News

Poll: Double-digit lead for Lujan Grisham in reelection bid

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A poll conducted last week for KOB-TV found incumbent Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham with a large lead over Republican nominee Mark Ronchetti. The poll conducted by SurveyUSA for the Albuquerque-based TV station found that 53 percent of likely voters supported Lujan Grisham, compared to 37 percent for Ronchetti and 3 percent for Libertarian nominee Karen Bedonie. Another 7 percent said they were undecided. This is the largest lead shown of any publicly released poll in the governor’s race so far. A poll conducted for NM Political Report at the tail end of the same week found Lujan Grisham led Ronchetti by 8 percentage points.

2022 elections

Democrats continue to lead in AG, SOS races

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Democrats lead in the key statewide races for attorney general and secretary of state according to a NM Political Report poll conducted by Public Policy Polling. The closer of the two races is the open race for attorney general. The poll find Democrat Raúl Torrez, the current 2nd Judicial District Attorney, leads former  special assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Gay, a Republican, 45 percent to 37 percent, with 18 percent who said they are not sure. This is almost identical to the results of a June NM Political Report poll, when Torrez led 44 percent to 37 percent. The seat is open because incumbent Democrat Hector Balderas is term-limited and cannot run for a third consecutive term.

2022 elections

Majority of voters back tapping Land Grant Permanent Fund

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A high-profile constitutional amendment appears on its way to an easy victory, with nearly twice as many voters saying they support it than oppose it. The proposal to tap an additional 1.25 percent from the state’s Land Grant Permanent Fund to fund early childhood education and increase public school funding has the support of 51 percent of voters, while just 26 percent say they oppose the proposal. Another 23 percent say they are not sure of how they will vote. The proposal is years in the making, after being blocked by a key Senate committee nearly every year for a decade. The Legislature passed the proposed constitutional amendment last year, sending it to voters.

Polling

Poll: Lujan Grisham leads governor’s race by 8 points

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Incumbent Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham continues to lead the gubernatorial race, with the support of just under 50 percent of likely voters. That’s according to a new poll conducted by Public Policy Polling for NM Political Report. 

The poll found that Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, leads Republican challenger Mark Ronchetti 48 percent to 40 percent among likely voters, with Libertarian candidate Karen Bedonie getting the support of 7 percent. Another 6 percent are undecided. Related: See Michelle Lujan Grisham’s approval rating

This is an increase in the gap between the two top contenders from a June NM Political Report poll which showed Lujan Grisham leading with 45 percent of supporters to 42 percent for Ronchetti and 9 percent for Bedonie. The poll is slightly higher than the average of polls at Real Clear Politics which shows Lujan Grisham leading by 6.7 points.

Ben Ray Lujan

Poll: Lujan Grisham approval rating at 46 percent

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Slightly more likely voters disapprove of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s job performance than approve, according to a poll conducted by Public Policy Polling for NM Political Report. The poll found that 46 percent of voters approved of her job performance and 49 percent disapproved. Another 6 percent said they were not sure. This is a drop from a NM Political Report poll in June, which found 48 percent approved and an equal percentage disapproved of her job performance. 

Related: Lujan Grisham leads governor’s race by 8 points

Lujan Grisham is in the midst of a reelection campaign against former meteorologist and former Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Ronchetti. The poll found that 39 percent of voters have a favorable opinion of Ronchetti, while 46 percent have an unfavorable opinion and 15 percent said they were not sure.

Quick Reads

Ivey-Soto steps down from Rules committee chairmanship

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State Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto stepped down from his position as the chair of a powerful Senate committee amid a scandal involving alleged sexual harassment. The Albuquerque Democrat chaired the Senate Rules Committee, which holds hearings for confirmations and is the first stop for proposed constitutional amendments, but announced he would leave the position in a letter to Senate leadership. Ivey-Soto will remain in his position as state senator. His term runs through the end of 2024. Ivey-Soto was accused of sexual harassment by a progressive lobbyist earlier this year, followed by similarly allegations from more women.

News

Ronchetti calls for constitutional amendment on abortion

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Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Ronchetti wants a constitutional amendment to determine the legality of abortion. Ronchetti announced that he wants to “put it on a statewide ballot so everyone gets a say” in a new TV ad he released today. In the ad, Ronchetti sits next to his wife, Krysty. 

He says, “No politician should decide this” and describes his own position as wanting to “end later term abortion and protect access to healthcare” and describes Democratic incumbent Michelle Lujan Grisham’s position as “abortion up to birth, no limits.”

New Mexico’s state constitution only allows legislation to be done through the state legislature. This means that voter referendums or special elections cannot take place. 

The only exception is amending the state’s constitution, which can be done if a proposed amendment passes both the state House and Senate with a majority of votes, after which it would be sent to voters at the next general election. Democrats currently hold majorities in both the state House and Senate.

Polling

Poll: Lujan Grisham leads Ronchetti by 5 points

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The second public poll in as many days showed a lead for incumbent Michelle Lujan Grisham—but smaller than the poll released earlier in the week. The poll was conducted by Emerson College for The Hill, which is owned by the same company that owns KRQE-TV. The Emerson College poll found a five percent lead for Lujan Grisham over Republican Mark Ronchetti, 48 percent to 43 percent among likely voters. The poll did not name Libertarian candidate Karen Bedonie, who will appear on the ballot, though 3 percent said they would vote for “someone else.” Another 5 percent were undecided. “New Mexico Hispanic voters support Lujan Grisham over Ronchetti by a ten point margin, 50 percent to 40 percent; the Governor’s lead decreases to two points among White voters,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling said in the polling memo.

News

Poll: Lujan Grisham widens lead over Ronchetti

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A new poll conducted by SurveyUSA for KOB-TV found that incumbent Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has a double-digit lead over her Republican opponent, Mark Ronchetti in her reelection campaign. The poll of likely voters found that Lujan Grisham has the support of 48 percent of likely voters, with 36 percent saying they would vote for Ronchetti and 5 percent for Libertarian Karen Bedonie. Another 11 percent would not say or are undecided. The poll found Lujan Grisham had a lead of 59 percent to 26 percent among Hispanic voters, while leading by 18 percentage points among women and 6 percent among men. Men are traditionally more conservative voters.

News

Poll: Lujan Grisham leads Ronchetti by 7 points, Dems lead other statewide races

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A new poll conducted by Research & Polling for the Albuquerque Journal found that incumbent Michelle Lujan Grisham leads her closest opponent by 7 points in the upcoming general election. The same poll found that Democrats have larger leads in the other statewide races this fall. The poll found that Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, has the support of 47 percent of likely voters, while Republican Mark Ronchetti has the support of 40 percent and Libertarian Karen Bedonie has the support of 5 percent. Another 8 percent were undecided. The Journal said that female voters and Hispanic voters are driving Lujan Grisham’s lead in her attempt for reelection.