, Goolsby, is 63 years old and works as a family nurse practitioner. According to her campaign website, she moved to New Mexico in 2019 and previously worked at a Veterans Affairs office. In 2025, voters elected her to the Ciudad Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors.

The candidates presented different views on the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Goolsby said last month that she was uncertain whether President Joe Biden was legitimately elected in that cycle.

Goolsby stated, "I’m not going to speculate on that. I’m going to say that he was sworn in, he was certified by Congress, and that he served." López Askin described the 2020 contest as one of the most closely scrutinized presidential races in history and said Biden decisively won.