Harris wins New Mexico’s 5 electoral votes - by Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
Vice President Kamala Harris won New Mexico’s five electoral votes, Tuesday, according to a call by the Associated Press, despite a last-minute effort from Donald Trump to galvanize Republican support.
While it was too soon to say whether Trump or Harris will set foot in the White House in January, the latest figures show Harris won New Mexico by a significant margin: 51.2% to 46.2%. That amounts to a roughly 40,000-vote advantage, with 75% of precincts reporting as of 9:38 p.m.
Trump drew thousands to a rally in Albuquerque the week before Election Day. During his speech, he falsely claimed he’d won New Mexico twice during his previous campaigns, even though he lost the state by nearly 100,000 votes in 2020 and by a similar margin in 2016.
He told his supporters that he hoped to win Hispanics by a greater margin than Democrats. New Mexico is more than 50% Hispanic.
Harris was expected to win the state since she entered the race. Polls consistently gave her a 7- to 8-point lead here. Harris did not visit New Mexico as part of her campaign.
Rep. Gabe Vasquez wins reelection to Congress - By Alice Fordham, KUNM News
Democratic incumbent Gabe Vasquez has won a second term in the 2nd Congressional District, which covers most of southern New Mexico and stretches up to Albuquerque's South Valley by over nine percentage points, according to unofficial results.
His victory comes after a hard-fought race against Republican candidate Yvette Herrell, a conservative who takes a hard line on abortion and who refused to certify the 2020 election result.
The district is about 60% Hispanic, and Representative Vasquez, who is from a Mexican American family, told KUNM that his constituents appreciate seeing someone like them in Congress. With Hispanic voters more likely to be working class and live in family households, his campaign focused on pragmatic issues like jobs and the economy.
He also highlighted his efforts in Congress to pass legislation on the border and immigration. And with many constituents working in the oil and gas industries, he shied away from talking about an energy transition or climate change.
Democratic US Sen. Martin Heinrich wins third term in New Mexico – By Nash Jones, KUNM News
New Mexico has reelected U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich to a third term, according to an Associated Press race call. With 61% of votes reported, Heinrich has secured a victory with more than 55.4% of the vote over Republican challenger Nella Domenici, with 44.6%, according to unofficial results at 8:45 p.m. Tuesday. Heinrich consistently led by double-digits in the polls. His victory gives Democrats a notch among the 34 Senate seats up for election this year.
Heinrich is the state’s senior U.S. Senator, first elected in 2012. Domenici’s strength as a challenger came in large part from her name recognition. Her father, Republican Pete Domenici, represented New Mexico in the Senate for 36 years, starting in the early 70s.
New Mexicans have sent Heinrich back to Washington D.C. on a platform of enshrining access to abortion care in federal law, immigration reform, furthering economic recovery and environmental protection.
Heinrich told KUNM last month that he is interested in carrying a bill to make abortion access federal law.
As a Senator from a border state at a time when a historically high number of people have been crossing into the U.S. in recent years, Heinrich and Domenici also clashed over approaches to immigration reform and border security.
Heinrich ran on support for immigration reform and enhanced border security, as well as a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers. He visited the border in August to campaign on the Homeland Security Appropriations bill, which included $400 million he secured to stem the flow of fentanyl into New Mexico.
Melanie Stansbury sweeps NM Congressional District 1 - By Nash Jones, KUNM News
Democratic U.S. Representative Stansbury handily defeated Republican challenger Steve Jones in Tuesday’s election, receiving 56.3% of the vote in central New Mexico’s Congressional District 1, according to unofficial results.
The congresswoman for most of Albuquerque and its suburbs had vowed during the campaign to follow through on stalled efforts to reform the U.S. immigration system and compensate downwinders, along with securing federal abortion rights.
Stansbury was first elected to the U.S. House in a 2021 special election after Interior Secretary Deb Haaland was appointed to the Biden cabinet. She’d previously represented New Mexico House District 28 in the state Legislature.
Stansbury is a co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would restore federal abortion protections after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision made access a state-level decision.
She also ran on helping comprehensive immigration reforms get through Congress in her next term after a bipartisan effort House Speaker Mike Johnson called “dead on arrival” failed in the Senate this year. She told KUNM she’d like any future proposal to include more asylum and immigration reform than the last one, which was heavily focused on border security measures.
