New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Republican primary)
- Primary date: June 2
- Primary type: Closed
- Registration deadline(s): May 5
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Early voting starts: May 16
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): June 2 (received)
- Voter ID: No ID
- Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
2022 →
← 2018
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| New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: March 10, 2020 |
| Primary: June 2, 2020 General: November 3, 2020 Pre-election incumbent: Xochitl Torres Small (Democratic) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in New Mexico |
| Race ratings |
Inside Elections: Toss-up Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd New Mexico elections, 2020 U.S. Congress elections, 2020 U.S. Senate elections, 2020 U.S. House elections, 2020 |
Yvette Herrell defeated Claire Chase and Chris Mathys in the Republican primary for New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District on June 2, 2020. Herrell received 44.7% of the vote to Chase's 31.5% and Mathys' 23.7%. Herrell advanced to the district's general election on November 3, 2020, to face incumbent Xochitl Torres Small (D), who was first elected in 2018. Herrell was the district's Republican nominee in 2018 and lost to Torres Small 49.1% to 50.9%.
Chase and Herrell led in fundraising and media attention. According to the Associated Press's Russell Contreras, the candidates "tried to position themselves as Trump’s most reliable ally and ... accused each other of not backing Trump enough."[1] Chase, director of government relations at Mack Energy Corporation, said of Herrell, a former state representative, "My opponent is a never Trumper who lost and helped give Nancy Pelosi the House last cycle."[2] A Herrell campaign ad featured a voice reading Chase's Facebook posts criticizing Trump during his presidential campaign. The ad stated, "Claire Chase changed her tune. It's an act. She's never Trump, so we're never Claire."[3]
Major independent observers rate the general election as tilt Democratic or a toss-up. The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+6, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 6 percentage points more Republican than the national average. Click here to learn more about what was at stake in the general election.
Click on candidate names below to view their key messages:
 Chase |
 Herrell |
For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the general election, click here.
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
New Mexico made no changes to its primary election.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Chase criticized Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's (D) actions in response to the coronavirus pandemic, tweeting on April 22, "It’s a sad day when New Mexico is more radical than New York. Governor Grisham must begin to reopen our economy regionally instead of taking a one size fits all approach."[4] Herrell wrote on Facebook on April 20, "Governor Lujan Grisham is playing favorites with our economy and our New Mexico owned small businesses are being punished. It’s time to work with business to safely re-open and allow them to begin producing again."[5] On April 21, Mathys wrote on Facebook, "[I]t is time for our governor to show common sense and let our rural counties begin reopening businesses in a safe and prudent manner."[6]
Candidates and election results
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House New Mexico District 2
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Yvette Herrell | 44.7 | 26,968 |
 | Claire Chase | 31.5 | 19,017 | |
 | Chris Mathys | 23.8 | 14,378 | |
| Total votes: 60,363 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[7] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Chase graduated from New Mexico Military Institute and received a B.A. in journalism, public relations, and marketing from New Mexico State University. As of her 2020 campaign, Chase was the director of government relations at Mack Energy Corporation.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House New Mexico District 2 in 2020.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- New Mexico House of Representatives (2011-2018)
Biography: Herrell graduated from ITT School of Business in Boise, Idaho, and attended New Mexico State University. Herrell's professional experience included working as a businessowner and realtor.
Show sources
Sources: Albuquerque Journal, "Torres Small, Herrell make pitch to voters in Journal/KOAT debate," September 27, 2020; Yvette Herrell's 2020 campaign website, "Shared Values," accessed October 2, 2020; Albuquerque Journal, "2nd Congressional District candidate Yvette Herrell," accessed May 31, 2020; Alamogordo Daily News, "Yvette Herrell running for Congressional seat vacated by Pearce," July 11, 2017
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House New Mexico District 2 in 2020.
Timeline
- May 26, 2020: Defending Main Street PAC announced it would spend $100,000 on an ad opposing Herrell.[8]
- May 23, 2020: Patriot Majority PAC launched a $180,000 ad campaign opposing Chase and supporting Herrell.[9][10] The campaign followed a direct mail effort by Women Vote!, an affiliate of EMILY's List, which also opposed Chase and supported Herrell.[11]
- April 15, 2020: Quarterly campaign finance reports covering all fundraising and spending through March 31, 2020, were due. Chase led in fundraising with $1.1 million, followed by Herrell with $773,000 and Mathys with $292,000.[12]
Campaign advertisements
This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.
