2014 New Mexico gubernatorial election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2014 New Mexico gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014, to elect the governor of New Mexico. Incumbent Republican Governor Susana Martínez successfully ran for election to a second term in office, defeating Democratic Attorney General Gary King.
 | ||||||||||||||||||||
November 4, 2014
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
   Martinez: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% King: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 50% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
This was one of nine Republican-held governorships up for election in a state that Barack Obama won in the 2012 presidential election. Unlike in most states, New Mexico's governor and lieutenant governor are elected in separate primaries. The winning candidates then run together on the same ticket. Primary elections were held on June 3, 2014.
As of 2026, this is the last time that Republicans won a non-judicial statewide election in New Mexico, and stands as the best performance by a Republican gubernatorial candidate in New Mexico history.[1] This is also the last time that the winner of the New Mexico gubernatorial election won a majority of counties.
Republican primary
Candidates
Declared
- Susana Martínez, incumbent governor[2]
Declined
- Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico, businessman and Libertarian Party nominee for president in 2012 and 2016[3]
Endorsements
Susana Martínez
Elected officials
- Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey and Chairman of the Republican Governors Association[4]
- Rick Perry, Governor of Texas and candidate for president in 2012[5]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Susana Martínez (incumbent) | 64,413 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 67,127 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Gary King, Attorney General of New Mexico, candidate for governor in 1998 and 2002, nominee for NM-02 in 2004, and son of former governor Bruce King[7]
- Linda M. Lopez, state senator[8]
- Howie Morales, state senator[9]
- Lawrence Rael, former State Executive Director of the Farm Service Agency, former CAO of Albuquerque and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2010[10]
- Alan Webber, businessman[11]
Declined
- Hector Balderas, state auditor of New Mexico and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012 (running for Attorney General)[12]
- Jeff Bingaman, former U.S. senator[13]
- Joseph Cervantes, state senator[14]
- Tim Keller, state senator (running for state auditor)[15]
- Antonio Maestas, state representative[16]
- Michael S. Sanchez, Majority Leader of the New Mexico Senate[17]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Gary King |
Linda M. Lopez |
Howie Morales |
Lawrence Rael |
Alan Webber |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journal Poll[18] | May 20–22, 2014 | 631 | ± 3.9% | 22% | 5% | 12% | 16% | 16% | 29% |
| Public Policy Polling[19] | March 20–23, 2014 | 327 | ± 5.4% | 34% | 13% | 15% | 7% | 5% | 27% |
Endorsements
Gary King
Elected officials
- Bill Richardson, former governor of New Mexico[20][21]
- Tom Udall, U.S. senator[22]
Former Candidates
- Linda M. Lopez, state senator[23][24]
- Howie Morales, state senator[25]
- Lawrence Rael, former State Executive Director of the Farm Service Agency, former CAO of Albuquerque and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2010[26]
- Alan Webber, businessman[27]
Political activists
- George Lovato Jr., radio co-host of Just Ask George Radio[28]
Organizations
- Pojoaque Pueblo[29]
- Teamsters Local 492[30]
- United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1564[31]
Linda M. Lopez
- Communication Workers of America Local 706[32]
- District 1199NM of the National Union of Hospital and Healthcare Employees[33]
Howie Morales
- Diane Ravitch, education historian, educational policy analyst, and former Assistant United States Secretary of Education[34]
Lawrence Rael
- Pueblo de Cochiti[35]
Alan Webber
Publications
Organizations
- The Network for Public Education[38]
- National Education Association-NM[39]
- Progressive Leaders Fund-NM[40]
Elected Leaders & Former Public Servants
- Steve Fischmann, former state senator[41]
- Carlos Gallegos, former San Miguel County Commissioner[41]
- John M. Garcia, former Secretary of Veterans Affairs[41]
- LeRoy Garcia, former San Miguel County Commission Chairman[41]
- Eric Griego, former state senator[41]
- Joey Herrera, Las Vegas City Councilor & Mayor Pro Tem[41]
- Kathy Holian, Santa Fe County Commissioner[41]
- John Hooker, former mayor of Los Ranchos[41]
- Nicolas T. Leger, San Miguel County commissioner[41]
- Patricia Madrid, former New Mexico attorney general[41]
- John Muñoz, former chair of the Doña Ana Hispano Chamber of Commerce[41]
- John Olivas, Mora County Commission chairman[41]
- Robert Shilling, former NM State Police chief[41]
- Nathan Small, Las Cruces city councilor[41]
- Jeff Steinborn, state representative, District 35[41]
- Mimi Stewart, state representative, District 21[41]
- Rebecca Wurzburger, former Santa Fe city councilor[41]
- Wendy York, former district court Judge[41]
Results
King
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
Webber
- 30–40%
- 50–60%
Rael
- 30–40%
Morales
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 60–70%
- 80–90%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gary K. King | 43,918 | 35.03% | |
| Democratic | Alan Webber | 28,406 | 22.66% | |
| Democratic | Lawrence Rael | 24,878 | 19.84% | |
| Democratic | Howie Morales | 17,863 | 14.25% | |
| Democratic | Linda M. Lopez | 10,288 | 8.21% | |
| Democratic | Mario J. Martinez (write-in) | 16 | 0.01% | |
| Democratic | Phillip George Chavez (write-in) | 2 | 0.00% | |
| Total votes | 125,371 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Susana Martínez (Republican), incumbent governor of New Mexico.
