Consumer advocate Ralph Nader's supporters took the first step Tuesday toward getting him on the presidential ballot in November.

Nader said New Mexico was the first of 40-plus states in which paperwork would be filed for his fourth presidential bid.

"We're drawing a bright line between us and the three corporate candidates," Nader said in a telephone interview.

His supporters said they submitted about 6,700 signatures on petitions to the Secretary of State's Office to earn ballot status for the newly formed Independent Party.

Nader will run under that banner because it is easier under state election laws to qualify a new, minor party for the ballot than to run as an independent candidate not affiliated with a party.

His running mate is Matt Gonzalez, a San Francisco lawyer and former member of the city's Board of Supervisors. He ran for mayor as a Green Party candidate in 2003 and lost to Gavin Newsom.

Nader vigorously rejected his critics' contention he is a spoiler who siphoned votes away from Al Gore in 2000 and cost the Democratic nominee the election. "You can't spoil the system that's spoiled to the core," Nader said.

Independent Party chairman Robert Baroody said the Republican Party's policies are "violent and destructive" while Democrats offer "a lot of generalities and platitudes."

"Here with the Nader-Gonzalez ticket, we have a real choice," Baroody said.