Leger Fernández wins re-election to Congress - By Alice Fordham, KUNM News
Democratic incumbent Teresa Leger Fernández has won reelection in the 3rd Congressional District, which covers the north of the state, including Santa Fe, and stretches into the southeastern oil patch.
Leger Fernández defeated Republican opponent Sharon Clahchischilliage with 55.9% of the votes according to unofficial results.
Leger Fernández has already served two terms in Congress, and her time has been marked by the catastrophic Calf Canyon/Hermit's Peak fire in 2021, which burned hundreds of miles of land and destroyed many homes. She has fought to pass and implement legislation to compensate families, because the fires were accidentally started by the U.S. Forest Service.
During her campaign, she highlighted her support for reproductive rights, for energy transition and her recent efforts to introduce a law that would give first time home buyers a substantial grant. Clahchischilliage is a member of the Navajo Nation. During the campaign she cast doubt on the link between carbon emissions and climate change and said she opposed abortion in all circumstances.
Republicans gain 1 state House seat and 1 Senate seat, but Dems still have big majority - By Source New Mexico
Republicans flipped three seats in the New Mexico Legislature, according to the latest voting tallies Wednesday from the Secretary of State’s Office, but the majority in both chambers still belongs to Democrats.
In the Senate, Republicans Jay Block and Gabriel Ramos won open seats that previously belonged to Democrats. Democrats also won a previously Republican seat once held by Sen. Joshua Sanchez, who will be replaced by Sen. Angel Charley.
The Election day results mean a net gain of one seat in the Senate, bringing the new party breakdown 26 Democrats and 16 Republicans when the Legislature convenes early next year.
Block won Senate District 12, which Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino represented before he retired and the Albuquerque-area seat was heavily redrawn in redistricting in 2021. Ramos won District 28, which covers parts of Silver City, Lordsburg and Deming. Sen. Correa Hemphill, a Democrat, used to represent that area but stepped down after the June primary.
In the House, Democrat Rep. Tara Jaramillo lost her race to Republican Rebecca Dow. That means there will be 44 Democrats to 26 Republicans in the House.
This year, there were 10 contested Senate races and 32 contested House races. The rest were uncontested.
NOTEWORTHY RACES
State Senate District 9
A contentious race for a Senate district near Albuquerque came to an end late Tuesday night, with Democrat Cindy Nava earning 55% of the vote and beating Republican Audrey Trujillo, who got 45%.
Nava will become one of the only beneficiaries of the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to be elected to office. The former Biden administration official’s parents brought her to the United States when she was 7, and she’s since become a United States citizen.
Before running for the District 9 seat, Trujillo unsuccessfully ran Secretary of State in 2022. She falsely claimed back then that former President Donald Trump won New Mexico during his failed 2020 presidential bid. In fact, the former President lost New Mexico by about 100,000 votes.
Heading into Tuesday, Nava greatly outraised her opponent. As of the latest campaign filing reports, Nava raised about $277,000, and Trujillo raised a little more than $65,000.
Senate District 9 is mostly located in Sandoval County, with part of it in Bernalillo County. It is bounded by Algodones to the north, Sandia Pueblo to the south, Placitas to the east and part of Rio Rancho to the west.
Trujillo and Nava both threw their hats in the District 9 race after Sen. Brenda McKenna, a Democrat, stepped down after one term.
State Senate District 12
Republican Jay Block defeated Democrat Phillip Ramirez with 53%% of the vote, according to preliminary results from the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office.
Senate District 12 includes the western part of Rio Rancho, an Albuquerque suburb.
Block in June won the Republican nomination over Candance Gould.
From his seat on the Sandoval County Commission, Block voted against certifying the 2022 primary election results.
Incumbent Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino (D-Albuquerque), who was elected before the district was redrawn in 2021, did not run for reelection.
Ramirez in 2021 ran for Albuquerque City Council.
State Senate District 28
Republican Gabriel Ramos garnered 56% of the vote and defeated Democratic candidate Chris Ponce, with 44%, in a bid for the bootheel District 28.
The bootheel district which includes Hidalgo, Grant and Luna Counties was held by former Democratic Sen. Siah Correa Hemphill. Ponce, a Grant County commissioner, was nominated by the Democratic party after Correa Hemphill announced her withdrawal from the race in May.
