RepresentUS New Mexico (RUNM) is an advocacy group that seeks to change election administration and electoral advocacy rules by proposing changes to the U.S. Constitution, federal and state laws, and lobbying elected officials. RUNM has close ties and half its board members have connections to Wolf-PAC, an organization founded by a left-of-center activist. RUNM has advocated for giving voting rights to 16-year-olds, automatic voter registration, nationalizing local elections, and increasing the number of polling places. It is the state affiliate for Represent.US, a national left-of-center advocacy group.

While advocating for taking money out of politics, the former director of the organization donated to Democratic campaigns.

History and Political Activism

Represent.US New Mexico is the New Mexico affiliate of the national group Represent.US. ¹ RUNM was initially formed in August 2016 as New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics (NMMOP). ² In the fall of 2016, members of the group formed a partnership with American Promise, a group seeking an amendment to the Constitution to limit speech and overturn the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. ³ In 2017, NMMOP re-formed as a non-profit and sponsored training in New Mexico to promote the state adopting a proposed constitutional amendment to reverse the decision. ⁴

In 2018, NMMOP began working with Wolf-PAC, an organization founded by left-of-center figure Cenk Uygur that promotes amending the United States Constitution with an additional article to restrict campaign finance instead of an Amendment. ⁵ Currently half the board of directors for RUNM has ties to Wolf-PAC. ⁶ In 2020, NMMOP changed its name to RepresentUS New Mexico to affiliate with that national group Represent.US. ⁷

In addition to changes to the Constitution, Represent.US and RUNM advocate for “Anti-Corruption Act” laws that could limit speech by making it illegal to both lobby a politician and donate to their campaign. ⁸ RUNM wants open or semi-open primaries, automatic and same-day voter registration, mail-in voting, more polling places or “convenience centers,” and to end legislative-controlled redistricting. ⁹ Represent.US and RUNM have praised New Mexico legislators for introducing a bill to allow 16-year-olds in vote in local elections. ¹⁰

Additionally, RUNM has promoted Facebook posts encouraging Democrats to vote to end the filibuster in the U.S. Senate. ¹¹ RUNM has encouraged its members to contact Congressional representatives in support of federalizing state elections, ending the filibuster, and voting for the Biden administration-supported “Build Back Better” spending legislation under budget reconciliation. ¹²

Finances

The organization’s 2021 “E-Postcard” tax return lists New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics as the official name of RepresentUS New Mexico with gross receipts under $50,000. ¹³ The New Mexico Secretary of State’s office lists the organization’s official name as RepresentUS New Mexico, changing its name from NMMOP in April 2020. ¹⁴

Leadership

John House is an attorney and was president of RUNM until September 2021. He remains on the group’s finance committee. ¹⁵ Despite RUNM advocating against money in politics, House has given over $1,000 to Democrats running for office since 2019. ¹⁶ Despite his personal donations, House said it is sad that monied elite can drown out the people’s voices. ¹⁷  House has called the Rio Grande Foundation, a state-level free-market group, a “Koch Brothers-like propaganda mill.” ¹⁸

1. RepresentUS New Mexico. Accessed January 21, 2022. https://representusnewmexico.org.
2. ^[1] “History of RUNM.” RepresentUS New Mexico. Accessed January 21, 2022. https://representusnewmexico.org/about-2/#vision-and-mission.
3. “History of RUNM.” RepresentUS New Mexico. Accessed January 21, 2022. https://representusnewmexico.org/about-2/#vision-and-mission.
4. “History of RUNM.” RepresentUS New Mexico. Accessed January 21, 2022. https://representusnewmexico.org/about-2/#vision-and-mission.
5. Kunkler, Aaron. “Grassroots Movement Targets Dark Money in Politics.” Bellevue Reporter. June 24, 2021. Accessed January 22, 2022. https://www.bellevuereporter.com/news/grassroots-movement-targets-dark-money-in-politics/; Wolf-PAC. Accessed January 22, 2022. https://wolf-pac.com/about/faq/; “History of RUNM.” RepresentUS New Mexico. Accessed January 21, 2022. https://representusnewmexico.org/about-2/#vision-and-mission.
6. ^[1] “Board of Directors.” RepresentUS New Mexico. Accessed January 21, 2022. https://representusnewmexico.org/about-2/#vision-and-mission.
7. “History of RUNM.” RepresentUS New Mexico. Accessed January 21, 2022. https://representusnewmexico.org/about-2/#vision-and-mission.
8. RepresentUS New Mexico. Accessed January 21, 2022. https://representusnewmexico.org.
9. “Initiatives.” Accessed January 21, 2022. https://representusnewmexico.org/about-2/#vision-and-mission.
10. Represent.US Twitter Account. January 30, 2022. Accessed January 31, 2022. https://twitter.com/representus?lang=en.
11. RepresentUS New Mexico Facebook. Accessed January 30, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/representus.newmexico/.
12. RepresentUS New Mexico Facebook. Accessed January 30, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/representus.newmexico/.
13. ^[1] RepresentUS New Mexico, Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990-N), 2021. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/detailsPage?ein=823550212&name=New%20Mexicans%20for%20Money%20Out%20of%20Politics&city=Santa%20Fe&state=NM&countryAbbr=US&dba=&type=CHARITIES,%20DETERMINATIONLETTERS,%20EPOSTCARD&orgTags=CHARITIES&orgTags=DETERMINATIONLETTERS&orgTags=EPOSTCARD.
14. New Mexico Secretary of State’s Corporations and Business Services. Accessed January 28, 2022. https://portal.sos.state.nm.us/BFS/online/corporationbusinesssearch/CorporationBusinessInformation.
15. House, John. “My View: A Defense of Governor’s Pandemic Actions.” Santa Fe New Mexican. June 11, 2021. Accessed January 30, 2022. https://www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/my_view/a-defense-of-governors-pandemic-actions/article_9dcb4354-c96b-11eb-9037-9fb837e24064.html.
16. “John House.” Center for Responsive Politics. Accessed January 30, 2022. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=John+House&cycle=&state=NM&zip=&employ=&jurisdiction=&cand=&type=.
17. House, John. “My View: A Defense of Governor’s Pandemic Actions.” Santa Fe New Mexican. June 11, 2021. Accessed January 30, 2022. https://www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/my_view/a-defense-of-governors-pandemic-actions/article_9dcb4354-c96b-11eb-9037-9fb837e24064.html
18. House, John. “My View: A Defense of Governor’s Pandemic Actions.” Santa Fe New Mexican. June 11, 2021. Accessed January 30, 2022. https://www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/my_view/a-defense-of-governors-pandemic-actions/article_9dcb4354-c96b-11eb-9037-9fb837e24064.html.