This story was originally published by New Mexico In Depth
Four political committees funneling more than a million dollars into New Mexico’s governor’s race and legislative primaries are raising questions as to whether they have set up special arrangements to keep their donors’ identities hidden.
Under New Mexico law, a political committee, also known as a PAC in common parlance, must disclose where its money comes from. A nonprofit that funds a PAC must be disclosed as a donor. But if a nonprofit gives money to a PAC rather than spending on ads directly, it is not required to identify its own donors — the people who actually provided the funds are not listed in any public record.
New Mexico In Depth reported last week on two groups receiving funds from nonprofits who appear to be closely aligned with those political groups, if not the very same people — they share addresses, directors, and even the same names. The connections between the PACs and the nonprofits can be seen in public campaign finance records and secretary of state business registrations.
State law prohibits making contributions “with an intent to conceal the names of persons who are the true source of funds used to make independent expenditures.” Whether these arrangements cross that line is an open question.
New campaign finance disclosures show there are now four such arrangements that have brought in more than $1.4 million in total.
What isn’t there is any information about who actually provided the hundreds of thousands of dollars in nonprofit money funneled by the nonprofits to the PACs. The PACs have used the money to fund television and digital ads in the governor’s race and legislative primaries, much of it negative.
Here’s a rundown of the four operations.
Accountable New Mexico
Accountable New Mexico is the largest operation. Stand for New Mexico, a nonprofit, was incorporated in New Mexico on March 2, 2026. The next morning, Accountable New Mexico was registered as a PAC with the state.
The PAC treasurer is listed as Alyssa Brook. The treasurer and director of the Stand for New Mexico nonprofit is Alyssa Brooks, with an ‘s’. The PACs campaign finance reports disclose their major donor is Stand for New Mexico and that it shares with the group the same Washington, D.C. address.
Through the third primary reporting period ending May 26, Accountable New Mexico has received $860,000 from Stand for New Mexico in cash and in-kind management and fundraising consulting services. It has spent heavily to target former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland with negative television advertising in her Democratic gubernatorial primary against Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman.
The people or companies who provided $860,000 to Stand for New Mexico are unknown.
Alongside the nonprofit money, Accountable New Mexico has disclosed Albuquerque businesses and law firms that together contributed $120,500 across two reporting periods. Their names appear in campaign finance filings.
New Chapter New Mexico
New Chapter New Mexico Political Committee registered with the state on May 1, 2026, listing its address as 2105 Vista Oeste St. NW, Suite E, in Albuquerque.
Its sole donor, a nonprofit with the same name, New Chapter New Mexico, incorporated last July, and lists the same address. The address appears to be a commercial printing and shipping company.
The PAC’s treasurer is Greg Gallegos of Katy, Texas, who operates KGH Strategies. His firm was paid $6,971.25 from the PAC’s funds in both reporting periods — $13,942.50 total — for “compliance consulting.”
Across the two reporting periods, the nonprofit sent the PAC $414,000. In the PAC’s disclosures, it lists candidates that it supports with its expenditures but some of its mailers have included negative advertising as well.
Back Forty
Back Forty New Mexico registered as a PAC in New Mexico on May 8, 2026, with a Missouri address — 785 SW Highway 54, Osceola — and a phone number with a New Mexico area code.
Its treasurer is Greg Gallegos, the same person who serves as treasurer of New Chapter New Mexico Political Committee, using the same Katy, Texas address and the same phone number. His firm, KGH Strategies, was paid $6,971.25 — the identical amount paid by New Chapter — for “compliance consulting.”
The nonprofit Back Forty Action was incorporated in Missouri in January 2025 by William Westmoreland, and the group shares the same Missouri address as the PAC. And the PAC’s email address appears to be Westmoreland’s, written as “wmwestmoreland.”
Back Forty Action transferred $99,100 to the PAC in two payments — $70,000 on May 7 and $29,100 on May 13, listing a Springfield, Mo. address.
The overlap with New Chapter is notable throughout: the two PACs share a treasurer, the same phone number, and the same three vendors — CounterPoint Messaging of Rockvale, Tennessee; Winning Target Solutions of Albuquerque; and KGH Strategies.
Like New Chapter, Back Forty is supporting candidates for New Mexico legislative seats, in some cases including negative statements about current incumbent lawmakers who those candidates are seeking to replace.
Centerra
Centerra for Progress involves a network of three entities, one PAC and two nonprofits with overlapping personnel.
The oldest is The Centerra Project, a nonprofit incorporated in New Mexico last July. On April 3, 2026, the person who incorporated the nonprofit — Matthew T. Sanderson — and the same registered agent — ISL, Inc. of Santa Fe — incorporated a second nonprofit: Centerra for Progress.
The two nonprofits share a director, Jason Weaks. The Centerra for Progress nonprofit’s other directors are Adam Silverman and Stephen Rodriguez.
Silverman and Rodriguez registered a PAC with the same name, Centerra for Progress, on April 27.
The PAC has disclosed a range of PAC and business donations. Since PACs must disclose their donors, one can look up their own reports to see where their dollars originated.
But nonprofits don’t have to report where their money comes from if they are simply contributing it to a PAC. New Mexico’s campaign finance reports are rife with large nonprofit donations to PACs and candidates.
Centerra for Progress has one for $15,000 from a Washington, D.C. nonprofit. It is unclear who the donors to that nonprofit were. And then a hefty $60,000 donation from The Centerra Project, a nonprofit that shares part of its name and human links among the people running the PAC and an associated nonprofit. The original source of that $60,000 is unknown.
Like New Chapter and Back Forty, Centerra is supporting some candidates with advertising, while running negative ads about others.