Ramos, formerly a Democrat, was appointed to the vacant seat in 2019. Ramos was one of five Democrats breaking with the party to vote in 2020 against removing a decades-old defunct law limiting abortion. Ramos was ousted in the 2020 Democratic primary by Correa Hemphill, who made abortion rights a central part of her campaign.
State Representative District 11
Despite a rare challenge, the speaker of the state House of Representatives has kept his seat and gavel after Tuesday’s election.
Rep. Javier Martínez (D-Albuquerque) moved 75% of voters, beating Republican Bart Kinney III who kept just 25%.
Martínez was the only member of Democratic leadership in the state House and Senate to face a contested general election this cycle. He’s amassed more than $430,000 in contributions since being elected to the House, much of which he’s donated to other campaigns for incumbent Democrats. That’s compared with Kinney’s roughly $30,000.
Kinney, an insurance agent and broker, focused his campaign on addressing crime and protecting Second Amendment rights.
Martínez was elected to the state House in 2014 and became House Speaker in 2021.
He’ll preside over the House for what promises to be a unique, 60-day legislative session early next year, in which the Legislature might have an acrimonious fight with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham over crime and related issues.
The Legislature this summer declined to take up a slate of measures the governor supported as she sought to get tougher on crime, including strengthening criminal penalties and making it easier for police to arrest those with mental health issues and drug addictions.
State Representative District 22
One of the state House’s most prominent supporters of former President Donald Trump kept her House seat representing mountain towns outside of Albuquerque.
Rep. Stefani Lord, a Republican, has been in the state House since 2021 and earned 56% of the vote. She faced two general-election opponents, one a Democrat and one independent.
Democrat Fred Ponzlov accused Lord of engaging “in political stunt after political stunt to get press coverage, instead of working to improve life within her district.” He cited her effort to impeach the governor and eliminate background checks for almost all gun purchases.
Lord attended Trump’s rally in Albuquerque last week and claimed on national television that the president had a shot at winning New Mexico this year, even though Vice President Kamala Harris has consistently led here by 7-8 percentage points.
Zachary Withers, an independent candidate, describes himself as a farmer in the East Mountains who wanted to focus his campaign on food sovereignty, the efficient use of water resources, helping small businesses and reducing bureaucracy.
State House District 36
Democrat Nathan Small will keep his seat in the New Mexico House of Representatives after beating Republican challenger Kimberly Skaggs for the second time. Small earned 52% of the vote compared to Skaggs’ 48%.
The race for House District 36 involved some of the highest spending of any state legislative race this year. Small spent just over $196,000 this campaign, the most of any state legislator, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. Skaggs was the fifth highest spender at about $142,700 this election.
Skaggs previously ran for Senate District 36 against Jeff Steinborn in 2020 and lost. She has run against Small twice, first in 2022 and now in 20224, losing both general elections.
Small has represented much of rural Doña Ana County since 2017. His district also includes the Picacho area of Las Cruces and the Village of Doña Ana. With this win, Small will also continue his role as chair of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee this upcoming legislative session and vice chair of the Interim Legislative Finance Committee.
State House District 38
Rebecca Dow will once again represent House District 38 after defeating Democratic incumbent Tara Jaramillo with 52% of the vote.
Dow previously represented the district from 2017 through the end of 2022. Jaramillo succeeded Dow as representative in 2023 after Dow chose not seek reelection and instead ran as a Republican candidate for New Mexico governor. She was defeated in the 2022 June primary by Mark Ronchetti.
Jaramillo and Dow were the top two campaign finance earners this election cycle, with Jaramillo raising about $159,200 and Dow raising about $154,400. Dow was the fourth highest campaign spender in the state legislature elections this year spending about $149,500.
The makeup of the district has changed a lot since Dow left office. Previously, the district included most of Truth or Consequences and Silver City. Redistricting in 2023 moved Silver City into a new district. House District 38 now encompasses portions of northern Las Cruces and stretches north to Hatch, Truth or Consequences and a portion of Socorro.
State Representative District 53
Democrat Sarah Silva will be the next state representative for District 53, according to the preliminary results available Wednesday afternoon.
But it’s still very close: Silva was up by 129 votes of 9,429 counted so far. Elections officials said they’d finish counting Doña Ana County’s absentee ballots by 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The margin separating Silva and her Republican opponent Elizabeth Winterrowd amounts to 1.3% of the votes counted. An automatic recount occurs if that margin falls below 1%.
