New Mexico Primary Results

The June 4 New Mexico Primary has come and gone. The unofficial statewide voter turnout was just under 23%, or a fifth of registered voters. A little more than 1 in 5 eligible voters turned in Bernalillo County, a tally slightly lower than the 2022 primary contest.  Low turnout also marked the statewide results where 225,000 New Mexicans voted in the primary election, or about 22% of the state’s 1,011,000 eligible voters.

PROGESSIVE DEMOCRATS PURGE CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRATS

All but 7 Democratic incumbent legislators beat back challengers in the June 4 primary.  Republican voters in southeastern New Mexico ousted 2 recent Republican appointees of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to select their own candidates.

In a final analysis one week after the election, the biggest take away is that progressive democrats purged conservative democrats from the New Mexico legislature.

With the unofficial statewide voter turnout of just under 23%, or a fifth of registered voters, progressives had some potential gains in the House of Representatives.  If the Democratic candidates nominated  can win in the general election, it will result in the state House moving  slightly further  to the left.

DEMOCTATIC PARTY PRIMARY RACES

Three House Democrats from rural areas of New Mexico lost their bids for reelection. Those legislators were Willie Madrid from Chaparral, representing District  53  who lost to Jon Hill  58.06%  to 41.94%; Ambrose Castellano representing District 70’s representing Torrance and San Miguel counties who lost to Anita Gonzales 55.24% to 44.76% and  Harry Garcia of Grants, representing District 69 who lost to Michelle Abeyta 56.76% to  34.94%.  In the 2024 New Mexico legislative session, all 3 Democratic Representative voted against Senate Bill 3  which would have created the Paid Family Medical Leave Act. The bill died on the House floor on a 34 YES vote to a 36 NO vote.

In the State Senate District  26  Democratic Primary, Incumbent Moderate Democrat Antonio “Moe” Maestas prevailed over Progressive Democrat Julie Radoslovich  in a highly contentious race 59.24% to  40.76%. There is no Republican running in the general election so Maestas returns to the Senate for a 4 year term.

Long time Democratic State Senator Daniel Ivy-Soto, District 15, lost in a major landslide to new newcomer and progressive Heather Berghmans 80% to 20%. Ivy-Soto for the past 2 years was plagued with accusations of sexual harassment. Even though the ethics charges were dismissed and not proved, Ivy-Soto was pummeled with sustained attacks on his character. Berghmans will faces Republican Craig Degenhardt in the general election.

Long time Democratic Progressive incumbent State Senator Bill O’Neill, whose District 13 boundaries in Albuquerque were changed under redistricting, lost to the more progressive former Albuquerque City Councilor and former Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie O’Malley by fewer than 200 votes.  O’Malley secured 52% of the vote to O’Niell’s 48% of the vote.

Excerpted from Pete Dinelli’s Blog of June 12, 2024.