First, Gavin Clarkson lost his bid to be New Mexico's secretary of state. Then, he had to prove his state even existed.
Clarkson, a short-lived former member of the Trump administration's Interior Department, was trying to marry his now-wife in Washington, D.C. a few weeks ago. The marriage clerk didn't question the Argentinian-born Marina, who is a naturalized U.S. citizen. But she did think Clarkson's New Mexico driver's license meant he wasn't from the U.S., Clarkson told the Las Cruces Sun News.
After Clarkson presented his New Mexico license at a D.C. marriage bureau, the clerk asked for a "New Mexico passport," Clarkson wrote in a Facebook post. It then took a supervisor — who at first didn't believe Clarkson either — and another 20 minutes to figure out New Mexico was indeed a state and grant Clarkson his marriage license. Clarkson is also a member of the Choctaw Nation, and said "apparently it would have been easier if I'd shown [the clerk] my tribal ID."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A public relations official from Washington's court system later apologized for the clerk's "mistake regarding New Mexico's 106-year history as a state" in a call to the Sun News.
It turns out this marriage clerk is far from the only person who needs a basic geography lesson. New Mexico Magazine has compiled thousands of times have had to defend their home's existence, and you can read them all here.
-
The week's best photosIn Pictures A quick escape, an underground classroom, and more
-
The Week Unwrapped: What does Bake Off say about Channel 4?Podcast Plus, why are Scottish drug deaths so stubbornly high? And are women in their 30s too anxious about their eggs?
-
BookTok is reviving publishing – but at what cost?In The Spotlight Social media recommendations are boosting book sales but critics give the trend mixed reviews
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