As it stands now, Silva has 51% of the vote and has 49%.
The race for portions of Eastern Las Cruces, Doña Ana County and Chaparral in Otero County is one that state GOP leaders said they wanted to focus on flipping. Winterrowd is a special education teacher from Organ.
Silva, a community organizer and coach, was picked by the Democratic party to replace candidate Jon Hill on the ballot after his withdrawal from the race in August. He died shortly after endorsing Silva to replace him. Hill had ousted incumbent Rep. Willie Madrid (D-Chaparral) in the June primary.
Voters give ABQ City Council more say in terminating police, fire chiefs - By Elizabeth McCall, City Desk ABQ
The Albuquerque City Council will have more say in terminating a police or fire chief after voters passed an amendment to change the city’s charter.
Voters also approved a city charter amendment to create a process for filling vacancies on a three-member committee that resolves disputes between the mayor and the council.
According to unofficial results from the Bernalillo County Clerk’s Office, voters approved both ballot questions by 62% as of 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.
“Passing these amendments to our charter shows an overwhelming desire for a more accountable mayor and police chief,” Council President Dan Lewis said.
The amendment allows the council to fire a police or fire chief without cause on a 7-2 vote. Police and fire chiefs would have an employment agreement with the city, which the mayor could terminate with cause. The council, however, would be able to fire a chief without cause.
Councilor Louie Sanchez, a frequent critic of the Albuquerque Police Department and Chief Harold Medina said he thinks both amendments “give extra checks and balances.”
“I think it’s important that we, as city councilors, have an opportunity to weigh in in reference to the police chief and the fire chief,” Sanchez said. “If we have a police chief or a fire chief that’s not doing their job, we should be able to act on those issues, because it’s an issue of public safety.”
SEPARATION OF POWERS AMENDMENT
The second charter amendment on the ballot will set a process to ensure vacancies on a committee that resolves disputes between the mayor and council are filled in a timely manner.
The amendment requires the mayor to appoint one member of the intragovernmental conference committee 30 days before the preceding appointee’s term expires or immediately after the appointee resigns. The city charter already requires the council to appoint another member. Those two members are required to appoint a third member to serve as the chair.
According to the amendment, “if either the mayor or City Council fails to name a replacement committee member within 60 days of vacancy, the other body shall make the appointment.”
BernCo voters approve millions in bonds – By Rod Cayton, CityDesk ABQ
Bernalillo County voters approved $40.5 million in bond spending, meant for improvements large and small in every corner of the county, according to unofficial election results.
Rod Cayton with CityDesk ABQ reports the bond package consisted of six separate questions.
The parks and recreation question includes $11.7 million for improvements, new fields and infrastructure for the Mesa del Sol Regional Outdoor Sports Complex and replacement of the skate park at Los Vecinos Community Center.
Voters supported $10.7 million in transportation bonds. Those projects include the third phase of the Bridge Boulevard construction project and improvements to Atrisco Vista Boulevard and Coors Boulevard.
Bonds for public safety facilities, fleet, and county buildings passed bringing $8.8 million for planning, design and construction of a new early childhood education center, sustainability upgrades at county-owned buildings, roof replacements at two fire stations and other projects.
A request for $5.2 million for storm drainage and utilities was approved, as well as $2.5 million for libraries. The smallest amount, $1.7 million for public housing, has been described by county officials as part of an overarching local strategy for combating homelessness.
Democrat Matthew McQueen retains state House seat - Alice Fordham, KUNM News
Democratic Representative Matthew McQueen has won re-election in House District 50, which covers the area south of Santa Fe including Galisteo and Edgewood. A lawyer, he has served as the representative since 2015, and is the chair of the legislature's Water and Natural Resources Committee.
McQueen beat out Republican Ken Brennan with 61% of the vote according to unofficial results.
Recently, he sponsored a bill to raise the oil and gas royalty rates on state trust lands, so that fossil fuel extraction can generate more income for the state. And he wants to professionalize the legislature, meaning representatives would be paid for their work.
