Teresa Leger Fernandez

New Mexico GOP House candidate Alexis Martinez Johnson has accused her incumbent Democratic opponent, Tesera Leger Fernandez, of “whitewashing” her name in a recent campaign ad.

In Leger Fernandez’s latest attack ad, her opponent is only referred to as “Alexis Johnson” — notably excluding her Spanish name — as it attacks her for “lying about” Fernandez in the race for New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District, expected to be one of tightest races of November’s midterm elections.

“Alexis Johnson already got caught lying about Teresa Leger Fernandez, so it’s no surprise she’s doing it again,” the ad’s narrator claimed. “New Mexico can’t trust Alexis Johnson in Congress.”

Martinez Johnson fired back at Leger Fernandez on Thursday, denouncing the advertisement as “racist.”

She accused Leger Fernandez and fellow Democrats of releasing “a racist attack TV ad intentionally whitewashing me in our largely Hispanic district by omitting ‘Martinez’ from my name,” Martinez Johnson tweeted.

“From breakfast tacos to this, the out-of-touch liberal elite continue to show why Hispanics are voting GOP in ‘22,” she said.

New Mexico GOP congressional candidate Alexis Martinez Johnson accused her opponent Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez of “whitewashing” her name in a campaign ad. AP Photo/Morgan Lee

Martinez Johnson then tweeted a photo of a sample ballot, writing “my name reads Alexis Martinez Johnson (see the sample ballot below). This is my name. I’m proud of my name and of my heritage.

“When a Hispanic woman doesn’t fit the Democrat’s narrative, they try and take Hispanic from me.”

Leger Fernandez, who serves as chair of the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States and holds a leadership role with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus as a Freshman Representative, was elected to Congress in 2020 after she defeated Martinez Johnson handily in the election 58.7 percent to 41.3%.

The campaign ad refers to the Republican candidate as “Alexis Johnson” instead of her full name.

Ahead of the Nov. 8 election, Martinez Johnson has raised only about $77,000 compared with Leger Fernández’s nearly $1.9 million, according to the Federal Election Commission’s website.

In a statement to Fox News, Martinez Johnson said Leger Fernandez’s was “offensive and disgusting” and said it indicated that the GOP will win back the House this November.

“When Hispanic women decide they are not willing to vote Democratic anymore, the radical left becomes unhinged,” Martinez Johnson said. “They call us breakfast tacos, ‘Miss Frijoles,’ and now they’ve stooped to whitewashing my proud Hispanic heritage out of desperation. It’s offensive and disgusting, and this is why Republicans will win back the House this year. The Hispanic community is sick and tired of being used and sold out year after year.”

Martinez Johnson accused Fernandez of trying to “take Hispanic from me.” Photo By Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Leger Fernandez has not yet responded to Martinez Johnson’s allegations.

Fellow female Republican Hispanic representatives and candidates jumped to Martinez Johnson’s defense.

“Dems doing same racist stuff against my friend,” wrote Texas Rep. Mayra Flores in response to Martinez Johnson’s post.

This week, Flores accused her Democrat opponent, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, of using a doctored photograph of her in a campaign ad.

Tina Ramirez, a GOP candidate running for Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, called the advertisement “disgusting.”

“This is exactly why more & more Hispanics are leaving the Democratic Party,” she added.