Claire Chase
Support
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Oppose
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Yvette Herrell
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Chris Mathys
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Campaign finance
This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[13] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[14] The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claire Chase | Republican Party | $1,387,189 | $1,375,928 | $11,260 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Yvette Herrell | Republican Party | $2,868,122 | $2,984,196 | $54,544 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Chris Mathys | Republican Party | $316,132 | $316,032 | $100 | As of December 31, 2020 |
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Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[15][16][17]
This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.
- The super PAC Citizens for a United New Mexico spent $8,500 producing an ad opposing Herrell. The ad first ran with an initial buy of $46,500 on April 2, 2020.[18][19]
- Defending Main Street PAC announced on May 26, 2020, that it would launch a $100,000 ad campaign opposing Herrell.[8]
- Patriot Majority PAC launched a $180,000 television ad campaign in support of Herrell and critical of Chase on May 23, 2020.[9][10]
- Women Vote!, an affiliate of EMILY's List, launched a $23,000 mailer campaign in support of Herrell and critical of Chase in May 2020.[11]
Primaries in New Mexico
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. New Mexico utilizes a semi-closed primary process; participation in each party's primary is limited to registered party members and unaffiliated voters.[20][21][22][23]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
What was at stake in the general election?
U.S. House elections were held on November 3, 2020, and coincided with the 2020 presidential election. All 435 House districts were up for election, and the results determined control of the U.S. House in the 117th Congress.
At the time of the election, Democrats had a 232-197 advantage over Republicans. There was one Libertarian member, and there were five vacancies. Republicans needed to gain a net 21 seats to win control of the House. Democrats needed to gain seats or lose fewer than 14 net seats to keep their majority.
In the 2018 midterm election, Democrats had a net gain of 40 seats, winning a 235-200 majority in the House. Heading into the 2018 election, Republicans had a 235-193 majority with seven vacancies.
In the 25 previous House elections that coincided with a presidential election, the president's party had gained House seats in 16 elections and lost seats in nine. In years where the president's party won districts, the average gain was 18. In years where the president's party lost districts, the average loss was 27. Click here for more information on presidential partisanship and down-ballot outcomes.
General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[24]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[25][26][27]
| Race ratings: New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 3, 2020 | October 27, 2020 | October 20, 2020 | October 13, 2020 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Tilt Democratic | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season. | |||||||||
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+6, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 6 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District the 181st most Republican nationally.[28]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.14. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.14 points toward that party.[29]
District represented by a Democrat in 2020 and won by Donald Trump in 2016
This district was one of 30 Democratic-held U.S. House districts up in 2020 that Donald Trump (R) won in the 2016 presidential election. Most were expected to be among the House's most competitive elections in 2020.
