Policy
- This policy applies to endorsements that Adelante makes in local, state, federal, and intra-party election races.
- Adelante may choose to join coalitions of organizations for joint endorsements. This policy does not apply to such joint endorsements.
- Adelante will endorse only candidates who are registered Democrats.
- The primary criteria will be the demonstration of advancing causes embodied in the Adelante Mission Statement and electoral viability.
- Adelante may choose to engage in the endorsement process, or not, in any particular race.
- Member input will be built into the selection process.
- Candidates will all be treated as equally as possible during the endorsement process.
- Candidate responses to questionnaires will be made available to members. Members will be invited to interviews and forums whenever possible, and any recordings will be made available to members.
- Adelante officers who are in a key role in a campaign (whether paid staff or volunteer) may not vote in the endorsement for that office. Key roles exclude those of canvassers, phone bankers, and data entry operators.
- Adelante reserves the right to not publish candidate responses that are bigoted or racist, make personal attacks, or are otherwise offensive. Full responses from candidates will be made available to members upon request.
- Caucus officers will make the final endorsement decision, considering responses to questionnaires, presentations at forums, interview responses, member feedback, and other sources. The candidate shall be endorsed by a vote of at least two-thirds of the officers voting on the endorsement.
- The Caucus will endorse only one candidate per position. At the conclusion of the process, the Caucus may choose to endorse or not.
- The Caucus encourages its members to donate or volunteer only for candidates who the Caucus endorses or who are unopposed by another Democrat in their race.
- The Caucus will include the following language in its published endorsements: “This endorsement is made by the Adelante Progressive Caucus of the Democratic Party of New Mexico, which is solely responsible for this endorsement.”
Procedures
1. Announcement
After the Caucus decides to endorse in a given race, it will:
- Announce the endorsement opportunity on its website, on its Facebook page, and in its newsletter.
- At the beginning of the Caucus endorsement process, make a good-faith effort to make its endorsement opportunity available to all filed candidates.
- Encourage members to share the endorsement opportunity with candidates they know.
- Provide a schedule for the endorsement steps.
- Allow eligible candidates to apply for an endorsement.
2. Schedule
The schedule will be published, and the activities may vary from race to race, based on the amount of time available before the election. The schedule may include time for:
- Candidates to complete their questionnaires,
- Interviews, if determined to be held,
- Caucus members to give their input, and
- Caucus officers to make an informed decision.
3. Information sought
The Caucus will create a questionnaire for any race in which it chooses to endorse. The Caucus will make the same questionnaire available to all candidates who apply for an endorsement in a race.
4. Any candidate event format
The Caucus may choose to interview candidates, individually or as a group.
For all interviews in a given race, the Caucus will ask the same initial questions. Candidates may be asked follow-up questions. Membership opinions and views will be sought in a manner appropriate to the event.
5. Voting and endorsement
Caucus officers will vote on the endorsement in a scheduled meeting, and all candidates will be notified as soon as practical afterward.
Approved January 23, 2021
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