RESULTS: Mark Ronchetti wins GOP gubernatorial primary in New Mexico
New Mexico held primary elections on June 7. Polls closed at 7 p.m. local time.
The races and the stakes:
New Mexico held primary elections for gubernatorial and congressional races on Tuesday.
Republicans selected former television meteorologist Mark Ronchetti to challenge Democratic Gov. Michelle Luján Grisham, who was elected to the governorship in 2018 and is now running for a second term.
The leading contenders on election night for the GOP gubernatorial nomination included Ronchetti, state Rep. Rebecca Dow, and Jay Block, the Sandoval County Commissioner.
Luján Grisham defeated her Republican opponent, former Rep. Steve Pearce, by more than 14 points in 2018, and is heavily favored to win another term in the Democratic-leaning state.
None of New Mexico's three incumbent House members, Democratic Reps. Melanie Stansbury and Teresa Leger Fernandez and Republican Rep. Yvette Herrell, faced any primary opposition.
After the 2020 Census, New Mexico Democrats redrew their three congressional districts to be significantly more favorable turf for Democrats, which could threaten Herrell.
The new maps kept Stansbury's and Leger Fernandez's districts safely Democratic but split the heavily blue city of Albuquerque down the middle to turn New Mexico's 2nd District, represented by Herrell, into a highly competitive district in the general election.
Herrell, elected in 2020, defeated former Democratic Rep. Xochitl Torres-Small in the former 2nd District, which previously comprised most of the southern half of the state.
The 2nd District is now rated as a toss-up seat by election forecasters at the Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
The two Democrats who fought in the primary to take on Herrell in the general election were Gabe Vasquez, a former Las Cruces councilmember, and Darshan Patel, a physician.