2014 New Mexico gubernatorial election explained

See also: 2014 United States gubernatorial elections.

Election Name:	2014 New Mexico gubernatorial election
Country:	New Mexico
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2010 New Mexico gubernatorial election
Previous Year:	2010
Next Election:	2018 New Mexico gubernatorial election
Next Year:	2018
Election Date:	November 4, 2014
Image1:	File:Governor NewMexico.jpg
Nominee1:	Susana Martinez
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Running Mate1:	John Sanchez
Popular Vote1:	293,443
Percentage1:	57.22%
Nominee2:	Gary King
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Running Mate2:	Deb Haaland
Popular Vote2:	219,362
Percentage2:	42.78%
Governor
Before Election:	Susana Martínez
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
After Election:	Susana Martínez
After Party:	Republican Party (United States)

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 re-election to a second term in office, defeating Democratic Attorney General Gary King, son of former governor Bruce King.

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, this stands as the best performance by a Republican gubernatorial candidate in New Mexico history.^[1] This is the last time that the winner of the New Mexico gubernatorial election won a majority of New Mexico's 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]

Results

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^[4]
• Linda M. Lopez, state senator^[5]
• Howie Morales, state senator^[6]
• Lawrence Rael, former State Executive Director of the Farm Service Agency, former CAO of Albuquerque and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2010^[7]
• Alan Webber, businessman^[8]

Declined

• Hector Balderas, state auditor of New Mexico and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012 (running for Attorney General)^[9]
• Jeff Bingaman, former U.S. Senator^[10]
• Joseph Cervantes, state senator^[11]
• Tim Keller, state senator (running for state auditor)^[12]
• Antonio Maestas, state representative^[13]
• Michael S. Sanchez, Majority Leader of the New Mexico Senate^[14]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	class=small	Sample size	Margin of error	Gary King	Linda M. Lopez	Howie Morales	Lawrence Rael	Alan Webber	Undecided
Journal Poll	May 20–22, 2014	631	± 3.9%	align=center	22%	5%	12%	16%	16%	align=center	29%
Public Policy Polling	March 20–23, 2014	327	± 5.4%	align=center	34%	13%	15%	7%	5%	27%

Results

General election

Candidates

• Susana Martínez (Republican), incumbent Governor of New Mexico.
• Gary King (Democratic), Attorney General of New Mexico.

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
align=left	The Cook Political Report^[15]		November 3, 2014
align=left	Sabato's Crystal Ball^[16]		November 3, 2014
align=left	Rothenberg Political Report^[17]		November 3, 2014
align=left	Real Clear Politics^[18]		November 3, 2014

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	class=small	Sample size	Margin of error	Susana Martínez (R)	Gary King (D)	Other	Undecided
Research & Polling Inc.*	October 21–23, 2014	614	± 4%	align=center	53%	38%	—	9%
CBS News/NYT/YouGov*	October 16–23, 2014	962	± 6%	align=center	50%	38%	0%	12%
Public Opinion Strategies*	October 5–7, 2014	500	± 4.38%	align=center	55%	36%	—	9%
Gravis Marketing	September 27 – October 1, 2014	727	± 4%	align=center	48%	44%	—	8%
CBS News/NYT/YouGov	September 20 – October 1, 2014	1,093	± 4%	align=center	48%	41%	2%	9%
Rasmussen Reports*	September 22–23, 2014	830	± 4%	align=center	50%	37%	6%	6%
Research & Polling Inc.*	September 9–11, 2014	603	± 4%	align=center	54%	36%	—	10%
CBS News/NYT/YouGov	August 18 – September 2, 2014	1,096	± 4%	align=center	48%	43%	2%	7%
Research & Polling Inc.*	August 12–14, 2014	606	± 4%	align=center	50%	41%	—	9%
CBS News/NYT/YouGov*	July 5–24, 2014	931	± 3.6%	align=center	51%	44%	3%	2%
Rasmussen Reports	July 21–22, 2014	860	± 4%	43%	43%	7%	7%
	July 7–10, 2014	600	± 4%	align=center	45%	39%	—	15%
	June 24–26, 2014	600	± 4%	align=center	54%	38%	—	8%
BWD Global*	June 10–11, 2014	1,526	± 2.5%	align=center	53%	40%	—	7%
Public Policy Polling	March 20–23, 2014	674	± 3.8%	align=center	47%	42%	—	11%
Public Policy Polling	July 13–16, 2012	724	± 3.6%	align=center	51%	39%	—	10%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	class=small	Sample size	Margin of error	Susana Martínez (R)	Hector Balderas (D)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	July 13–16, 2012	724	± 3.6%	align=center	50%	37%	—	13%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	class=small	Sample size	Margin of error	Susana Martínez (R)	Diane Denish (D)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	June 23–26, 2011	732	± 3.6%	align=center	53%	44%	—	4%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	class=small	Sample size	Margin of error	Susana Martínez (R)	Linda M. Lopez (D)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	March 20–23, 2014	674	± 3.8%	align=center	50%	36%	—	15%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	class=small	Sample size	Margin of error	Susana Martínez (R)	Howie Morales (D)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	March 20–23, 2014	674	± 3.8%	align=center	48%	34%	—	17%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	class=small	Sample size	Margin of error	Susana Martínez (R)	Lawrence Rael (D)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	March 20–23, 2014	674	± 3.8%	align=center	47%	36%	—	17%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	class=small	Sample size	Margin of error	Susana Martínez (R)	Allan Weber (D)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	March 20–23, 2014	674	± 3.8%	align=center	48%	32%	—	20%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	class=small	Sample size	Margin of error	Susana Martínez (R)	Walter White	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	March 20–23, 2014	674	± 3.8%	align=center	52%	26%	—	23%