| 2020 Democratic-held U.S. House districts won by Donald Trump in 2016 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Incumbent | Ran in 2020? | 2018 congressional margin | 2016 presidential margin | 2012 presidential margin | ||||||||
| Arizona's 1st | Tom O'Halleran |
Yes | Democrats+7.7 | Trump+1.1 | Romney+2.5 | ||||||||
| Georgia's 6th | Lucy McBath |
Yes | Democrats+1.0 | Trump+1.5 | Romney+23.3 | ||||||||
| Illinois' 14th | Lauren Underwood |
Yes | Democrats+5.0 | Trump+3.9 | Romney+10 | ||||||||
| Illinois' 17th | Cheri Bustos |
Yes | Democrats+24.2 | Trump+0.7 | Obama+17 | ||||||||
| Iowa's 1st | Abby Finkenauer |
Yes | Democrats+5.1 | Trump+3.5 | Obama+13.7 | ||||||||
| Iowa's 2nd | Dave Loebsack |
Retired | Democrats+5.2 | Trump+4.1 | Obama+13.1 | ||||||||
| Iowa's 3rd | Cindy Axne |
Yes | Democrats+2.2 | Trump+3.5 | Obama+4.2 | ||||||||
| Maine's 2nd | Jared Golden |
Yes | Democrats+1.3 | Trump+10.3 | Obama+8.6 | ||||||||
| Michigan's 8th | Elissa Slotkin |
Yes | Democrats+3.8 | Trump+6.7 | Romney+3.1 | ||||||||
| Michigan's 11th | Haley Stevens |
Yes | Democrats+6.7 | Trump+4.4 | Romney+5.4 | ||||||||
| Minnesota's 2nd | Angie Craig |
Yes | Democrats+5.5 | Trump+1.2 | Obama+0.1 | ||||||||
| Minnesota's 7th | Collin Peterson |
Yes | Democrats+4.3 | Trump+30.8 | Romney+9.8 | ||||||||
| Nevada's 3rd | Susie Lee |
Yes | Democrats+9.1 | Trump+1.0 | Obama+0.8 | ||||||||
| New Hampshire's 1st | Chris Pappas |
Yes | Democrats+8.6 | Trump+1.6 | Obama+1.6 | ||||||||
| New Jersey's 3rd | Andrew Kim |
Yes | Democrats+1.3 | Trump+6.2 | Obama+4.6 | ||||||||
| New Jersey's 5th | Josh Gottheimer |
Yes | Democrats+13.7 | Trump+1.1 | Romney+3.0 | ||||||||
| New Jersey's 11th | Mikie Sherrill |
Yes | Democrats+14.6 | Trump+0.9 | Romney+5.8 | ||||||||
| New Mexico's 2nd | Xochitl Torres Small |
Yes | Democrats+1.9 | Trump+10.2 | Romney+6.8 | ||||||||
| New York's 11th | Max Rose |
Yes | Democrats+6.5 | Trump+9.8 | Obama+4.3 | ||||||||
| New York's 18th | Sean Maloney |
Yes | Democrats+10.9 | Trump+1.9 | Obama+4.3 | ||||||||
| New York's 19th | Antonio Delgado |
Yes | Democrats+5.2 | Trump+6.8 | Obama+6.2 | ||||||||
| New York's 22nd | Anthony Brindisi |
Yes | Democrats+1.8 | Trump+15.5 | Romney+0.4 | ||||||||
| Oklahoma's 5th | Kendra Horn |
Yes | Democrats+1.4 | Trump+13.4 | Romney+18.4 | ||||||||
| Pennsylvania's 8th | Matt Cartwright |
Yes | Democrats+9.3 | Trump+9.6 | Obama+11.9 | ||||||||
| Pennsylvania's 17th | Conor Lamb |
Yes | Democrats+12.5 | Trump+2.6 | Romney+4.5 | ||||||||
| South Carolina's 1st | Joe Cunningham |
Yes | Democrats+1.4 | Trump+13.1 | Romney+18.1 | ||||||||
| Utah's 4th | Ben McAdams |
Yes | Democrats+0.3 | Trump+6.7 | Romney+37.0 | ||||||||
| Virginia's 2nd | Elaine Luria |
Yes | Democrats+2.2 | Trump+3.4 | Romney+2.3 | ||||||||
| Virginia's 7th | Abigail Spanberger |
Yes | Democrats+1.9 | Trump+6.5 | Romney+10.5 | ||||||||
| Wisconsin's 3rd | Ron Kind |
Yes | Democrats+19.3 | Trump+4.5 | Obama+11 | ||||||||
| Source: Sabato's Crystal Ball and Daily Kos | |||||||||||||
Click here to see the five U.S. House districts represented by a Republican in 2020 and won by Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
Three of 33 New Mexico counties—9 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Colfax County, New Mexico | 8.55% | 2.24% | 10.73% | ||||
| Hidalgo County, New Mexico | 6.73% | 4.96% | 2.92% | ||||
| Valencia County, New Mexico | 8.60% | 2.47% | 7.72% | ||||
In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won New Mexico with 48.3 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 40 percent. In presidential elections between 1912 and 2016, New Mexico voted Democratic 56 percent of the time and Republican 44 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, New Mexico voted Democratic four times. The state voted Republican in 2004.[30]
