The Republican Party of Bernalillo County issued a statement Monday defending its handling of candidates following a news report that exposed false claims made by Albuquerque mayoral hopeful Patrick Sais.

The party said it cannot prevent candidates from running for office and emphasized that campaign materials are solely the responsibility of individual candidates.

“As a political party, the Republican Party of Bernalillo County cannot tell anyone they do not have the right to run for election,” party Chair Daphne Orner and Vice Chair Mark Murton said in the statement. “We can inform, advise, persuade, and urge candidates with information that tells them if they are a viable candidate.”

The statement came days after City Desk ABQ reported that Sais had made numerous false claims on his campaign website, including that he graduated from the University of New Mexico, served on the Albuquerque City Council and created a youth empowerment program. The report compared Sais to former U.S. Rep. George Santos, who was expelled from Congress after fabricating his background.

Sais, who failed to qualify for the mayoral ballot after falling short of the required 3,000 petition signatures, told City Desk he was unaware of the false information and blamed “youngsters” who built his website for embellishing his biography.

The county Republican Party said it treats all candidates equally and provides training, reminding them to review all campaign materials before distribution.

“RPBC provides training and regularly reminds candidates that what their campaign puts out in print or electronic media is solely their responsibility as a candidate, specifically they must check and read everything before distribution,” the statement read.

Three Republicans are seeking office in the officially nonpartisan municipal election, though only two qualified for the ballot, according to the party statement.

The controversy has raised questions about candidate vetting in local elections. Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, a Democrat seeking an unprecedented third term, faces several challengers, including former Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White, City Councilor Louie Sanchez and former U.S. Attorney Alex Uballez.

Sais has indicated he plans to pursue a write-in campaign, which would require filing a declaration of intent and collecting 3,000 valid signatures by Sept. 2.

The party concluded its statement by saying “the voters will decide who is the right candidate for each office.”

Kevin Hendricks is a local news editor with nm.news. He is a two-decade veteran of local news as a sportswriter and assistant editor with the ABQ Journal and Rio Rancho Observer.

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