State Representative Joseph Hernandez (D- Shiprock) dropped out of his re-election bid for New Mexico’s 4th district, according to a statement on social media and the New Mexico Secretary of State’s website. This comes after last weekend’s news of a newly released but heavily redacted police report suggesting the freshman representative was involved in an incident at a Chicago hotel last month. Although Representative Hernandez initially summed up the incident as a “negative interaction,” the police report said a man – now understood to be Hernandez – ran around the hotel naked and knocked on doors in the middle of the night.
Before dropping out of the race, Hernandez issued an apology saying he takes full responsibility for his actions and is seeking help with his relationship with alcohol.
“At this time, I believe the best decision for me and those I love is to focus on my health and my family, while continuing to serve the community that entrusted me with this office through the remainder of my term,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez said he would not speak any more about the situation for privacy reasons.
When the details of the incident with Hernandez emerged, many urged for him to be transparent about the details of the incident. His opponent Heather Ellsion called for him to take accountability. New Mexico Sen. Jim Townsend (R-Artesia), called for Hernandez to drop out.
The deadline to replace a post-primary candidate is August 25. If Hernandez is not replaced, New Mexico Republicans would be guaranteed to gain a seat and potentially keep democrats from getting a supermajority in November’s election.
This story was updated to include Representative Hernandez's statement
