District Court Agrees with Republican Duke Rodriguez: Republican Party Chair Amy Barela Removed as NMGOP Chair in Major Win for Grassroots Republicans
ALAMOGORDO, N.M., May 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A New Mexico court today ordered the removal of Amy Barela as Chair of the Republican Party of New Mexico, handing a decisive victory to Republican gubernatorial candidate Duke Rodriguez and his fellow plaintiffs.
The ruling by Judge Cindy Mercer officially grants the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction against Amy Barela, the Republican Party of New Mexico, Jim Townsend, and Kimberly Skaggs. Judge Mercer’s order specifically states, “Amy Smith Barela is hereby enjoined from continuing to hold the position of chairman of the Republican Party of New Mexico. Defendants are hereby enjoined from publicly endorsing or publicly supporting one Republican candidate over another in any contested 2026 Republican primary.”
“This was never about one person. It was about whether the rules apply to everyone or just to the people inside the room making the rules," said Duke Rodriguez. “For too long, a small group of insiders has treated the Republican Party of New Mexico like a private club. They picked the winners, they protected their friends, and they expected the rest of us to fall in line. Party insiders and leaders, like Ms. Barela and Mr. Townsend, have tried to use their positions to distort the election. Voters, rather than a few select party leaders gathered in backrooms, should decide elections. Today, the grassroots won."
Rodriguez, joined by co-plaintiffs Aubrey ‘Blair’ Dunn, Jonathan Emery, and several county party chairs, filed suit on April 30, 2026. The complaint alleged that Barela violated the Republican Party’s own internal rules. Ms. Barela, who currently serves as an Otero County Commissioner, is being challenged in the party primary election by Mr. Emery. The plaintiffs claimed that under those circumstances and under internal party rules, Ms. Barela cannot serve as party chair.
“The status quo lost today, and the people who actually do the work—the precinct chairs, the volunteers, the donors who give twenty dollars instead of twenty thousand—they won,” Rodriguez added.
The ruling arrives mere days before the June 2nd primary. With less than one week to go until Election Day, endorsements to candidates have been flowing faster than the muddy Rio Grande. However, the court ruling prevents the Republican Party from unfairly picking sides in the primary. Instead, the Republican Party will remain neutral as voters make their final choices and candidates make their final pitches.
“This is exactly the kind of fight I will take to Santa Fe as Governor. The political class in this state has had its turn. Now it's the people’s turn," Rodriguez concluded.
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