His challenger, Brennan, is mayor of Edgewood, which last year voted to join a handful of other municipalities in passing an ordinance citing a century-old federal law to restrict access to abortion. Last month, another town commissioner in Edgewood, Stephen Murillo, proposed a proclamation celebrating what he called the Christian heritage of the United States. That proposal was tabled but Mayor Brennan said it has some merits.
Representative McQueen called the proposals inappropriate and divisive.
Republican Gabe Ramos flips Senate District 28 Republican - By Alice Fordham, KUNM News
Republican Gabriel Ramos has won the election for state senate District 28, which covers Silver City and the Gila Wilderness.
Ramos defeated Democrat Chris Ponce by 55.5% of the vote according to unofficial results.
Ramos previously served as senator in the district, but as a Democrat. He switched parties after he became known for voting against a proposal to eliminate an old abortion ban from New Mexico's books, and was defeated in a primary race by a more progressive candidate, Siah Correa-Hemphill, who went on to win the election in 2022. It was the closest state senate race in the last election.
Sen. Correa-Hemphill stepped down after this year's primary, saying she couldn't afford to commute to Santa Fe to work as an unpaid legislator any more. She was replaced by Grant County Commissioner and retired police officer Ponce.
Ramos campaigned against the liberal values he said Sen. Correa-Hemphill represented, calling for policies like supporting the police and criticizing a state-supported reproductive health clinic set to open in Las Cruces.
Speaker Javier Martinez reelected to sixth term in the NM House - By Nash Jones, KUNM News
New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martinez will serve a sixth term in the Legislature. The only Democratic leader to face a challenge in this year’s election, Martinez’s constituents reelected him over Republican Bart Kinney Tuesday by 76.5 percentage points, according to unofficial results.
The longtime lawmaker was elected Speaker of the House last year and led his caucus through a special legislative session this summer, where the party’s lawmakers refused to sponsor several public safety proposals from Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and ultimately blocked them from being heard.
Martinez said at the time that he and his fellow Democrats had “deep concerns” about the proposals, which he warned could have a negative impact on New Mexicans, “especially the most vulnerable.” The proposals included expanding involuntary commitment for those deemed incompetent to stand trial, criminalizing panhandling in some cases, and increasing penalties for people convicted of felonies in possession of firearms.
Martinez says public safety is and has been an urgent priority for the Legislature, but that the special session proposals “were not fully baked.” The Legislature increased some penalties this year under Martinez’s leadership, including for second-degree murder and people accused of a second felony while awaiting trial. Last year, Martinez carried a bill to impose penalties for organized retail crime.
He vowed on the campaign trail to continue to invest in combating crime in his district and across the state, along with addressing its roots in housing, drug addiction, mental and behavioral health, and poverty.
Defeating Kinney, a staunch defender of the Second Amendment, Martinez said that while he considers New Mexico’s gun safety laws “strong,” there is more to be done. He said that could include exploring a ban on assault weapons.
Martinez ran on a record of tax reform under his speakership and as a member of the House Tax Committee, which he says targeted relief toward working families. After the Legislature created a state Child Tax Credit and expanded the Working Families Tax Credit and Low-Income Comprehensive Tax rebate, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy ranked New Mexico in the top 10 nationally for equitable state tax structures.
He also boasted reforms to the state’s budget process, which he says became more transparent under his leadership and that of Rep. Nathan Small, who he assigned to chair that committee over more moderate, longtime chair Patty Lundstrom.
Rio Rancho-area House District 23 reelects Republican House Whip Alan Martinez - By Nash Jones, KUNM
First elected in 2022 after House District 23 was redrawn to be more conservative, State Rep. Alan Martinez has been re-elected by Rio Rancho-area voters for a second term. He defeated first-time candidate Democratic challenger Frank Smith in Tuesday’s election by 12 percentage points, according to unofficial results.
Martinez is the No. 2 Republican in the New Mexico House as the minority whip. That prominence led him to significantly outraise Smith, who was already an underdog in a heavily red district where Martinez also has far more name recognition.
It’s not common for first-term lawmakers to be selected as party leaders. But Martinez says he came into Roundhouse with the expertise needed to do the job, since he’d served as chief policy director for the state’s Veterans’ Services Department for 15 years.
Smith had run in part on having more party independence than a Representative charged with whipping up Republican votes in the House. Though, Martinez told KUNM during the campaign that he doesn’t always hold the Republican line and is quick to talk with Democrats about key issues.
