Polls close in Bernalillo County

Voting ended at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Bernalillo County, concluding a cycle where early results suggested a competitive statewide contest. The Associated Press called the U.S. Senate race for Democratic incumbent Ben Ray Luján almost immediately after polls closed, although the agency's webpage alert appears to have been taken down. No votes had yet appeared on the state Secretary of State’s website at 7:09 p.m.

In the race for governor, Democrat Deb Haaland and Republican Gregg Hull competed to succeed the term-limited Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishan. Haaland held her election night watch party at the Route 66 Casino Hotel just outside Albuquerque. Tyius Garviso, 29, a member of San Felipe Pueblo with Jemez Pueblo roots, attended the event. Garviso said he hoped Haaland would make history and reign in data center development if elected. He noted that she supported tribal sovereignty as Secretary of the Interior during the Biden administration.

Sa'ida Thomas, 56, a Rio Rancho resident, also attended the Haaland watch party. Thomas said she considered voting for Hull but decided against it because she felt he aligned too closely with President Donald Trump. Thomas described Hull as a good mayor but said his party alignment concerned her. She stated that Haaland is quintessentially New Mexican and supported her proposal for data centers to use renewable energy.

Statewide turnout data released at 5 p.m. showed that 672,450 people had voted, representing 46% of the state’s electorate. This group included 327,787 Democrats, 218,459 Republicans, and 118,957 voters who declined to state a party affiliation. Democratic turnout was higher than in the 2022 midterms, while Republican turnout was lower. In Bernalillo County, registered Democrats typically lead in early voting, a pattern that held through Election Day.

A legal dispute affected the election logistics in New Mexico. On Monday, state 5th Judicial District Judge Jared Kallunki ordered the League of Women Voters’ election guides removed from polling places statewide. The state and national Republican parties, along with Senate candidate Larry Marker, filed suit over a guide that used the wrong mugshot for Marker. The guide displayed a photo of Nehemiah Vasquez, a Taos County commission candidate, instead of Marker. The state Secretary of State’s Office did not oppose the request.

Joe Gruters, chair of the Republican National Committee, issued a statement regarding the ruling. He said, “Democrats play games with our elections, and the RNC put a stop to it.” In the 2nd Congressional District, Democratic incumbent Rep. Gabe Vasquez defended the state’s only swing seat against Republican challenger Greg Cunningham. Local races in the Santa Fe and Taos areas also saw contested legislative contests, though Democrats held strong registration advantages in those districts.

Results from the 2nd Congressional District and the governor's race were pending as of 7:13 p.m. The state Secretary of State’s office continues to update vote totals on its public website. Voters in Bernalillo County waited for the final certified counts to determine the winners of the open state legislative seats and local offices.