Salud! co-owner Christopher Schaljo-Hernandez wins District 1 county commission primary
LAS CRUCES - Salud! de Mesilla co-owner Christopher Schaljo-Hernandez has won the Democratic primary in the District 1 Doña Ana County Commission race, ousting incumbent Lynn Ellins and former county assessor Emma Johnson Ortiz.
Ellins, a former Doña Ana County Clerk, finished third in the three-way race for the Democratic nomination with just 23 percent of the vote, according to unofficial race results. Ellins was seeking a second term. He could not be reached Tuesday night.
Schaljo-Hernandez, a former chair of the Doña Ana County Democratic Party and former chair of the City of Las Cruces COVID-19 pandemic economic recovery ad hoc committee, captured 40 percent of the vote, according to the unofficial results. His restaurant sits within city limits, though he lives in the county.
Johnson Ortiz came in second with 37 percent of the vote.
More: Gina Ortega poised to become next Doña Ana County assessor after primary win
No Republicans or Libertarians are seeking the commission seat, meaning Schaljo-Hernandez has an advantage heading into the November general election. Independent, minor party and write-in candidates have until June 30 to file for the general.
District 1 includes Picacho Hills, La Mesa, Mesquite, San Miguel, parts of western and downtown Las Cruces and the Town of Mesilla, plus other communities in the south valley between Mesilla Park and Vado.
Schaljo-Hernandez told the Sun-News Tuesday night he was excited "to include all the people in New Mexico and Doña Ana (County) that have been forgotten in the past."
The Democratic nominee told the newspaper in an interview earlier this year he supported higher pay for county employees, investment in rural infrastructure, a more equitable county budget and a greater focus on the borderplex area around Santa Teresa.
Michael McDevitt is a city and county government reporter for the Sun-News. He can be reached at 575-202-3205, mmcdevitt@lcsun-news.com or @MikeMcDTweets on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Salud! co-owner Christopher Schaljo-Hernandez wins Doña Ana County Commission primary
