Former NM Veteran's Department cabinet secretary seeks Secretary of State seat
Sonya Smith, a veteran and former New Mexico cabinet member, will officially announce her 2026 run for New Mexico Secretary of State later this week.
The secretary of state operates the state's elections, keeps official records for the state government and is third in succession behind the governor and lieutenant governor. Term limits bar current Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, finishing her second consecutive term, from running again.
Smith will be the third candidate seeking the Democratic nomination in the June 2, 2026 primary election, alongside Doña Ana County Clerk Amanda Lopez Askin and Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark. As yet, no Republican candidates have announced runs for the office.
Trump administration efforts to change election rules, such as requiring proof of citizenship and changes to mail-in ballots, motivated Smith's campaign, she told Source NM.
'The biggest threat to elections is people feeling safe and secure and that their right to vote is protected,' Smith said. 'Our vote is our voice, and what we're facing right now is the elimination of that.'
Smith received a bachelor's in health services management from Norfolk State University and a master's degree in health care compliance from Argosy University. She served as a combat medic with the United States Air Force Reserve in the first Gulf War, and worked in state health care before joining the New Mexico Department of Health, guiding the agency's COVID-19 testing team. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed Smith to lead the New Mexico Veteran's Department as its cabinet secretary in October 2020. She stepped down in November 2022, citing the need to care for her mother in her home state of Virginia. Smith returned to New Mexico after her mother's death a few months ago.
Smith said her experience in election administrations is limited to 'just being a voter,' but said her work in the Lujan Grisham administration gave her the necessary leadership skills required, including relationships to pass stronger legislation.
'I believe that my experience as a former cabinet secretary with statewide experience is just as valuable as having clerking experience,' Smith said.
According to the latest campaign finance records, Smith reported no donations or campaign expenses. She'll formally announce her candidacy at an event Thursday.
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