A Democratic state lawmaker in New Mexico has abandoned his re-election campaign after a bizarre hotel incident in Chicago involving a man allegedly running naked through the building and pounding on guests’ doors in the middle of the night.
State Rep. Joseph Hernandez, D-Shiprock, announced that he was dropping his bid for another term representing New Mexico’s 4th District after details from a heavily redacted police report brought new scrutiny to the freshman lawmaker.
Hernandez had previously characterized what happened as a “negative interaction,” but the police report painted a far more embarrassing picture.
The report described a naked man, now understood to be Hernandez, running through the Chicago hotel and knocking on doors during the overnight incident last month.
As questions mounted, Hernandez issued an apology and acknowledged problems involving alcohol, saying he was taking responsibility for his actions and seeking help.
He ultimately decided to end his campaign while remaining in office through the conclusion of his current term.
“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 discuss the episode further, citing privacy concerns.
BREAKING: NM State Rep. Joseph Hernandez (D) WITHDRAWS from re-election bid after he was allegedly spotted running around a hotel NAKED in the middle of the night pic.twitter.com/Ru55ufuBdI
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) September 1, 2026
The decision comes after political opponents and other New Mexico officials demanded greater transparency about what happened inside the Chicago hotel.
His opponent, Heather Ellison, called on Hernandez to take accountability for the episode, while Republican state Sen. Jim Townsend of Artesia publicly urged him to drop out of the race.
Hernandez’s withdrawal could now hand Republicans an unexpected opening in a district Democrats had expected to contest in November.
The deadline for replacing a post-primary candidate was Aug. 25.
Anthony Allison, who represented the district before leaving the Legislature in 2024, filed to enter the race that day.
However, the New Mexico secretary of state’s website later listed Allison as disqualified. The reason for that disqualification was not immediately clear.
If Democrats are unable to place another eligible candidate on the ballot, Republicans could be positioned to capture the 4th District seat without a Democratic opponent.
That would carry broader consequences in the state Legislature, where Democrats are fighting to maintain their advantage and potentially secure a supermajority.
Instead, what should have been a routine re-election campaign has been thrown into chaos by an incident Hernandez initially described in far more restrained terms than the details later contained in the police report.
The fallout leaves New Mexico Democrats scrambling with the November election approaching and gives Republicans a potential pickup they were not expecting when the campaign began.
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