I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
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Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
Martinez, shown here outside her campaign office in Mesilla. (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
One thing is sure after Tuesday’s primary election: New Mexico will elect its first woman governor in November.
Doña Ana County District Attorney Susana Martinez set up an all-female contest with Democratic Lt. Gov. Diane Denish on Tuesday after easily dispatching state GOP chairman Allen Weh in the GOP gubernatorial primary.
“We are one step closer to taking New Mexico back,” Martinez said in a late Tuesday speech before enthusiastic supporters. “We are saying no to the status quo. We are saying no to the corruption that has deprived New Mexico of the integrity it deserves.”
Denish immediately congratulated Martinez on her victory and then signaled that the governor’s race was entering the next stage — the general election season.
“This is going to be a competitive election and I am going to need all the help I can get,” Denish said in a news release. “My opponent has shown she will do anything to win – even take $450,000 from the man behind the disgraceful Swiftboaters.”
Martinez definitely showed she had electoral muscles to flex Tuesday, easily besting Weh, her closest competitor, by nearly 19 percentage points and out-performing the expectations that many had for her campaign.
Martinez’s victory Tuesday belied the difficulties she confronted in the waning days of the primary election season when she and Weh engaged in a two-person battle, ignoring the other three GOP gubernatorial competitors. Negative attack ads by both candidates ramped up the tension in an increasingly heated electoral contest that, at times, veered toward the personal.
Leaders say GOP must unify
The back-and-forth between the two candidates left some bruised feelings in its wake – a situation seemingly exacerbated by New Mexico GOP Chairman Harvey E. Yates a week ago, when he stepped into the middle of the battle between Martinez and Weh.
Yates defended Martinez against attack ads from Weh that claimed she didn’t pay taxes while saying Martinez’s attack ads against Weh on illegal immigration were fair.
“I did it because of an issue of honesty,” Yates said Tuesday when asked about his decision to get involved. “How can we win and clean up this state and base the campaign on things that are less than honest.”
Former U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici Sr., acknowledged that the 2010 GOP gubernatorial race was more divisive than usual. “We’ve never had five candidates before,” he told The Independent. “It’s hard to keep five candidates in check.” Domenici’s son, Pete Jr., was one of the GOP gubernatorial candidates.
But the 36-year veteran of the U.S. Senate said there’s plenty of time for the party to get ready for the general election in November.
Noting the five months between the primary and general elections, the former U.S. senator said “There’s a lot of time to heal.”
The day’s events point to November
Martinez’s victory capped a primary election day in which both major political parties selected nominees to represent them in numerous contests during the November general election.
But as closely watched as Tuesday’s primaries were there were reminders that Tuesday was only a prologue.
Steve Pearce, the former 2nd District congressman, greeted voters in Lea County on Tuesday, reminding them that he and U.S. Rep. Democrat Harry Teague are vying in what is shaping up to be one of the closely watched congressional elections in November. Teague won the 2nd Congressional District.
A round up of races
The GOP gubernatorial contest may have been the headliner of Tuesday’s primary election, but nominees for a number of down-ballot races were picked Tuesday by both major political parties.
Brian Colon edged out Lawrence Rael in a six-person field of Democrats that included House Rep. Jose Campos, state senators Linda Lopez and Jerry Ortiz y Pino to become the party’s Lieutenant Governor nominee.
On the Republican side, John Sanchez won his party’s nomination despite a four-person field, including Sen. Kent Cravens and former House Rep. Brian Moore.
Democrat Ray Powell bested Sandy Jones and Harry Montoya to win his party’s nomination for state Land Commissioner. He will run against Republican Matt Rush who bested Bob Cornelius on the GOP side.
Republicans selected Tom Mullins over Ron Paul acolyte Adam Kokesh to run against 3rd Congressional District U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan.
