2012 United States House of Representatives elections in New Mexico
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The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in New Mexico were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, and elected the three U.S. representatives from the state, one from each of the state's three congressional districts. The elections coincided with those for other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election, and a U.S. Senate election.
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November 6, 2012
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All 3 New Mexico seats to the United States House of Representatives | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Overview
| United States House of Representatives elections in New Mexico, 2012[1] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats before | Seats after | +/– | |
| Democratic | 422,189 | 55.11% | 2 | 2 | - | |
| Republican | 343,269 | 44.81% | 1 | 1 | - | |
| Independent (Write-in) | 173 | 0.02% | - | |||
| Green Party (Write-in) | 459 | 0.06% | - | |||
| Totals | 766,090 | 100% | 3 | 3 | - | |
District 1
The redrawn 1st district serves the central area of New Mexico, including almost three-fourths of Albuquerque. Incumbent Democrat Martin Heinrich, first elected in 2008, did not seek reelection, but instead ran for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Jeff Bingaman.[2]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Michelle Lujan Grisham, Bernalillo County commissioner and candidate for this seat in 2008[3]
Eliminated in primary
Declined
- Hector Balderas, state auditor[6]
- Terry Brunner, head of rural development for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in New Mexico and Jeff Bingaman’s former state director[7]
- Diane Denish, former lieutenant governor and nominee for governor in 2010[8]
- Martin Heinrich, incumbent U.S. representative
- Timothy M. Keller, state senator[7]
- James B. Lewis, state treasurer
- Moe Maestas, state representative[9]
- Stuart Paisano, former governor of Sandia Pueblo[4]
Primary results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michelle Lujan Grisham | 19,111 | 40.1 | |
| Democratic | Eric Griego | 16,702 | 35.0 | |
| Democratic | Martin Chávez | 11,895 | 24.9 | |
| Total votes | 47,708 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Withdrawn
- Dan Lewis, Albuquerque City Councilmember[12]
Disqualified
Declined
Primary results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Janice Arnold-Jones | 26,198 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 26,198 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Endorsements
Michelle Lujan Grisham (D)
Organizations
- Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee "Red to Blue" Program[16]
- EMILY's List[17]
Janice Arnold-Jones (R)
Organizations
Polling
| Poll source |
Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) |
Janice Arnold-Jones (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research & Polling Inc[19] | October 23–25, 2012 | 401 | ± 4.9% | 51% | 36% | 13% |
| Research & Polling Inc[20] | October 9–11, 2012 | 402 | ± 4.9% | 51% | 37% | 12% |
| Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research (D-Lujan Grisham)[21] | October 8–9, 2012 | 407 | ± 5.0% | 55% | 40% | 5% |
| Research & Polling Inc[22] | September 3–6, 2012 | 409 | ± 4.8% | 46% | 34% | 20% |
| Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research (D-Lujan Grisham)[23] | July 10–15, 2012 | 502 | ± 4.0% | 50% | 42% | 8% |
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[24] | Safe D | November 5, 2012 |
| Rothenberg[25] | Safe D | November 2, 2012 |
| Roll Call[26] | Safe D | November 4, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[27] | Safe D | November 5, 2012 |
| NY Times[28] | Lean D | November 4, 2012 |
| RCP[29] | Safe D | November 4, 2012 |
| The Hill[30] | Likely D | November 4, 2012 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michelle Lujan Grisham | 162,924 | 59.1 | |
| Republican | Janice Arnold-Jones | 112,472 | 40.8 | |
| Green | Jeanne Pahls (write-in) | 459 | 0.2 | |
| Total votes | 275,855 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 2
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November 6, 2012
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 County results Pearce: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Erhard: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Steve Pearce was elected in 2010, having previously served from 2003 until 2009. Pearce sought reelection in 2012.[31]
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Steve Pearce, incumbent U.S. representative
Primary results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Steve Pearce (incumbent) | 29,911 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 29,911 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Evelyn Madrid Erhard, former teacher at New Mexico State University[32][33]
Withdrawn
- Martin Resendiz, mayor of Sunland Park[34]
Disqualified
Declined
- Nate Cote, state representative[36]
- Edgar Lopez, head of a real estate company[37]
- Harry Teague, former U.S. representative[38]
Primary results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Evelyn Madrid Erhard | 24,175 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 24,175 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Polling
| Poll source |
Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Steve Pearce (R) |
Evelyn Madrid Erhard (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research & Polling Inc[19] | October 23–25, 2012 | 113 | ± 9.2% | 56% | 38% | 6% |
| Research & Polling Inc[20] | October 9–11, 2012 | 116 | ± 9.1% | 55% | 31% | 15% |
| Research & Polling Inc[22] | September 3–6, 2012 | 119 | ± 9.0% | 56% | 30% | 14% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Steve Pearce (incumbent) | 133,180 | 59.0 | |
| Democratic | Evelyn Madrid Erhard | 92,162 | 40.9 | |
| Independent | Jack A. McGrann (write-In) | 173 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 225,515 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report | Safe R | November 5, 2012 |
| Rothenberg[25] | Safe R | November 2, 2012 |
| Roll Call[26] | Safe R | November 4, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[27] | Safe R | November 5, 2012 |
| NY Times[28] | Safe R | November 4, 2012 |
| RCP[29] | Safe R | November 4, 2012 |
| The Hill[30] | Safe R | November 4, 2012 |
District 3
Incumbent Democrat Ben Ray Luján was first elected in 2008. In April 2011 Luján declined to enter the U.S. Senate race and instead chose to seek reelection to the House of Representatives.[39]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Ben Ray Luján, incumbent U.S. representative
Declined
- Sean Closson, artist and hotel worker[40]
- Harry Montoya, Santa Fe County executive[41]
Primary results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ben R. Luján (incumbent) | 53,908 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 53,908 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Jefferson Byrd, rancher[42]
Eliminated in primary
Primary results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jefferson L. Byrd | 13,055 | 53.5 | |
| Republican | Frederick L. Newton | 11,340 | 46.5 | |
| Total votes | 24,395 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Polling
| Poll source |
Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Ben Ray Luján (D) |
Jefferson Byrd (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research & Polling Inc[19] | October 23–25, 2012 | 148 | ± 8.0% | 53% | 35% | 12% |
| Research & Polling Inc[20] | October 9–11, 2012 | 140 | ± 8.3% | 58% | 34% | 8% |
| Research & Polling Inc[22] | September 3–6, 2012 | 139 | ± 8.3% | 57% | 31% | 12% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ben Ray Luján (incumbent) | 167,103 | 63.1 | |
| Republican | Jefferson Byrd | 97,616 | 36.9 | |
| Total votes | 264,719 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[45] | Safe D | November 5, 2012 |
| Rothenberg[25] | Safe D | November 2, 2012 |
| Roll Call[26] | Safe D | November 4, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[27] | Safe D | November 5, 2012 |
| NY Times[28] | Safe D | November 4, 2012 |
| RCP[29] | Safe D | November 4, 2012 |
| The Hill[30] | Safe D | November 4, 2012 |