- Gary King (Democratic), Attorney General of New Mexico.
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[42] | Likely R | November 3, 2014 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[43] | Safe R | November 3, 2014 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[44] | Safe R | November 3, 2014 |
| Real Clear Politics[45] | Likely R | November 3, 2014 |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Susana Martínez (R) |
Gary King (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research & Polling Inc.*[46] | October 21–23, 2014 | 614 | ± 4% | 53% | 38% | — | 9% |
| CBS News/NYT/YouGov*[47] | October 16–23, 2014 | 962 | ± 6% | 50% | 38% | 0% | 12% |
| Public Opinion Strategies*[48] | October 5–7, 2014 | 500 | ± 4.38% | 55% | 36% | — | 9% |
| Gravis Marketing[49] | September 27 – October 1, 2014 | 727 | ± 4% | 48% | 44% | — | 8% |
| CBS News/NYT/YouGov[50] | September 20 – October 1, 2014 | 1,093 | ± 4% | 48% | 41% | 2% | 9% |
| Rasmussen Reports*[51] | September 22–23, 2014 | 830 | ± 4% | 50% | 37% | 6% | 6% |
| Research & Polling Inc.*[52] | September 9–11, 2014 | 603 | ± 4% | 54% | 36% | — | 10% |
| CBS News/NYT/YouGov[53] | August 18 – September 2, 2014 | 1,096 | ± 4% | 48% | 43% | 2% | 7% |
| Research & Polling Inc.*[54] | August 12–14, 2014 | 606 | ± 4% | 50% | 41% | — | 9% |
| CBS News/NYT/YouGov*[55] | July 5–24, 2014 | 931 | ± 3.6% | 51% | 44% | 3% | 2% |
| Rasmussen Reports[56] | July 21–22, 2014 | 860 | ± 4% | 43% | 43% | 7% | 7% |
| Lake Research Partners^ | July 7–10, 2014 | 600 | ± 4% | 45% | 39% | — | 15% |
| Public Opinion Strategies* | June 24–26, 2014 | 600 | ± 4% | 54% | 38% | — | 8% |
| BWD Global*[57] | June 10–11, 2014 | 1,526 | ± 2.5% | 53% | 40% | — | 7% |
| Public Policy Polling[19] | March 20–23, 2014 | 674 | ± 3.8% | 47% | 42% | — | 11% |
| Public Policy Polling[58] | July 13–16, 2012 | 724 | ± 3.6% | 51% | 39% | — | 10% |
Hypothetical polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Susana Martínez (R) |
Hector Balderas (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[58] | July 13–16, 2012 | 724 | ± 3.6% | 50% | 37% | — | 13% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Susana Martínez (R) |
Diane Denish (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[59] | June 23–26, 2011 | 732 | ± 3.6% | 53% | 44% | — | 4% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Susana Martínez (R) |
Linda M. Lopez (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[19] | March 20–23, 2014 | 674 | ± 3.8% | 50% | 36% | — | 15% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Susana Martínez (R) |
Howie Morales (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[19] | March 20–23, 2014 | 674 | ± 3.8% | 48% | 34% | — | 17% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Susana Martínez (R) |
Lawrence Rael (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[19] | March 20–23, 2014 | 674 | ± 3.8% | 47% | 36% | — | 17% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Susana Martínez (R) |
Allan Weber (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[19] | March 20–23, 2014 | 674 | ± 3.8% | 48% | 32% | — | 20% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Susana Martínez (R) |
Walter White |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[19] | March 20–23, 2014 | 674 | ± 3.8% | 52% | 26% | — | 23% |
- * Internal poll for Susana Martínez campaign
- ^ Internal poll for Gary King campaign
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Susana Martinez (incumbent) | 293,443 | 57.22% | +3.94% | |
| Democratic | Gary K. King | 219,362 | 42.78% | −3.77% | |
| Majority | 74,081 | 14.45% | |||
| Total votes | 512,805 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | Swing | +7.71% | |||
By county
Martinez was the first Republican to carry Grant County since Edwin L. Mechem in 1950, the first Republican to carry McKinley County since Mechem in 1958, and the first Republican to ever carry Cibola County since its establishment in 1981.
