ON OUR WEBSITE, KOAT.COM. AND EX-FELON, WHO’S RUNNING FOR A STATE HOUSE SEAT, WILL REMAIN ON THE BALLOT FOLLOWING A DISTRICT COURT JUDGE’S RULING THIS WEEK. ACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER JOHN CARDINAL HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO THE CASE. AND JOHN, HOW DID THIS ALL START? WELL, SHELLEY, THE CASE STARTED WHEN CURRENT DEMOCRATIC STATE REPRESENTATIVE MIGUEL GARCIA FILED SUIT AGAINST HIS REPUBLICAN OPPONENT, SOLOMON PENA, FOR DISTRICT 14. REPRESENTATIVE GARCIA FILED SUIT BECAUSE PENA IS A CONVICTED FELON WHO HAS NOT BEEN PARDONED. SO AS ELIGIBILITY TO HOLD OFFICE WAS IN QUESTION. YOU CAN’T HIDE FROM YOUR OWN HISTORY. REPUBLICAN SOLOMON PENA IS NOT AFRAID TO ADMIT HE’S MADE SOME MISTAKES IN THE PAST. I HAD NOTHING MORE THAN A DESIRE TO IMPROVE MY LOT IN LIFE. PENA SERVED NEARLY SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON AFTER BEING CONVICTED IN 2008 OF STEALING A LARGE AMOUNT OF GOODS IN A SMASH AND GRAB SCHEME. ONCE HE GOT OUT, HE KNEW WHAT HE WANTED TO DO. THAT’S WHY WHEN I GOT MY B.A. IN POLITICAL SCIENCE AT UNM AND THE STATE OF THE NATION DECLINE ME IS WHAT ACTUALLY GOT ME TO RUN. INFLATION’S AT 9%. HE’S NOW RUNNING FOR NEW MEXICO HOUSE SEAT 14. BUT RECENTLY, HIS CANDIDACY WAS PUT INTO QUESTION. WHEN THE PERSON WHO CURRENTLY HOLDS THE SEAT, DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE MIGUEL GARCIA, FILED THIS SUIT AGAINST HIM. YOU CANNOT, YOU KNOW, HOLD PUBLIC OFFICE UNLESS YOU’VE BEEN PARDON ATTORNEY JACOB CANDELARIO FILED THE CASE FOR REPRESENTATIVE GARCIA. WHEN PENA FOUND OUT, HE WAS SURPRISED AND DISAPPOINTED WITH HIS DECISION. A SITTING LEGISLATOR WHO VOTED FOR THE RESTORATION OF CITIZENSHIP STATUTE. I’M DISAPPOINTED THAT HE’S DONE. CANDELARIA DOES ADMIT THAT HIS CLIENT HAS SUPPORTED SUCH INITIATIVES. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, HE SPONSORED LEGISLATION TO RESTORE THE RIGHT TO VOTE TO PERSONS CONVICTED OF A FELONY AT THE COMPLETION OF THEIR SENTENCE WITHOUT REQUIRING A PARDON. BUT THIS WEEK, A DISTRICT COURT JUDGE DECIDED THAT PENA CAN, IN FACT, RUN FOR THE NEW MEXICO HOUSE. I WAS IMMENSELY RELIEVED. HIGHLY BLESSED CAME. DELORIA SAYS HE AND HIS CLIENT ARE NOT DISAPPOINTED WITH THE DECISION. BUT DO WANT TO CLARIFY WHAT THE STATE LAW ALLOWS WHEN IT COMES TO EX-FELONS RUNNING FOR OFFICE. THE PUBLIC AND ALL OF US NEED A FINAL DECISION ON THIS ISSUE, ON ON WHETHER OR NOT STATE LAW, WHICH PROHIBITS PERSONS CONVICTED OF A FELONY FROM SERVING IN PUBLIC OFFICE, IS INDEED UNCONSTITUTIONAL. CANDELARIA TELLS ME HE INTENDS TO FILE AN APPEAL TO THE STATE SUPREME COURT SO THEY CAN WEIGH IN ON THE ISSUE AND ULTIMATELY RESOLVE IT. I’M JOHN CARDINAL LEE REPORTING. KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS THE NEW MEXICO CONSTITUTION ALLOWS THE GOVERNOR TO GRAN