By Jesse Jones, City Desk in The Paper. — In September, City Desk reported that prosecutors charged Albuquerque mayoral candidate Daniel Chavez after a campaign staffer accused him of inappropriate touching, a misdemeanor battery charge. Prosecutors have now dismissed the case.
The 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office dismissed the case on Feb. 20, 2026, in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court.
Nancy Laflin, the office’s communications director, said, “With the facts available, the State cannot prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt, pending additional facts and/or discovery.” The dismissal came one business day before the case was scheduled for a jury trial.
Chavez ended his mayoral campaign after the accusation became public.
He rejected a deal from prosecutors that would have dismissed the case if he completed counseling and anger-management classes. He planned to take the case to trial, according to his attorney, Carter Harrison IV of the Harrison & Hart law firm.
Harrison told City Desk that Albuquerque police did not initially disclose body camera footage connected to the investigation. The attorney said he has filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging violations of New Mexico’s Inspection of Public Records Act.
The current case is now dismissed, but prosecutors could file the charges again in the future.
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