A Republican candidate who ran unsuccessfully for the New Mexico state House was sentenced to 80 years in prison for masterminding a drive-by shooting spree targeting four Democratic lawmakers and officials. Solomon Peña was convicted in March on 13 federal charges, including conspiracy, weapons-related charges and interference with federally protected activities. After he lost his race in 2022, Peña refused to accept his defeat and urged the local board of commissioners not to certify the results. When that didn’t work, he paid four men to shoot at the homes and offices of two Democratic county commissioners, a state representative and a state senator. Nobody was injured in the shootings, but multiple rounds struck parts of homes where children either were sleeping or had recently been. A

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