New Mexico state lawmaker changes party affiliation from Democrat to 'decline to state'

New Mexico state Sen. Jacob Candelaria changed his party affiliation from Democrat to “declining to state,” the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. He announced the switch Monday in the early moments of a special session of the state legislature.

The special session was called to address redistricting, which Candelaria said was the reason for his exit from the party.

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“I don’t think that the decisions we make should be based on partisan ambitions, and it broke my heart to see already that the Senate maps deliberately dilute and gerrymander the west side of Albuquerque to preserve perceived partisan advantage for some members of the Democratic Party,” Candelaria said. “You would strip representation from people that I represent, many of whom are Hispanic, simply because it benefits you at the ballot box.”

Candelaria lamented the political tribalism that has taken hold in the U.S., claiming that both parties now require of its members “absolute loyalty with no room for debate, no room for discussion and, more importantly, no room for adherence to the law.”

The lawmaker cited the Jan. 6 riots and recent actions involving Democratic New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to support his assertions. Candelaria was one of two state senators who brought Lujan Grisham to court over how she handled federal aid given under the American Rescue Plan Act, accusing her of improperly allocating funds without the consent of the legislature. A judge ruled against her, leading to the matter being on the agenda for the special session in addition to redistricting.

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Candelaria, who had previously announced that he was not seeking reelection, declared that he is “done playing this game” of politics.