Valencia County Democrats Announce Feb. 7 Pre-Primary Ward Meetings in Belen

Valencia County Democrats announced a county pre-primary convention and ward meetings to be held Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, at the Belen Public Library, 333 Becker Ave., with the convention called to order at 10:30 a.m. The meeting is the party’s key local step ahead of the March primary season and will include ward-level organization, candidate remarks, and delegate selection.

The party’s Feb. 3 post emphasizes eligibility and in-person procedures for participation. "All county residents who are registered Democrats in our county 30 days before the convention are eligible to run and vote at the convention," the post states. The party also set expectations for candidate appearances: "After the Ward Meetings, we will hear from current candidates. We anticipate this starting earlier than we had originally planned at about 11:30am."

Local procedural clarity is central to the announcement. The Democratic Party of Valencia County told residents that anyone seeking a delegate slot need not be present if someone else nominates them, but voting requires physical attendance: "If you want to run for delegate, you do not have to be present but you must have someone present nominate you. Because there is typically more folks that want to be a delegate than there are delegate positions, we encourage you to be there in-person. If you want to vote, you MUST be there in-person." That language signals the party’s intent to keep delegate selection and voting as in-person civic processes rather than remote or proxy affairs.

For campaign organizers and prospective candidates, the party posted additional materials titled "Candidate Resources" and has encouraged participation through recent meetings. The party lists Summer Ludwig as chair for questions at chair@ValenciaDemocrats.org. General inquiries can be sent to info@valenciademocrats.org or made by phone at (505) 859-3475. The party’s mailing address is P.O. Box 94, Belen, New Mexico.

State-level filing procedures and nominating-petition rules remain relevant for hopefuls. The materials available to the reporter include a county elections contact listed as Michael Milam, P.O. Box 969, Los Lunas, NM 87031, (505) 866-2073, mike.milam@co.valencia.nm.us; campaigns should verify filing deadlines and petition requirements with the county clerk before proceeding.

For Valencia County voters and activists, the Feb. 7 gathering is a practical moment to shape delegate slates, hear from local and countywide candidates, and influence party organization ahead of the primary. Expect in-person credentialing and ward meetings in the morning, candidate remarks around mid-day, and follow-up clarifications from party leadership on precise schedules and ballot-filing technicalities.