Republican Party of New Mexico

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Republican Party of New Mexico
ChairpersonSteve Pearce
Senate LeaderGregory A. Baca
House LeaderJames G. Townsend
Headquarters5150-A San Francisco Road NE
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109
Membership (2021)Increase425,651[1]
IdeologyConservatism
Fiscal conservatism
Social conservatism
Trumpism[2]
Political positionRight-wing
National affiliationRepublican Party
Colors  Red
Seats in the U.S. Senate
0 / 2
Seats in the U.S. House of Representatives
1 / 3
Seats in the New Mexico Senate
15 / 42
Seats in the New Mexico House of Representatives
25 / 70
Website
https://newmexico.gop/
Politics of New Mexico
Seal of New Mexico.svg
Constitution
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Elections
Inferior jurisdictions
Federal representation
  • v
  • t

The Republican Party of New Mexico is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New Mexico, headquartered in Albuquerque.[3]

The party has provided 12 of the 31 Governors of New Mexico, including only three (Susana Martinez, Gary Johnson, and Garrey Carruthers) in the past 40 years.

Early history[]

Thomas B. Catron

Like most other state Republican parties, the Republican Party of New Mexico was founded during the American Civil War Era in the recently acquired Territory of New Mexico. The State of New Mexico was created in 1912. One of the founding fathers of the Republican Party of New Mexico was Thomas B. Catron.[4] At the time of New Mexico's admission to the Union, Catron owned a significant majority[citation needed] of land in the state. Due to that wealth, Catron was influential in shaping the party. Catron served as U.S. Senator from New Mexico from 1912 to 1917.[5]

Pre-primary convention[]

Every two years, prior to the primary election, the party holds a pre-primary convention. This is where statewide candidates push to receive delegate support before the primary election. If a candidate receives at least 20% of the delegates vote, they are automatically placed on the primary election ballot. However, if a candidate does not receive at least 20% of the delegation vote, they can still get on the ballot by obtaining at least 1,500 signatures of Republicans who had voted in the most recent election within 10 days of the convention.[6]

Current elected officials[]

The party controls none of the state's seven statewide offices, holds a minority in the New Mexico Senate, and a minority in the New Mexico House of Representatives. Republicans hold one of the state's three U.S. House seats.

Members of Congress[]

U.S. Senate[]

  • None

Both of New Mexico's U.S. Senate seats have been held by Democrats since 2008. Pete Domenici was the last Republican to represent New Mexico in the U.S. Senate. First elected in 1972, Domenici opted to retire instead of seeking a seventh term. Congressman Steve Pearce ran as the Republican nominee in the 2008 election and was subsequently defeated by Democratic challenger Tom Udall who has held the seat since.

U.S. House of Representatives[]

A Republican holds only one of New Mexico's three congressional districts since 2020.

Statewide offices[]

  • None

New Mexico has not elected any GOP candidates to statewide office since 2014, when Susana Martinez was re-elected as governor. In 2018, term limits prevented Martinez from seeking re-election to a third term. Congressman Steve Pearce ran as the Republican nominee in the 2018 election and was subsequently defeated by Democratic challenger Michelle Lujan Grisham.

List of past chairs[]

  • John Dendahl (1994 – 2003)
  • (2003 – 2004)
  • Allen Weh (2004 – 2009)
  • (2009 – 2010)
  • (2010 – 2012)
  • John Billingsley (2012 – 2014)
  • (2015 – 2016)
  • (2016 – 2018)
  • Steve Pearce (2018 – present)

Gary Johnson 2012 presidential campaign[]

Former Republican Governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson, ran for the party's nomination for president in the 2012 Republican presidential primary. He was governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003.[7] However, poll numbers showed Johnson well behind the other Republican candidates and he was only included in two debates with his opponents. This was partly the reason he switched to the Libertarian Party and continued his presidential run for that party's nomination. He won the nomination by a landslide and went on to win third place in the 2012 presidential election behind 1st-place finisher incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and 2nd-place finisher the (Republican) former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. He won nearly 1% nationwide and slightly above 3% in New Mexico.

Controversies[]

2020 election[]

Since Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, the New Mexico GOP have attempted to reject or question the election results.[8] Shortly after the election the New Mexico Republican Party began raising funds to help Trump and his campaign challenge the election results.[9] In a November 19 statement, the state GOP falsely claimed that voter fraud occurred in the state, alleging that there was "manipulation of Dominion Voting Systems machines, illegal absentee ballots, ballots submitted with no applications and illegal actions against GOP poll challengers.”[10]

On December 14, 2020, the same day that New Mexico electors cast their electoral college votes, the Trump campaign filed a lawsuit in federal court against New Mexico Secretary of State, Maggie Toulouse Oliver, the electors of New Mexico and the State Canvassing Board. In a news release, the state GOP questioned the validity of the presidential election results and said it was working with the Trump campaign.[11][12]

The New Mexico GOP supported a meeting of unofficial pro-Trump Republican electors that gathered at the state capitol on the 14th of December.[13] Also on December 2020, the New Mexico GOP issued a statement supporting the Texas vs. Pennsylvania lawsuit seeking to reject certification of President-elect Biden's victory in four states, citing false claims of fraud.[8]

In January 2021, Rep. Cathrynn Brown proposed legislation to decertify President Biden's victory in New Mexico by removing the state's five electoral votes he won, citing baseless claims of election fraud in New Mexico and in other states. The New Mexico GOP expressed support for the legislation.[14][15]

References[]

  1. ^ Winger, Richard. "March 2021 Ballot Access News Print Edition". Ballot Access News. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  2. ^ Metzger, Bryan. "Why the GOP Just got Blown Out in a Congressional Race". Politico. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  3. ^ "Contact Us." Republican Party of New Mexico. Retrieved on May 13, 2010.
  4. ^ History of the Republican Party in New Mexico, 1867-1952/ by Herbert Hoover. –c. 1
  5. ^ American National Biography; Duran, Tobias. "Francisco Chavez, Thomas B. Catron, and Organized Political Violence in Santa Fe in the 1890s." New Mexico Historical Review 59 (July 1984): 291-310; Westphall, Victor. Thomas Benton Catron and His Era. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1973.
  6. ^ {http://newmexicoindependent.com/49619/nmi-to-live-blog-gop-pre-primary-convention}
  7. ^ http://www.garyjohnson2012.com/about
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b D'Ammassa, Algernon. "After bumpy leadership election, New Mexico GOP focused on questioning Biden's election". Las Cruces Sun-News. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
  9. ^ Hayes, Patrick (2020-11-07). "New Mexico GOP raising funds for Trump lawsuits". KOB 4. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
  10. ^ Reichbach, Matthew (2020-11-20). "Republicans try to cast doubt on NM presidential results after Biden won by 11 points". The NM Political Report. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  11. ^ Lee, Morgan (14 December 2020). "New Mexico electors support Biden, as GOP sues to invalidate". AP NEWS. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
  12. ^ Reichbach, Matthew (2020-12-14). "Trump campaign files suit to overturn NM's election results, even after they were certified and electoral votes were cast". The NM Political Report. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  13. ^ Metzger, Bryan (8 June 2021). "Why the GOP Just Got Blown Out in a Congressional Race". POLITICO. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  14. ^ D'Ammassa, Algernon. "On day of chaos in Washington, a NM lawmaker announces effort to challenge electoral vote". Las Cruces Sun-News. Retrieved 2021-04-15.
  15. ^ Davis, Charles (7 January 2021). "New Mexico Republicans peddle 'dangerous' myth of voter fraud in a state Trump lost by double digits". Business Insider. Retrieved 2021-06-02.

External links[]

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