Democrat party leaders hope for an all blue New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – In downtown Albuquerque, Democrat leaders are hoping to celebrate a fully blue New Mexico.

Right now, all of New Mexico’s top state leaders are Democrats, and only one of New Mexico’s congressional seats is held by a Republican.

Party leaders believe former Las Cruces City Councilor Gabe Vasquez could take that seat Tuesday night. 

Congressional District 2 was recently redrawn to include parts of Albuquerque. Party leaders believe that could give Vasquez an edge over Republican incumbent Yvette Herrell. 

But in order to keep New Mexico blue, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will have to beat out GOP challenger Mark Ronchetti.

Democrats severely outpaced Republicans in early voting, however, those Republican voters came out strong on Election Day. 

State Democrat leaders are confident the numbers will favor the governor at the end of the night.

“I’m feeling great for the governor and I’ll tell you why. New Mexicans see through the Maga Republican agenda, and they know it’s not a good fit for our communities, for our families, or for our state — it’s too extreme, especially in comparison to the good work that our governor has done,” said Jessica Velasquez, chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico.

Democratic leaders are also feeling confident about the other big races on the ballot.

According to KOB 4’s latest poll, Bernalillo County District Attorney Raúl Torrez is polling 10 points ahead of his Republican opponent in the attorney general race.

Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver has also been polling ahead of her GOP challenger Audrey Trujillo.

Party leaders are also feeling good about incumbent Congresswomen Melanie Stansbury and Teresa Leger Fernandez. They’re expecting both of them to win second terms tonight.

While Republicans are looking for that surge, Democrats are keeping a close eye on the latest numbers hoping they can keep the momentum coming off early voting.