She subsequently pleaded guilty to six of 65 fraud and embezzlement charges against her as part of an agreement reached with the Attorney General of New Mexico.
[6] Duran attended New Mexico State University in Alamogordo before beginning work in the Office of the Otero County Clerk in 1979.
She said her primary objective was the integrity of the electoral system and that she believed that in a republic, legitimacy rested on the people's belief that elections are conducted fairly, votes are counted correctly, and that only eligible voters are allowed to participate.
On July 31, 2011, Duran cited a "culture of corruption" when she turned the names of 64,000 voters over to the state police, saying they did not match the Social Security and motor vehicle data bases.
[8] The American Civil Liberties Union filed a public information request for the records in question, saying that they wanted to verify the statement.
[10] In 2014 Duran won reelection, outspending challenger Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver $195,635 to $145,690 on television ads alone.
Duran's lawyer responded: "we have identified some serious potential violations of law by the New Mexico Attorney General's Office, in conducting the investigation.
She was also ordered to continue to attend gambling addiction therapy and forbidden to enter a casino or race track for five years.
Duran ran for re-election as Secretary of State in 2014, and won the general election on November 4, 2014, beating Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver.