New Mexico megachurch endorses Republican candidates, testing federal ban
Summary
Legacy Church, a New Mexico megachurch, has endorsed Republican candidates Greg Cunningham for Congress and Gregg Hull for governor. The endorsements test a federal rule that bars tax-exempt nonprofits from endorsing political candidates, as the Trump administration challenges that rule in court.Key Facts
- Pastor Steve Smothermon urged congregants to support Cunningham, who is running against Democratic Representative Gabriel Vasquez.
- A recent poll cited in the article gave Vasquez 48% support and Cunningham 44%.
- Donald Trump endorsed Cunningham in an April Truth Social post.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson campaigned for Cunningham twice, and Senate Majority Leader Steve Scalise campaigned for him in late October.
- Smothermon endorsed Hull in an October 6 social media post and urged followers to vote according to their biblical worldview.
- The Freedom from Religion Foundation filed an IRS complaint in 2022 over Legacy Church's involvement in that year's election.
- Smothermon said the church viewed laws restricting political speech as unconstitutional.
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