By Kevin Hendricks — A 334-vote margin just handed Democrats control of the Sandoval County Commission.
Democrat Frank Smith Jr. edged out Republican Edwin Linson 7,983 to 7,649 for the District 3 seat Tuesday, according to unofficial results. Smith replaces term-limited Republican Commissioner Mike Meek, and his win flips the board to a Democratic majority.
It capped a strong night for Sandoval County Democrats. They won every contested county office, sending former Sheriff John Paul Trujillo back to his old job, and Chriselle Martinez flipped a Rio Rancho House seat. Even Gregg Hull, the former Rio Rancho mayor, lost his home county by about 2 points on his way to losing the governor’s race.
Republicans did have one bright spot: state Rep. Josh Hernandez held District 60 by 405 votes.
Turnout ran ahead of the state. Nearly 54% of Sandoval County’s 120,269 eligible voters cast ballots, compared with about 50% statewide.
Statewide
Democrats swept every statewide race.
Deb Haaland beat Hull to become the first Native American woman elected governor in U.S. history. In Sandoval County, where Hull served three terms as Rio Rancho mayor, he lost by over 1,900 votes.
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján won a second term over Republican Larry Marker. All three Democratic U.S. House incumbents won. Rep. Gabe Vasquez held the southern 2nd District against Republican Gregory Cunningham. Rep. Melanie Stansbury beat Rio Rancho Republican Ndidiamaka Ekwua Charlene Okpareke in the 1st District, and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández beat Republican Martin Zamora in the 3rd.
Down the ballot, Amanda López Askin beat Republican Ramona Goolsby for secretary of state. Incumbents Raúl Torrez (attorney general), Joseph Maestas (state auditor) and Laura Montoya (state treasurer) won new terms, and Juan Sanchez III beat Republican Michael Perry for land commissioner.
County Commission
Smith’s win in District 3 gives Democrats control of the five-member commission starting in January.
In District 1, Democrat Paul Madrid beat Republican Rebecca Skartwed 63% to 37%, or 9,328 to 5,573. He replaces term-limited Democratic Commissioner Katherine Bruch.
Sheriff
Trujillo, who led the Sheriff’s Office from 2003 to 2010, beat Republican Victor Rodriguez with 54% of the vote, 34,082 to 29,283.
He replaces term-limited Sheriff Jesse James Casaus, a fellow Democrat who crossed party lines in July to endorse Rodriguez. Voters went the other way.
Other county races
Democrat Gerred Prairie beat Republican Lawrence Griego for assessor, 33,923 to 29,054. Democrat Donna Tillman beat Republican Rebecca Torres for probate judge, 32,979 to 29,162.
Magistrate Judges Ann Marie Maxwell-Chavez, F. Kenneth Eichwald and Delilah Montano-Baca, all Democrats, won new terms unopposed.
State House
Martinez flipped District 57, beating Republican Catherine Cullen 7,313 to 6,286, or 54% to 46%.
Hernandez held District 60 with 52% of the vote, 6,044 to 5,639. He was the only Republican in the county to win a contested race.
Democrat Kathleen Cates won District 44 over Republican Adam Prior, 7,000 to 5,324. Democrat Sarah Boses won District 50 over Republican Kenneth Brennan, 2,817 to 1,512.
Four representatives ran unopposed: Republican Alan Martinez in District 23 and Democrats Yolanda Jaramillo in District 41, Christine Chandler in District 43 and Derrick Lente in District 65.
Every judge on the ballot cleared the 57% needed to keep their seat, according to Sandoval County results.
Sandoval County voters said yes to every question on the ballot.
Firefighters got the biggest yes. The $9 million bond for a county fire training facility and stations passed with 79% of the vote, 46,357 to 11,970. Voters also approved $3.4 million for libraries, 69% to 31%.
The $22 million bond for a secure Bureau of Elections storage facility for voting machines had the closest vote, but still passed 59% to 41%, or 33,985 to 23,379.
Voters also renewed a property tax of 1.90 mills for eight more years to pay for trauma care and behavioral health services, including substance abuse treatment, at Sandoval Regional Medical Center, a UNM Hospital campus.
County voters backed all four constitutional amendments. Ending the governor’s pocket veto drew the most support at 75%, followed by regent nominating committees at 70%, school elections on general election ballots at 64% and legislator salaries at 63%.
They also backed all three state bonds, totaling $393.1 million: $21.6 million for senior centers (68%), $19.3 million for libraries (64%) and $352.2 million for higher education, special schools and tribal schools (62%).
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