• * Internal poll for Susana Martínez campaign
• ^ Internal poll for Gary King campaign

Results 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^[19]	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

• Cibola (largest city: Grants)
• Grant (largest city: Silver City)
• McKinley (largest city: Gallup)

Results by congressional district

Martinez won all 3 congressional districts, including two that elected Democrats.^[20]

District	Martinez	King	Representative
		55.36%	44.64%		Michelle Lujan Grisham
		65.39%	34.61%		Steve Pearce
		52.46%	47.54%		Ben Ray Luján

External links

• New Mexico gubernatorial election, 2014 at Ballotpedia

Official campaign websites (Archived)

• Susana Martínez incumbent
• Gary King
• Linda Lopez
• Lawerence Rael
• Howie Morales
• Alan Webber

Notes and References

1. Web site: Our Campaigns - Container Detail Page . 2022-03-28 . www.ourcampaigns.com.
2. Web site: Gov. Susana Martinez raises $2M for re-election. abqjournal.com. August 12, 2015.
3. Web site: Johnson said he's open to running as a Republican again . https://web.archive.org/web/20130621065936/http://www.nmtelegram.com/2013/06/12/johnson-said-hes-open-to-running-as-a-republican-again/ . usurped . June 21, 2013 . New Mexico Telegram . June 12, 2013 . June 16, 2013.
4. News: Attorney General King To Run for Gov . Albuquerque Journal . July 10, 2012 . October 12, 2012.
5. News: James Monteleone Thursday . Sen. Lopez to run for governor . Albuquerque Journal . April 17, 2013 . June 12, 2013.
6. News: State Sen. Morales jumps in gubernatorial race. https://web.archive.org/web/20131017090631/http://www.nmtelegram.com/2013/10/16/state-sen-morales-jumps-in-gubernatorial-race/. usurped. October 17, 2013. October 16, 2013. October 16, 2013. New Mexico Telegram. Matthew. Reichbach.
7. News: Politics Notebook: Fifth Democrat joining race for governor . . Dan. Boyd. November 16, 2013. November 18, 2013.
8. News: Santa Fe Democrat could shake up governor's race. . Steve. Terrell. October 25, 2013 . October 28, 2013.
9. Web site: NM state auditor running for attorney general . Carlsbad Current-Argus . April 30, 2013 . June 12, 2013.
10. Web site: U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman: The quiet diplomat . Therepublic.com . 2012-12-23 . 2012-12-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121223031710/http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/122312Bingaman#.UOWNPeT8Kyg . 2012-12-23 . dead .
11. Web site: Sen. Linda Lopez prepares to run for governor. April 15, 2013. April 16, 2013. The Santa Fe New Mexican. Steve. Terrell.
12. Web site: Tim Keller will run for State Auditor in 2014, not Governor . Capitol Report New Mexico . May 30, 2013 . June 12, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150923200407/http://www.capitolreportnewmexico.com/2013/05/tim-keller-will-run-for-state-auditor-in-2014-not-governor/ . September 23, 2015 . dead .
13. Web site: Michael Sanchez weighs bid for Governor's office . June 14, 2013 . June 15, 2013.
14. Web site: State Senate leader weighs run for Governor. May 23, 2013. June 16, 2013. Alamogordo Daily News. Milan. Simonich.
15. Web site: 2014 Governor Race Ratings for November 3, 2014 . The Cook Political Report . September 3, 2018.
16. Web site: The Crystal Ball's Final 2014 Picks . Sabato's Crystal Ball . September 3, 2018.
17. Web site: 2014 Gubernatorial Ratings . Senate Ratings . The Rothenberg Political Report . September 3, 2018.
18. Web site: 2014 Elections Map - 2014 Governors Races . Real Clear Politics . September 3, 2018.
19. Web site: Canvass of Returns of General Election Held on November 4, 2014 - State of New Mexico. New Mexico Secretary of State. July 30, 2024.
20. Web site: Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts. Daily Kos. 11 August 2020.