| County[61] | Susana Martinez Republican |
Gary K. King Democratic |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Bernalillo | 93,442 | 54.98% | 76,500 | 45.02% | 16,942 | 9.97% | 169,942 |
| Catron | 1,413 | 82.39% | 302 | 17.61% | 1,111 | 64.78% | 1,715 |
| Chaves | 10,094 | 77.62% | 2,911 | 22.38% | 7,183 | 55.23% | 13,005 |
| Cibola | 3,296 | 58.00% | 2,387 | 42.00% | 909 | 16.00% | 5,683 |
| Colfax | 2,806 | 65.91% | 1,451 | 34.09% | 1,355 | 31.83% | 4,257 |
| Curry | 5,628 | 70.67% | 2,336 | 29.33% | 3,292 | 41.34% | 7,964 |
| De Baca | 615 | 77.07% | 183 | 22.93% | 432 | 54.14% | 798 |
| Doña Ana | 22,161 | 53.61% | 19,178 | 46.39% | 2,983 | 7.22% | 41,339 |
| Eddy | 9,046 | 77.80% | 2,581 | 22.20% | 6,465 | 55.60% | 11,627 |
| Grant | 4,965 | 54.43% | 4,157 | 45.57% | 808 | 8.86% | 9,122 |
| Guadalupe | 1,105 | 58.96% | 769 | 41.04% | 336 | 17.93% | 1,874 |
| Harding | 349 | 67.24% | 170 | 32.76% | 179 | 34.49% | 519 |
| Hidalgo | 1,001 | 67.73% | 477 | 32.27% | 524 | 35.45% | 1,478 |
| Lea | 7,070 | 77.80% | 2,017 | 22.20% | 5,053 | 55.61% | 9,087 |
| Lincoln | 4,904 | 79.26% | 1,283 | 20.74% | 3,621 | 58.53% | 6,187 |
| Los Alamos | 4,773 | 60.41% | 3,128 | 39.59% | 1,645 | 20.82% | 7,901 |
| Luna | 3,169 | 65.35% | 1,680 | 34.65% | 1,489 | 30.71% | 4,849 |
| McKinley | 7,465 | 50.24% | 7,393 | 49.76% | 72 | 0.48% | 14,858 |
| Mora | 962 | 45.48% | 1,153 | 54.52% | -191 | -9.03% | 2,115 |
| Otero | 9,825 | 76.71% | 2,983 | 23.29% | 6,842 | 53.42% | 12,808 |
| Quay | 1,820 | 67.96% | 858 | 32.04% | 962 | 35.92% | 2,678 |
| Rio Arriba | 4,490 | 44.28% | 5,651 | 55.72% | -1,161 | -11.45% | 10,141 |
| Roosevelt | 2,534 | 66.97% | 1,250 | 33.03% | 1,284 | 33.93% | 3,784 |
| San Juan | 22,461 | 74.97% | 7,497 | 25.03% | 14,964 | 49.95% | 29,958 |
| San Miguel | 3,247 | 40.58% | 4,755 | 59.42% | -1,508 | -18.85% | 8,002 |
| Sandoval | 23,805 | 61.89% | 14,661 | 38.11% | 9,144 | 23.77% | 38,466 |
| Santa Fe | 15,702 | 32.47% | 32,658 | 67.53% | -16,956 | -35.06% | 48,360 |
| Sierra | 2,684 | 72.72% | 1,007 | 27.28% | 1,677 | 45.43% | 3,691 |
| Socorro | 3,050 | 57.41% | 2,263 | 42.59% | 787 | 14.81% | 5,313 |
| Taos | 3,695 | 34.73% | 6,943 | 65.27% | -3,248 | -30.53% | 10,638 |
| Torrance | 3,038 | 65.57% | 1,595 | 34.43% | 1,443 | 31,15% | 4,633 |
| Union | 984 | 70.79% | 406 | 29.21% | 578 | 41.58% | 1,390 |
| Valencia | 11,844 | 63.60% | 6,779 | 36.40% | 5,065 | 27.20% | 18,623 |
| Total | 293,443 | 57.22% | 219,362 | 42.78% | 74,081 | 14.45% | 512,805 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
By congressional district
Martinez won all three congressional districts, including two that elected Democrats.[62]
| District | Martinez | King | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 55.36% | 44.64% | Michelle Lujan Grisham |
| 2nd | 65.39% | 34.61% | Steve Pearce |
| 3rd | 52.46% | 47.54% | Ben Ray Luján |