Part of Project Jupiter Watch — the public record of the $165B data-center deal in Doña Ana County, NM. New here? Start with the Film →
Dossier · Who's Who
Daisy Maldonado
Democratic nominee for the Doña Ana County Commission District 1 seat, who entered the race over the IRB vote, and an individual plaintiff in Project Jupiter litigation.
At a glance
- Current roles
- Democratic nominee, County Commission District 1, Doña Ana County Commission2026-06-02–present[4],[10]
- Community-radio host, Las Cruces Community Radio
- Earlier role
- Executive Director, Empowerment Congress of Doña Ana County…–2025-11[1]
- Category
- Candidate
- Jurisdiction
- Doña Ana County
- Public position
- Publicly opposes the project — Discussed her opposition to Project Jupiter in a May 2026 interview about her District 1 campaign.[3]
- Verification
- caveated — True with a stated limit on it
- In the record
- 10 sources · 5 connections · 2 dated entries
- Record id
- PJP104
Key facts
- 2026-06-02Won the June 2, 2026 Democratic primary for County Commission District 1 over Angela Rowe Garcia, 2,013 to 1,736, a 277-vote margin.[4],[10]
- Launched the campaign over the commission's IRB vote.[6]
- The Empowerment Congress withdrew from the Project Jupiter lawsuit after its parent organization ordered it to; Maldonado, who left the organization in November 2025, continues as an individual plaintiff.[1],[2]
- 2025-10-29On October 29, 2025, presented to the interim Water and Natural Resources Committee, describing the project as four data centers and a 700-megawatt gas plant.
- Endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders.[5]
- 2026-11-03Faces Republican water-rights attorney Samantha Barncastle Salopek in the November 3, 2026 general election.[8]
The record
Former Empowerment Congress director, NMELC plaintiff, and community-radio host who launched her District 1 Commission campaign over the IRB vote and won the June 2026 Democratic primary. Her November opponent is water-rights attorney Samantha Barncastle Salopek.
Relationships · 5
In the timeline · 2
Dated entries in the record that involve this party. Appearing here is not an allegation — it means the graph draws an edge from this dossier to that event.
Sources · 10
- 1.newsSanta Fe New Mexican — Empowerment Congress withdraws from Project Jupiter lawsuit; Maldonado continues as individual plaintiff, left org in November ↗
- 2.newsAlbuquerque Journal — Legal challenges to Project Jupiter funding; parent org CAA ordered withdrawal of unauthorized lawsuit, Maldonado no longer an employee ↗
- 3.newsKRWG Public Media — Maldonado discusses District 1 County Commission campaign and Project Jupiter opposition (May 2026) ↗
- 4.newsOrgan Mountain News — Maldonado wins Democratic primary for Doña Ana County Commission District 1, June 2026 ↗
- 5.newsPiñon Post — Sanders endorses Maldonado ↗
- 6.newsOrgan Mountain News — Maldonado launches over the IRB vote ↗
- 7.newsBarncastle Salopek — CRWUA bio (Family Farm Alliance, water law) ↗
- 8.otherBarncastle Salopek — Ballotpedia ↗
- 9.filingBarncastle Salopek — EBID appearance, Lower Rio Grande adjudication (PDF) ↗
- 10.newsOrgan Mountain News — Maldonado wins the D1 Democratic primary (Jun 3 2026) ↗
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