A Republican primary in New Mexico is heating up after one candidate accused another of spreading rumors about marital infidelity.
New Mexico oil executive Claire Chase called on her primary opponent Yvette Herrell, a former GOP state lawmaker, to depart the congressional race on Monday after accusing her of spreading rumors that she was unfaithful in her first marriage.
“This despicable, untrue, and deeply personal attack reveals who Yvette Herrell is as a person, and it isn’t pretty,” Chase said in a statement. “Yvette’s candidacy is no longer viable and she should drop out of this race for the good of the Republican Party.”
Retired U.S. Marine Jared Richardson, who made public his endorsement of Chase on social media, told the Associated Press that Herrell called him last month and claimed Chase cheated on her first husband while he was deployed in Afghanistan.
“She called on two different occasions to spread these [expletive] rumors. Really?” said Richardson, a former citizen of Socorro, New Mexico, who now resides in Panama City, Florida. “I found that dirty. Who cares? Stick to the issues.”
Herrell has denied Richardson’s claims, saying, “His allegation is 100% false.”
“I have never attempted to use personal rumors about Claire in this race, and will never do so. Neither has my campaign. I will take any legal steps necessary to protect myself against libel,” she said.
Herrell added that she is refusing to drop out of the congressional race, calling Chase’s accusations “blatant lies” and an “attack on my character.”
“This is yet another disgraceful and false attack on my character, and we know New Mexico voters will see through these blatant lies,” she explained. “The people of our district deserve a race focused on the issues that matter, not sensationalist tabloid media stories.”
Ben Gray, Chase’s first husband, weighed in on the situation to say he was dismayed by Herrell’s alleged tactics during the primary campaign.
“I can’t believe Yvette Herrell would try to use me in this false, disgusting attack. What kind of person would smear a Veteran to win a political campaign?” Gray said.
Additionally, Chase has said she did not meet her current husband, Chance Chase, until after her divorce from Gray was finalized and two years after his return from deployment.
According to text messages obtained by the Associated Press, Herrell was in communication with conservative cartoonist Roger Rael, who requested copywriting changes to illustrations he was designing about Chase’s first marriage. Herrell provided feedback suggestions on a meme Rael created, which showed Chase with her now-husband as Gray looked at them with a puzzled look.
“The second Claire is spelled wrong,” Herrell texted Rael. “It should say gold digging, not good digging.”
“Let me send them in the morning. There are a couple of more,” she also messaged.
Herrell’s campaign representative confirmed the existence of text messages but asserted the GOP congressional candidate was only responding to Rael’s pestering.
Chase, Herrell, and businessman Chris Mathys are all seeking the Republican nomination for New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District, an area won by President Trump in the 2016 election. The seat has traditionally been held by a Republican but is currently occupied by Democratic Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, who defeated Herrell in the 2018 midterm elections.
