Photo: Solomon Peña, a 2022 Republican candidate for an N.M. House seat, was sentenced to 80 years in prison Wednesday. (Photo from Peña’s official campaign Twitter feed in mid-November)
DEMING – A former Republican candidate for the New Mexico House of Representatives has been sentenced to 80 years in prison after orchestrating a politically motivated shooting spree that targeted the homes of elected Democrats following his election defeat.
According to Source New Mexico, Solomon Peña, 42, lost badly in the 2022 race for an Albuquerque-based district, but falsely claimed he was the victim of election fraud. Federal prosecutors said Peña then carried out a “sophisticated scheme” to harass and intimidate public officials by arranging shootings at their homes in December 2022 and January 2023.
A jury in March found Peña guilty of enlisting accomplices, including a man and his adult son, to repeatedly fire into the residences of four Democrats, among them Bernalillo County Commissioners Adriann Barboa and Debbie O’Malley, now a state senator, and New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martinez. The most serious attack occurred on January 3, 2023, when gunfire struck the home of state Sen. Linda Lopez while she and her children were inside. Prosecutors said Peña attempted to fire a fully automatic weapon himself, but it jammed.
Victims described ongoing trauma from the incidents. Lopez told the court that her children continue to struggle with anxiety and depression, and that loud noises and fireworks trigger fear. Martinez’s wife, Dianna, testified that she still replays the shooting in her mind, recalling bullets discovered in their shower and garage. “This was not politics,” she said. “It was terror.”
Prosecutors also said Peña recruited fellow inmates while awaiting trial, attempting to have them kill his codefendants. At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Kea Riggs said Peña’s crimes were “all because you could not believe that you lost an election,” and emphasized that the 80-year sentence was partly to deter others from engaging in political violence. Prosecutors had sought 90 years, while defense attorneys asked for the mandatory minimum of 60 years.
Peña did not testify on his own behalf and maintained his innocence through his attorneys, who said he will appeal.
The case drew national attention amid rising incidents of political violence in the United States. Peña had been a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, who himself has repeatedly claimed election fraud and has faced multiple threats and assassination attempts.
In addition to his prison sentence, Peña was fined $250,000 and ordered to pay restitution. Judge Riggs said Peña’s prior career as a “storm-chaser,” which prosecutors described as defrauding insurance companies after natural disasters, showed he had the means to pay.
Peña will likely remain in prison for the rest of his life.
\n