Sunland Mayoral Candidate Petitions Supreme Court

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (AP) — Sunland Park mayor hopeful Gerardo Hernandez is asking the state Supreme Court to intervene in a dispute about filling the troubled city's vacant mayoral seat.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports Hernandez petitioned the court on Thursday to either keep the city council from filling the vacancy or declare he's the rightful mayor on an interim or permanent basis.

Mayor-elect Daniel Salinas and several other officials have been charged in a series of criminal cases that have been unleashed since state, local and federal officials descended on the town in February to investigate election fraud. Salinas remains jailed on criminal charges.

An earlier appeal by Hernandez of his opponent's win remains pending in state district court.

Hernandez has argued that fraudulent voting to benefit an opponent contributed to his loss.

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Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News, http://www.lcsun-news.com

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.