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in New Mexico. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[31][32]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 45 out of 70 state House districts in New Mexico with an average margin of victory of 29.5 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 45 out of 70 state House districts in New Mexico with an average margin of victory of 26.7 points. Clinton won nine districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 25 out of 70 state House districts in New Mexico with an average margin of victory of 24.4 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 25 out of 70 state House districts in New Mexico with an average margin of victory of 27 points. Trump won two districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 20.96% | 75.79% | R+54.8 | 18.04% | 72.51% | R+54.5 | R |
| 2 | 27.47% | 69.17% | R+41.7 | 21.96% | 67.15% | R+45.2 | R |
| 3 | 22.91% | 73.48% | R+50.6 | 17.17% | 73.66% | R+56.5 | R |
| 4 | 51.61% | 45.33% | D+6.3 | 42.79% | 42.74% | D+0.1 | R |
| 5 | 70.17% | 26.83% | D+43.3 | 60.70% | 24.05% | D+36.6 | D |
| 6 | 70.21% | 27.48% | D+42.7 | 58.64% | 28.48% | D+30.2 | D |
| 7 | 50.49% | 44.11% | D+6.4 | 40.92% | 45.72% | R+4.8 | R |
| 8 | 46.36% | 48.66% | R+2.3 | 37.51% | 49.60% | R+12.1 | R |
| 9 | 71.00% | 26.44% | D+44.6 | 61.37% | 24.12% | D+37.2 | D |
| 10 | 65.21% | 30.46% | D+34.8 | 56.93% | 31.21% | D+25.7 | D |
| 11 | 74.16% | 20.74% | D+53.4 | 69.71% | 18.46% | D+51.2 | D |
| 12 | 68.74% | 26.63% | D+42.1 | 61.46% | 27.69% | D+33.8 | D |
| 13 | 67.68% | 27.95% | D+39.7 | 59.39% | 27.06% | D+32.3 | D |
| 14 | 75.95% | 20.09% | D+55.9 | 65.37% | 23.23% | D+42.1 | D |
| 15 | 49.95% | 45.35% | D+4.6 | 48.43% | 38.84% | D+9.6 | R |
| 16 | 60.23% | 35.40% | D+24.8 | 54.22% | 33.06% | D+21.2 | D |
| 17 | 62.55% | 32.61% | D+29.9 | 57.98% | 29.63% | D+28.3 | D |
| 18 | 74.99% | 17.57% | D+57.4 | 73.69% | 13.64% | D+60.1 | D |
| 19 | 71.55% | 22.91% | D+48.6 | 67.73% | 20.05% | D+47.7 | D |
| 20 | 46.26% | 48.57% | R+2.3 | 45.05% | 41.13% | D+3.9 | R |
| 21 | 61.08% | 33.19% | D+27.9 | 53.96% | 31.12% | D+22.8 | D |
| 22 | 42.30% | 51.77% | R+9.5 | 40.33% | 46.60% | R+6.3 | R |
| 23 | 50.61% | 44.70% | D+5.9 | 47.86% | 39.71% | D+8.1 | D |
| 24 | 52.10% | 42.11% | D+10 | 47.19% | 36.79% | D+10.4 | D |
| 25 | 60.90% | 33.31% | D+27.6 | 57.03% | 28.81% | D+28.2 | D |
| 26 | 62.57% | 33.00% | D+29.6 | 55.12% | 32.19% | D+22.9 | D |
| 27 | 43.63% | 51.56% | R+7.9 | 43.86% | 42.63% | D+1.2 | R |
| 28 | 43.36% | 51.02% | R+7.7 | 43.31% | 42.27% | D+1 | R |
| 29 | 48.16% | 47.12% | D+1 | 45.04% | 41.24% | D+3.8 | R |
| 30 | 50.06% | 44.08% | D+6 | 47.75% | 37.01% | D+10.7 | R |
| 31 | 38.29% | 57.90% | R+19.6 | 41.78% | 45.91% | R+4.1 | R |
| 32 | 48.95% | 47.93% | D+1 | 43.90% | 47.34% | R+3.4 | D |
| 33 | 57.44% | 38.34% | D+19.1 | 55.59% | 32.01% | D+23.6 | D |
| 34 | 67.75% | 30.86% | D+36.9 | 64.65% | 28.49% | D+36.2 | D |
| 35 | 58.06% | 38.71% | D+19.3 | 54.23% | 34.26% | D+20 | D |
| 36 | 53.29% | 43.51% | D+9.8 | 49.35% | 39.28% | D+10.1 | D |
| 37 | 50.09% | 46.98% | D+3.1 | 49.32% | 39.69% | D+9.6 | D |
| 38 | 45.97% | 50.34% | R+4.4 | 39.87% | 49.90% | R+10 | R |
| 39 | 53.53% | 43.60% | D+9.9 | 48.95% | 41.86% | D+7.1 | D |
| 40 | 69.65% | 27.03% | D+42.6 | 60.30% | 28.99% | D+31.3 | D |
| 41 | 74.26% | 22.15% | D+52.1 | 64.48% | 23.77% | D+40.7 | D |
| 42 | 77.86% | 18.20% | D+59.7 | 69.70% | 18.34% | D+51.4 | D |
| 43 | 51.55% | 42.52% | D+9 | 51.63% | 31.90% | D+19.7 | D |
| 44 | 42.34% | 53.33% | R+11 | 38.87% | 48.14% | R+9.3 | R |
| 45 | 75.50% | 20.49% | D+55 | 71.68% | 19.09% | D+52.6 | D |
| 46 | 76.11% | 19.64% | D+56.5 | 72.91% | 17.80% | D+55.1 | D |
| 47 | 75.23% | 21.12% | D+54.1 | 75.51% | 16.95% | D+58.6 | D |
| 48 | 79.43% | 16.14% | D+63.3 | 76.07% | 15.07% | D+61 | D |
| 49 | 48.75% | 46.04% | D+2.7 | 39.56% | 48.03% | R+8.5 | R |
| 50 | 54.56% | 40.49% | D+14.1 | 49.33% | 40.67% | D+8.7 | D |
| 51 | 34.24% | 62.18% | R+27.9 | 29.61% | 60.13% | R+30.5 | R |
| 52 | 62.23% | 35.17% | D+27.1 | 62.07% | 29.79% | D+32.3 | D |
| 53 | 48.82% | 48.52% | D+0.3 | 48.39% | 41.93% | D+6.5 | R |
| 54 | 32.19% | 64.92% | R+32.7 | 25.69% | 66.62% | R+40.9 | R |
| 55 | 29.64% | 67.48% | R+37.8 | 24.35% | 67.91% | R+43.6 | R |
