A New Mexico megachurch pastor has publicly backed two Republican candidates in the 2026 midterm elections, renewing debate over federal rules restricting political campaign involvement by tax-exempt religious organizations.
Steve Smothermon, pastor of Legacy Church, has reportedly urged members of his congregation to support Republican congressional candidate Greg Cunningham and Republican gubernatorial candidate Gregg Hull.
Smothermon leads a nondenominational church operating nine locations throughout New Mexico. In mid-August, he endorsed Cunningham, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Gabriel Vasquez for his congressional seat.
“Let’s pray for him, support his campaign, get registered, and vote to flip this seat for someone who will stand for God, our Constitution, and a better New Mexico!” Smothermon said.
On Oct. 6, the pastor publicly backed Hull in a social media post, stating that the candidate “should be the next governor of New Mexico.” He also called on followers to “Stand up and vote your biblical worldview.”
The endorsements have drawn attention to the Johnson Amendment, a federal tax provision enacted in 1954 that prohibits tax-exempt organizations, including churches, from supporting or opposing candidates in political campaigns. The law does not prohibit all political expression or nonpartisan civic activities.
The issue has gained renewed attention as President Donald Trump’s administration continues its efforts to ease restrictions on political endorsements by churches and other tax-exempt organizations.
Speaking to The Guardian, Smothermon defended his position, maintaining that restrictions on political speech conflict with constitutional freedoms.
“For the last 2.5 centuries, resisting censorship has been a cornerstone of our republic, so we knew laws curtailing it were unconstitutional and therefore null and void — especially for political speech,” he said.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), meanwhile, issued a statement Friday criticizing Cunningham for receiving the pastor’s endorsement.
“Greg Cunningham claims to stand up for safety, but he has made it clear he has no qualms receiving endorsements from extreme individuals and organizations,” DCCC spokesperson Anna Elsasser said.
Legacy Church has encountered similar controversy over election-related activities in previous years. In 2014, the church distributed sample ballots highlighting favored candidates, and Smothermon encouraged congregants to support particular candidates in local elections in 2021 and 2022.
The legal debate over political endorsements by churches has also continued at the federal level. In 2025, the Trump administration proposed an agreement that would allow churches and pastors to endorse candidates when communicating with their congregations in certain religious settings without facing enforcement of the Johnson Amendment. A federal judge rejected the proposed agreement, and the Justice Department filed an appeal in September 2026.
