Almost 9,000 voters participate
CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. On November 3 citizens across Cibola County expressed their voice to make changes to the fundamental way the federal government operates.
Citizens elected two new delegates to represent New Mexico in Congress, a new United States Senator, and a new United States Representative. The 13th Judicial District will have a new district attorney, although that race may not be fully decided until a recount occurs. Few other changes from the election have direct effect on Cibola County.
Across the county, 8,933 voters expressed their voice, out of the 14,839 registered voters, according to information from the New Mexico Secretary of State. All projected victories are unofficial until certified by the Cibola County Board of Commissioners on November 12. Due to COVID-19 the meeting will be held virtually on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CibolaCountyCommission/
County seats
Three of the five Cibola County Commissioners were up for reelection, along with the Cibola County Treasurer and Cibola County Clerk.
Chairman of the Cibola County Commission, Daniel Torrez, was up for reelection. While the contest was close, Torrez managed to beat challenger Daniel R. Stock with 826 votes to 696.
Robert Windhorst in District 4 retained his seat by beating challenger Jerry S. Wilcox, 982 to 609.
Commissioner Martha Garcia in District 5 was unopposed and earned 1,462 votes.
The Cibola County Commission will elect new leadership among itself; currently Commissioner Torrez is chairman, Commissioner Windhorst serves as First Vice Chair and Commissioner Garcia is the Second Vice Chair. Those three, along with the other two commissioners, District 1 Commissioner Christine Lowery and District 3 Commissioner Ralph Lucero will elect new leadership in the next year, with the ability to leave the structure the same if they feel so choose.
Incumbent Treasurer Kathy Lente-Gonzales ran unopposed, and earned 6,151 votes.
Incumbent Clerk Michelle E Molina Gonzales was unopposed, keeping her seat after earning 6,253.
Federal victories
There were three federal seats up for election, two were reelections; United States President and United States Congresswoman in New Mexico’s Second Congressional District. The other seat was vacated by New Mexico’s Senior Senator Tom Udall, leaving the senate seat up for grabs, it was a position the New Mexico Republican Party thought they could hold but came up short.
President Donald Trump is projected to have lost his seat to PresidentElect Joe Biden. The results of this contest are being challenged in several courts across the country. Allegations of fraud in the election have been proposed by the Trump campaign; even the NMGOP is one of those claiming fraud and other election interference in New Mexico without providing proof of the assertions.
The President-Elect shall be sworn into the highest office in the land on January 20, 2021 at noon, by virtue of the United States Constitution.
New Mexico’s Second Congressional District was a hotly contested race, with Representative Xochitl Torres Small losing her position, becoming a one-term representative. She lost to a familiar opponent, Yvette Herrell, who changes the district from blue to red in a traditionally conservativesafe district. Herrell lost this race in 2018 but returned with an overwhelming majority of votes to win the district on Nov. 3. Herrell defeated Rep. Torres Small 142,153 to 122,294 votes.
Control of the US House of Representatives will remain in control of the Democrats, even though the Republicans managed to win more seats in this national election.
With the retirement of Senator Tom Udall, his position — important for both parties to lock down, as the Republicans wanted this seat to ensure a majority in the US Senate and the Democrats wanted this seat to not only maintain it but to help even out the political balance in the senate — was up for grabs. While the race was close US Representative and Assistant Speaker of the House of Representatives Ben Ray Lujan defeated Republican Mark Ronchetti 471,381 to 417,571.
Control of the US Senate is now down to the wire, with both parties appearing to control 48 seats after the election, with two traditionally GOP-safe seats in Georgia going to a runoff election to be held early next year.
By virtue of the US Constitution, the new congress shall be sworn in January 3 at noon.
Statewide victories
All four of Cibola’s legislative positions were up for reelection this year. Senator Clemente Sanchez, who was the incumbent and City of Grants, New Mexico, resident for NM Senate District 30 lost to Pamela Cordova in the June primary election. Cordova then faced Republican Joshua Sanchez for control of the senate seat. J. Sanchez defeated Cordova 9,987 to 9,509; the election was a nail-biter and gave Cibola a new delegate to the New Mexico Senate. This senate district covers the eastern half of Cibola County.
Senate District 4 covers the western half of Cibola County and its incumbent, Senator George Munoz, was challenged by Republican Angela R. Olive. This seat covers the Tri-State/Escalante area and has been a huge area of interest to law-makers in Santa Fe as the state observes the effects of the Energy Transition Act and grapples with the fallout from lost jobs due to the passed legislation. Munoz voted against the legislation, an act which may have saved his reelection as he defeated Olive 11,912 to 5,653 to retain the seat.
House District 69 covers the eastern portion of Cibola County, incumbent Representative Harry Garcia held onto the seat, and defeated challenger Roy Randall Ryan 5,798 to 3,331.
House District 6 was another Democratic victory as six-term incumbent Eliseo Lee Alcon netted a seventh term by defeating K. Vanessa Chavez 6,378 to 4,367, which kept the seat in solidly blue control.
13th Judicial District
The District Attorney race in New Mexico’s 13th Judicial District was a nailbiter of an election, with a possible recount coming because the race was so close. Incumbent DA Lemuel Martinez announced that he was stepping down after 20 years in the position, having been on the ballot since 1996. Stepping into the long-standing shoes of Martinez turned out to be a battle between Democrat Barbara Romo and Republican Joshua Joe Jimenez.
Romo narrowly defeated Jimenez 56,355 to 56,296.
Because the count is so close there are grounds for a recount.
For district Judge Amanda Sanchez Villalobos, James A. Noel, and Chris G. Perez all ran unopposed for different positions on the court. All three won their contests and will continue to serve as judges on the 13th judicial bench.
Judge James Lawrence Sanchez, Judge George P. Eichwald, Judge Allen R. Smith, Judge Cindy M. Mercer and Judge Cheryl H. Johnston were each on the ballot as a question, asking if they should retain their seats. All five judges received a “Yes” vote and will retain their judicial seats.
Statewide judges
Three Supreme Court positions were up for election, all these seats that were up for election were appointees to the position, appointed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Winning her seat, appointee Justice Shannon Bacon now serves on the court as an elected official. She won the seat, earning 492,745 votes against her opponent, Ned S. Fuller who had 393,766 votes.
Justice David K. Thomas won his seat, earning 477,558 against his opponent Kerry J. Morris who earned 405,939.
Justice Zach Ives won his seat with 461,166 votes compared to his opponent, Barbara V. Johnson with 419,038 votes.
On the appeals court, two positions were open for vote. One position, Judge Jacqueline R. Medina, was up for retention as well.
Judge Shammara H. Henderson won her seat on the appellate court, she was appointed to this court in early 2020 and will remain in this position, winning 447,780, almost 100,000 more votes than her Republican opponent Gertrude Lee.
Judge Jane B. Yohalem narrowly won a seat on the appeals court with 453,812 against opponent Thomas C. Montoya who earned 423,245 votes in the election.
All ballot questions bond measures and constitutional amendments were passed.