One candidate is tracked for New Mexico 1st Judicial District Court, Division IV on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Denise Marie Thomas. Candidate information follows official Rio Arriba County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Denise Marie Thomas is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for this seat on the First Judicial District, per the New Mexico Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. Denise Marie Thomas is the sitting judge in this division, per https://firstdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/judges/. Every voter in Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, and Santa Fe counties elects this seat, since New Mexico district judges are elected district-wide across the 1st Judicial District (the New Mexico Courts' Courts by District page). New Mexico district judges run in a partisan election the first time they seek the seat, then stand later on a separate nonpartisan retention question; this is that partisan race.
Trial court judge. A trial judge presides over criminal and civil cases at the first level: bail and pleas, motions, trials, sentencing and civil judgments. Judges are bound by state law and appellate precedent and are barred by judicial conduct rules from campaigning on how they would rule. Most states elect trial judges on a nonpartisan ballot; the term and the courts a judge may sit on vary by state.
This race. The sitting officeholder, Denise Marie Thomas, is on the ballot. One name is on the ballot for this seat.
New Mexico › Rio Arriba County › New Mexico 1st Judicial District Court, Division IV
Democratic Incumbent
Denise Marie Thomas currently serves as the Division IV judge of the 1st Judicial District Court, covering Santa Fe County, per the court's own website. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Who is running for New Mexico 1st Judicial District Court, Division IV in 2026?
One candidate is tracked for New Mexico 1st Judicial District Court, Division IV on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Denise Marie Thomas. Candidate information follows official Rio Arriba County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
When is the New Mexico 1st Judicial District Court, Division IV election in New Mexico?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for New Mexico are on the New Mexico election hub at theballotbrief.com.
How do I see my exact Rio Arriba County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.
Candidate roster from official Rio Arriba County and state election office filings. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.
Cross-check with the official New Mexico election office, or see the full Rio Arriba County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.
5 tracked races in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.