He highlighted his anti-abortion access and pro-Second Amendment positions as two he’d never waver on. Though, he said New Mexico should “take guns away from bad actors,” and disagrees with abortion being legislated one way or another.
Martinez, like many state legislative candidates, ran on combating crime, which he says is a priority for his constituents even though Rio Rancho has a lower crime rate than neighboring Albuquerque. He ran on a record of co-sponsoring two successful bipartisan bills this year to recruit and retain more law enforcement officers.
Education was another top issue for candidates in a state whose students struggle with persistently low test scores. Martinez ran on backing “school choice” policies that would allow New Mexico parents to take their tax dollars out of the public school system and spend it instead on private education. He also told KUNM he’s also open to the idea of dismantling the Public Education Department, which he sees as unnecessarily bureaucratic.
Republican incumbent Luis Terrazas retains House District 39 seat- Jeanette DeDios, KUNM News
Republican incumbent Luis Terrazas retains House District 39 seat from Democratic challenger Gabby Begay.
Voters approved Terrazas over Begay with 53.6% of the vote according to unofficial results by Associated Press.
Terrazas had a steady lead in fundraising but his challenger Begay’s funds succeeded him with days leading up to election. Begay had over 202 thousand dollars leaving Terrazas trailing closely behind with 197 thousand dollars. Both candidates received funds from representatives from their political parties. But that didn’t seem to matter because Terrzas ended up on top.
Terrazas is from Grant County and owns a funeral company.
In the last regular legislative session, he sponsored numerous bills but only three passed dealing with public safety employees returning to work, meat inspections, and Smokey Bear license plates.
In Terrazas newsletter the New Mexico Insider, he outlined his main priorities. Those include curtailing crime by enforcing pre-existing laws and offering law enforcement resources they need, not raising taxes, and providing health care in rural areas.
Democrat Nava defeats Trujillo in Senate District 9 race - Taylor Velazquez, KUNM News
Democrat Cindy Nava, a former DACA recipient and official in the Biden Administration, has won New Mexico Senate District 9 according to a race call by The Associated Press. Nava defeated Republican Audrey Trujillo, who also ran for Secretary of State in 2020 unsuccessfully and has since denied the results of the last presidential election.
Voters approved Nava over Trujillo with 55% of the vote according to unofficial results.
Nava is one of the first former DACA recipients to win public office. Her parents came to the U.S. when she was 7 years old. As a teenager, Nava advocated for policies to support other undocumented youth before the 2012 program created federal protections for those brought to the country illegally.
She was the first DACA recipient to receive a White House political appointment under the Biden Administration, where she worked in the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In Washington, she worked on issues like affordable housing and creating opportunities for first-time home buyers.
She says she decided to run for office in New Mexico to boost representation of the state’s Hispanic-majority population.
As a state senator, Nava says she will tackle high housing prices and homelessness, and work to bring a world-class education system to New Mexico.
Katie Duhigg keeps her seat in heavily redistricted Senate District 10 - Bryce Dix, KUNM News
Democratic incumbent Katie Duhigg will keep her seat in Senate District 10 after defeating her opponent, former Laguna Pueblo Police Chief Rudy Mora, according to an Associated Press race call.
Voters approved Duhigg over Mora with 58.5% of the vote according to unofficial results.
The win isn’t surprising – as the historically Republican dominated district saw a massive shift to Democratic voters after the approval of a controversial 2022 Senate redistricting map.
Duhigg participated in the redistricting process as a state Senator, though independent watchdog groups criticized the legislature for their lack of transparency and their failure to adopt a nonpartisan, citizen-led committee’s map recommendations.
However, before the district was redrawn, Duhigg proved herself by ousting Republican Candace Gould in 2020, ending a long-held Republican stint in the seat since 1997.
A lawyer by day, Duhigg currently sits as the chair of the Senate Rules Committee and vice chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Duhigg campaigned on several issues ranging from the state’s economic challenges to crime issues – touting her efforts to increase penalties for violent offenders and salary raises for police officers.
Heather Berghmans keeps Senate District 15 seat for Democrats- Jeanette DeDios, KUNM News
Candidate Heather Berghmans will keep Senate District 15 seat for Democrats after defeating her Republican opponent, senior industrial designer Craig Degendhardt, according to Associated Press.
