Incumbent NM House rep faces campaign finance complaint over text message

May 19, 2026 - 19:16

A campaign finance complaint has been filed against New Mexico state Representative Marian Matthews, alleging that her campaign violated state election laws by sending a political text message without proper disclosure. The complaint, submitted to the New Mexico Secretary of State's office, claims that a mass text sent to voters in House District 27 failed to include the required "paid for by" disclaimer, which is mandated for all campaign communications.

The text in question reportedly urged recipients to support Matthews in the upcoming primary election but did not identify the campaign as the sender. Under New Mexico law, political text messages must clearly state who paid for the communication. The complaint argues that this omission could mislead voters about the message's origin.

Matthews' campaign manager, however, dismissed the allegations as baseless. "This complaint is laughable," the manager said in a statement. "We follow all campaign finance rules to the letter, and any suggestion otherwise is a political stunt from an opponent trying to score cheap points." The manager added that the campaign is reviewing the specific message and believes it complies with state law.

The Secretary of State's office has not yet commented on whether it will investigate the complaint. Matthews, a Democrat, is seeking reelection in a competitive district that includes parts of Albuquerque. Her primary challenger has not been directly linked to the complaint, but the filing has added a new layer of tension to an already heated race.