Ruling: Dona Ana County judge can still run as Democrat

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A court ruling says a Dona Ana County Magistrate Court judge can appear on the Democratic Party primary election ballot despite a change in her voter registration. District Court Judge David Thomson ruled Friday in Santa Fe that Magistrate Judge Samantha Madrid didn't intend to change her registration to independent from Democratic when she replaced her driver's license last fall. The registration change resulted in the lifelong Democrat being disqualified from running in the party primary for another term on the Magistrate Court bench in Las Cruces. Thomson ruled that the registration change was not intended so the disqualification was an error, and Thompson ordered that the change be voided. Madrid first won a spot on the bench in 2014. Nobody else is running for her seat this year.