Two community members filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to remove City Council candidate Stephanie Telles from the November ballot, claiming she failed to collect the required 500 valid petition signatures needed to qualify.
Danny Gonzales and Vincent C. Sanchez, both District 1 residents, argue in their Second Judicial District Court complaint that Telles submitted only 451 valid signatures after removing duplicate signatures and those collected after the July 7 deadline.
The lawsuit alleges that of the 580 signatures Telles submitted, 80 were already rejected by the City Clerk as invalid, another 42 are duplicates with other District 1 candidates, and eight additional signatures were collected after the legal deadline.
“This case is simple,” Gonzales said in a statement. “Every candidate must meet the same requirements to qualify for the ballot. Failing to reach the 500-signature requirement means you don’t qualify.”
The challenge comes after Telles previously fell seven signatures short during the initial petition period in July, which was reported by City Desk ABQ. At that time, the City Clerk’s office verified 493 signatures from her initial submission.
Telles disputed the lawsuit’s claims in a statement, saying she received confirmation from the County Clerk that her candidacy has been qualified.
“This lawsuit is more politics as usual,” Telles said. “West Siders deserve better. That’s why I am running a grassroots campaign focused on ensuring that all West Siders feel safe in their community, making affordable housing a key part of our thriving neighborhoods and championing government transparency.”
The legal challenge cites violations of the New Mexico Election Code and Albuquerque’s Municipal Elections Ordinance. City Council candidates must collect 500 signatures from registered voters in their district between June 2 and July 7 to appear on the ballot.
According to the complaint, the legal team representing the voters used the state’s voter database to verify signatures and found additional duplicates not initially caught by the City Clerk’s office. The lawsuit details specific signature rejections by page and line number, including duplicates with candidates Daniel Leiva, Joshua Neal and Ahren Griego.
Former State Senator Jacob Candelaria and current State Senator Antonio Maestas of Candelaria Law LLC represent the plaintiffs. They argue the case protects electoral integrity rather than targeting any specific candidate.
“This action is not about politics — it’s about protecting the integrity of the electoral process,” Candelaria said.
Telles is seeking the District 1 seat covering much of Albuquerque’s Westside. The lawsuit requests an expedited hearing within 10 days and asks the court to remove Telles from the November 4 ballot.
The Bernalillo County Clerk’s office, named as defendant in the lawsuit, manages the 2025 local election. A hearing date has not been set.