| 56 | 34.58% | 61.37% | R+26.8 | 29.21% | 61.10% | R+31.9 | R |
| 57 | 45.25% | 50.34% | R+5.1 | 39.99% | 46.81% | R+6.8 | R |
| 58 | 43.98% | 52.91% | R+8.9 | 36.58% | 53.06% | R+16.5 | R |
| 59 | 29.23% | 67.78% | R+38.5 | 23.93% | 67.65% | R+43.7 | R |
| 60 | 42.37% | 52.23% | R+9.9 | 38.93% | 47.35% | R+8.4 | R |
| 61 | 32.56% | 65.02% | R+32.5 | 29.95% | 62.63% | R+32.7 | R |
| 62 | 19.59% | 78.35% | R+58.8 | 18.39% | 74.53% | R+56.1 | R |
| 63 | 49.61% | 47.24% | D+2.4 | 36.71% | 51.26% | R+14.6 | D |
| 64 | 24.47% | 72.92% | R+48.5 | 20.65% | 70.74% | R+50.1 | R |
| 65 | 79.83% | 16.71% | D+63.1 | 67.22% | 16.91% | D+50.3 | D |
| 66 | 24.60% | 72.24% | R+47.6 | 21.08% | 69.94% | R+48.9 | R |
| 67 | 37.15% | 59.71% | R+22.6 | 27.94% | 62.43% | R+34.5 | R |
| 68 | 47.01% | 48.56% | R+1.5 | 43.56% | 42.91% | D+0.7 | R |
| 69 | 68.52% | 28.07% | D+40.4 | 56.03% | 29.07% | D+27 | D |
| 70 | 69.54% | 26.69% | D+42.9 | 60.23% | 28.91% | D+31.3 | D |
| Total | 52.99% | 42.84% | D+10.1 | 48.26% | 40.04% | D+8.2 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
District election history
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House New Mexico District 2
Xochitl Torres Small defeated Yvette Herrell in the general election for U.S. House New Mexico District 2 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Xochitl Torres Small (D) | 50.9 | 101,489 |
| Yvette Herrell (R) | 49.1 | 97,767 | |
| Total votes: 199,256 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House New Mexico District 2
Xochitl Torres Small defeated Madeleine Hildebrandt in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New Mexico District 2 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Xochitl Torres Small | 72.6 | 25,395 |
| Madeleine Hildebrandt | 27.4 | 9,577 | ||
| Total votes: 34,972 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Angel Pena (D)
- David Alcon (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House New Mexico District 2
Yvette Herrell defeated Monty Newman, Gavin Clarkson, and Clayburn Griffin in the Republican primary for U.S. House New Mexico District 2 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Yvette Herrell | 49.0 | 16,023 |
 | Monty Newman | 32.0 | 10,474 | |
 | Gavin Clarkson | 12.4 | 4,060 | |
 | Clayburn Griffin | 6.6 | 2,143 | |
| Total votes: 32,700 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- John Volpato (R)
2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Steve Pearce (R), who began serving in Congress in 2003, is seeking re-election in 2016. He was the only Republican candidate to file and will face Merrie Soules, the only Democratic candidate to file, and Jack McGrann (R write-in) in the general election on November 8, 2016. No candidate faced a primary opponent in June.[33][34]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Steve Pearce Incumbent |
62.7% | 143,514 | |
| Democratic | Merrie Soules | 37.2% | 85,232 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0% | 70 | |
| Total Votes | 228,816 | |||
| Source: New Mexico Secretary of State | ||||
2014
The 2nd Congressional District of New Mexico held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Steve Pearce (R) defeated Roxanne Lara (D) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Steve Pearce Incumbent |
64.4% | 95,209 | |
| Democratic | Roxanne "Rocky" Lara | 35.5% | 52,499 | |
| Write-in (R) | Jack A. McGrann (write-in) | 0% | 69 | |
| Total Votes | 147,777 | |||
| Source: New Mexico Secretary of State | ||||
State profile
- See also: New Mexico and New Mexico elections, 2020
Partisan data
The information in this section was current as of May 17, 2020.
Presidential voting pattern
- New Mexico voted for the Democratic candidate in six out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2018 elections, both U.S. Senators from New Mexico were Democrats.
- All three of New Mexico's U.S. Representatives were Democrats.
State executives
- As of May 2020, Democrats held 20 and Republicans held three of New Mexico's 29 state executive offices. Elections for the other offices are nonpartisan.
