Failed GOP Candidate Convicted Over Drive-By Shootings At Democratic Officials' Homes

A jury convicted Solomon Peña on numerous federal charges in connection with a series of shootings in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A jury has convicted a failed political candidate of numerous federal charges in connection with a series of drive-by shootings at the homes of state and local lawmakers in Albuquerque in the aftermath of the 2020 election.

Former Republican candidate Solomon Peña had pleaded not guilty to 13 charges including conspiracy, weapons-related charges and interference with federally protected activities in connection with the shootings in December 2022 and January 2023 on the homes of four Democratic officials, including the current state House speaker.

The attacks took place as threats and acts of intimidation against election workers and public officials surged across the country after President Donald Trump and his allies called into question the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

Prosecutors allege that Peña resorted to violence in the belief that a “rigged” election had robbed him of victory in his bid to serve in the state Legislature.

The shootings targeted the homes of officials including two county commissioners after their certification of the 2022 election, in which Peña lost by nearly 50 percentage points. No one was injured, but in one case bullets passed through the bedroom of a state senator’s 10-year-old daughter.