Just two weeks before early voting begins in the biggest political contest of 2026, new polling finds that most Republicans still aren’t excited about any candidate while Democrats have picked a clear favorite.
An Emerson College Poll conducted last weekend for KRQE News surveyed 1,000 likely New Mexico primary voters about the candidates on the Democratic and Republican Party for governor.
Democrats have a favorite
Consistent with candidates’ internal polling reported by New Mexico Political Report earlier this year, former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland enjoys a commanding lead among Democratic voters over Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman. 40% of Democras say they’ll choose Haaland while 24% say Bregman. 36% are still undecided (with a +-4.1% margin of error). The polling was conducted after Bregman launched negative ads against Haaland highlighting a trip she took on Jeffrey Epstein’s jet arranged by former gubernatorial candidate Gary King during a previous campaign. Haaland recently reported raising more than $11 million in her race which is more that five times what Bregman has raised.
Republicans are still mostly undecided
On the Republican ballot, the same three candidates who have raised the most money are the three most popular for likely Republican voters, but a majority of GOP voters still haven’t made up their mind, they told pollsters.
Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull remains the leader among those who have a preference with 21%, followed by cannabis CEO Duke Rodriguez at 10% and advertising executive Doug Turner at 9%. But 61% – almost 2/3 – of likely Republican voters haven’t decided.
For the first time this year, voters who are not registered with either party, so-called “Declined To State” voters, can chose to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary. Pollsters included those voters if they indicated an intention to vote in one of the primaries.