- New Mexico's governor was Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham.
State legislature
- Democrats controlled the New Mexico State Senate with a 26-16 majority.
- Democrats controlled the New Mexico House of Representatives with a 46-24 majority.
New Mexico Party Control: 1992-2025
Eighteen years of Democratic trifectas • No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
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| Demographic data for New Mexico | ||
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 2,080,328 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 121,298 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 73.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 2.1% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.4% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 9.1% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 3.3% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 47.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 84.2% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 26.3% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $44,963 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 24.7% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in New Mexico. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
- New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)
- New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020
- United States House elections in New Mexico, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primaries)
- United States House elections in New Mexico, 2020 (June 2 Republican primaries)
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2020
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2020
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2020
- U.S. House battlegrounds, 2020
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ AP, "Super PAC: GOP House hopeful in New Mexico ‘bashing’ Trump," April 5, 2020
- ↑ Facebook, "Claire Chase for Congress on May 11, 2020," accessed May 18, 2020
- ↑ YouTube, "Never Claire," April 24, 2020
- ↑ Twitter, "Claire Chase for Congress on April 22, 2020," accessed May 18, 2020
- ↑ Facebook, "Yvette Herrell for Congress on April 20, 2020," accessed May 18, 2020
- ↑ Chris Mathys for Congress on April 21, 2020," accessed May 18, 2020
- ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Politico, "Can Steve King survive in Iowa?" May 27, 2020
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Washington Times, "Liberal super PAC boosts Trump ally in New Mexico House race," May 24, 2020
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Daily Kos, "Morning Digest: Dems boost Republican by reminding voters her primary foe called Trump an 'a**hole,'" May 27, 2020
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 The Washington Free Beacon, "Pro-Abortion Group Joins Liberal Effort to Meddle in GOP Primary," May 26, 2020
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "New Mexico - House District 02," accessed May 18, 2020
- ↑ Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
- ↑ U.S. News & World Report, "Super PAC: GOP House Hopeful in New Mexico 'Bashing' Trump," April 5, 2020
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Schedule E - Independent Expenditures, Citizens for a United New Mexico," accessed April 15, 2020
- ↑ New Mexico Legislature, "2025 Regular Session - SB 16," accessed June 20, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 22, 2024
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "FAQs for Primary & General Election Candidacy," accessed August 22, 2024
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ 270towin.com, "New Mexico," accessed August 8, 2017
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
- ↑ New Mexico Scretary of State ,"2016 Primary Election Contest/Candidate List," accessed February 3, 2016
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "2016 General Election Contest/Candidate List," accessed September 7, 2016