Voters approved Berghmans over Degenhardt with 61.4% of the vote according to unofficial results.
Berghmans took a huge lead in fundraising in the race, bringing in over $209,000. Most of her funds came from the Democratic party and fellow senators like Peter Wirth and Katy Duhigg as well as Emily’s List, a national organization focused on electing Democratic women.
Degenhardt raised a little under $4,000, mainly coming from his own campaign and local businesses.
Berghmans has been a policy analyst at the Legislature for years and was the campaign finance director for a consulting firm working with the House Democratic Caucus.
Berghmans said she’s committed to working on public safety, reducing gun violence and expanding early childhood care.
With this win, Berghmans at 36, is now the youngest serving state senator.
Longtime NM Senator Craig Brandt to get another term in the Roundhouse - By Nash Jones, KUNM News
Longtime New Mexico state Sen. Craig Brandt has defeated Democratic challenger Amina Everett in the Rio Rancho-area district with 55% of the vote, according to unofficial results. The win was expected in the largely Republican district, where Brandt is well-known after serving it for more than a decade in the Roundhouse. The state Senator raised around 10 times as much as his challenger with backing from his party as the chamber’s minority whip.
Brandt ran on his years of experience over newcomer Everett, who is also a fairly new arrival to the area after moving to Rio Rancho for retirement. While also not born and raised in the district, Brandt said he’s as connected to the community as he could be, having lived there off-and-on since the 80s and raising his kids there.
He also says he’s well acquainted with how the state Legislature works. As the Republican whip, he says he has learned the Senate rules “really well” and is able to use them to his party’s advantage, since its side of the aisle is so heavily outnumbered. He boasts a number of successful challenges, like Calls of the Senate, which stall bills from being debated until all members arrive on the floor.
Education has long been a centerpiece of Brandt’s platform as a member of the Senate Education Committee and former Rio Rancho School Board member. He ran on not investing in public education without demanding more accountability from districts, schools and teachers to improve student outcomes.
He also ran on tackling crime. Though several of his recent public safety proposals failed to pass, he said he expects that to change in his next term. He plans to reintroduce a slightly tweaked bill to expand the state’s organized crime statute to go after gangs and human trafficking. He said he’s worked across the aisle to get the Democratic Party backing the bill needs, including from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. He also vowed to ramp up police presence in the district, where he says the resident-to-officer ratio has fallen too low.
Hernandez beats out Mark in open House District 4 race - By Jeanette DeDios, KUNM News
Democratic candidate Joseph Hernandez has won the House District 4 seat against Republican candidate Lincoln Mark.
Voters approved Hernandez over Mark with 55.8% of the vote according to unofficial results.
He succeeded longtime State Representative Anthony Allison, who decided to retire this year. Hernandez faced two opponents in the Democratic primary before coming out on top with more than a 17 point lead while the Republican primary was uncontested.
After redistricting in 2021, House District 04 grew to include a large area south of Farmington.
As a member of the Navajo Nation, Hernandez was born and raised in Shiprock and works as a community organizer.
In an interview with KUNM, he said infrastructure would be one of his first priorities, including upgrading roads, waterlines and electrical systems
Other top priorities for Hernandez include finding renewable energy solutions that are sustainable and affordable, providing accessible and quality health care and creating policies that will increase the amount of affordable housing.
Conservationist Nathan Small holds onto southern NM House seat - Bryce Dix, KUNM News
Democratic Rep. Nathan Small will hold onto his House District 36 seat after winning a close rematch against Republican opponent Kimberly Skaggs, who ran against him in 2022.
According to unofficial results from the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office, voters decided to keep Small over Skaggs with 52% of the vote.
A self-described conservationist, Rep. Nathan Small currently works at the non-profit environmental organization New Mexico Wilderness Alliance and was recently appointed chair of the powerful Appropriations and Finance Committee.
Small also served on the Las Cruces City Council before his election to the District 36 seat in 2016.
Small is married to Xochitl Torres Small, a former member of Congress who represented New Mexico's 2nd District for a single term and is now the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Back in 2022, Republicans accused Xochitl Torres Small of using her federal position to improperly fundraise for her husband’s political aspirations. Republicans have declined to make any evidence publicly available to back up their claim.
Issues ranging from natural resource conservation and job creation have been a focus for Small during his reelection campaign.