Despite challenges to his campaign expenditures by the secretary of state’s office, Democratic Public Regulation Commission candidate Jerome Block Jr. took the northern District 3 Public Regulation Commission seat being vacated by newly elected Congressman Ben Ray Lujan in an unofficial tally count of 56.2 percent of the vote.

Green Party candidate Rick Lass drew a large portion of the ballots, however — 43.8 percent – and was the preferred choice in Santa Fe County, which gave Lass 62.7 percent of the tally, compared to Block’s 37.3 percent.

Block pulled in numbers higher than 70 percent in Democratic-leaning counties like Mora and Rio Arriba. He also did exceptionally well in Republican-leaning counties like Union and Harding,  where he won about three-quarters of the vote, indicating voters in those counties were more comfortable with a Democrat than a Green. The Republicans had no candidate in the race.

On Monday, the day before the election, the Secretary of State’s Office upheld its decision requiring Block to pay $21,700 in fines by Nov. 14, although he also has the option of seeking arbitration.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reported that Block was being fined $10,000 for misreporting $2,500 he gave the San Miguel County clerk’s band for a performance that never took place and for improper use of that money, according to a “final notice of action” from Secretary of State Mary Herrera, which said:

“The band never played any event for your campaign in return for your payment, and the information you have provided fails to indicate that (your financial statement) regarding that payment was accurate.”

In addition, the New Mexican said:

The Democrat was fined an additional $1,000 for giving Hillary Clinton $700 to help with her presidential campaign debt.

Also, Block must reimburse the state $10,700. Block has received just over $101,000 in public campaign funds for the primary and general elections, while Lass, who didn’t have a primary, has received nearly $65,000.