Days are getting shorter and colder, but the mood across the country was heated as people headed to the polls to cast their votes in the 2020 General Election Nov. 3.
After the polls closed at 7 pm, ballots were tallied until all precincts reported their final results in the early hours of Nov. 4.
THE FEDERAL RESULTS
Across the state, 912,565 of 1,351,811 of registered voters, or 67.51%, cast a ballot, according to the New Mexico Secretary of State’s website.
Los Alamos County had the highest percentage of voter turnout in the state, with about 79%. The counties with the most voters casting ballots were Bernalillo with 316,930; Doña Ana with 81,815; Santa Fe with 80,850; Sandoval with 75,775; San Juan with 52,321; and Valencia with 32,087.
The most prominent race was for President of the United States. With five electoral votes in New Mexico up for grabs, the tally with every precinct fully reporting is as follows:
In the Presidential race:
Howie Hawkins and Angela Nicole Walker
Green
0% 4,302 votes
Jo Jorgensen and Jeremy “Spike” Cohen
Libertarian
1% 12,317 votes
Joseph R. Biden and Kamala D. Harris
Democrat
54% 489,979 votes
Shelia “Samm” Tittle and David Carl Sandige
Constitution
0% 1,766 votes
Donald J. Trump and Mike Pence
Republican
44% 398,442 votes
Gloria La Riva and Sunil Freeman
Party for Socialism and Liberation
0% 1,603 votes
Total votes cast: 908,409
In the U. S. Senate race:
Bob Walsh
Libertarian
3% 23,842 votes
Mark V. Ronchetti
Republican
46% 414,824 votes
Ben Ray Lujan
Democrat
51% 463,191 votes
Total votes cast: 901,857
In the Congressional races
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 1
Deb Haaland
Democrat
58% 185,196 votes
Michelle Garcia Holmes
Republican
42% 133,695 votes
Total votes cast: 318,891
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 2
Yvette Herrell
Republican
54% 141,227 votes
Xochitl Torres Small
Democrat
46% 120,766 votes
Steve Jones (Write in)
Independent
0% 12 votes
Total votes cast: 262,005
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 3
Alexis M. Johnson
Republican
42% 129,305 votes
Teresa Leger Fernandez
Democrat
58% 178,242 votes
Total votes cast: 307,547
STATEWIDE OFFICES AND QUESTIONS
Two positions were up for Justice of the Supreme Court and three positions were available for Justice of the Court of Appeals. Here are the results.
JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT POSITION 1
Ned S. Fuller
Republican
45% 391,166 votes
Shannon Bacon
Democrat
55% 484,446 votes
Total votes cast: 875,612
JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT POSITION 2
Kerry J. Morris
Republican
46% 403,276 votes
David K. Thomson
Democrat
54% 469,333 votes
Total votes cast: 872,609
JUDGE OF THE COURT OF APPEALS POSITION 1
Barbara V. Johnson
Republican
48% 416,157 votes
Zach Ives
Democrat
52% 453,181 votes
Total votes cast: 869,338
JUDGE OF THE COURT OF APPEALS POSITION 2
Stephen P. Curtis
Libertarian
7% 61,592 votes
Shammara H. Henderson
Democrat
51% 440,068 votes
Gertrude Lee
Republican
42% 367,556 votes
Total votes cast: 869,216
JUDGE OF THE COURT OF APPEALS POSITION 3
Thomas C. Montoya
Republican
49% 420,183 votes
Jane B. Yohalem
Democrat
51% 446,046 votes
Total votes cast: 866,229
Next on the ballot were questions about constitutional amendments and bonds, as well as one about a judge.
Voters moved to retain Jacqueline R. Medina as Judge of the Court of Appeals by a count of 530,099 to 197,290.
Fifty-five percent of voters moved to amend the Constitution of New Mexico to allow the governor to appoint three qualified individuals to the Public Regulation Commission. The count was 436,760 against 351,208 votes.
The decision to amend Article 20, Section 3 of the Constitution of New Mexico, permitting the adjustment by law of terms to non-statewide elected officers passed with 493,721 votes to 274,512.
MCKINLEY COUNTY RESULTS
In McKinley County, 26,063 out of 44,396 eligible voters cast a ballot. This number is 58.7% of registered voters in the county.
Four state senators were on the ballot for McKinley County. Each race was won by a Democrat.
Shannon Dawn Pinto won the District 3 race with 71% or 4,964 votes. George Muñoz retained his District 4 seat with 70% or 9,642 votes. Benny Shendo Jr. took the District 22 seat with 78% or 2,887 votes. Pamela M. Cordova won District 30 with 86% or 714 votes.
Two state representatives ran unopposed, Doreen Wonda Johnson for District 5 and Patricia Lundstrom for District 9, while Eliseo L. Alcon took District 6 with 65% of the ballots and Harry Garcia took 71% of the votes to win District 69’s seat.
Three District Court Judges of the Eleventh Judicial District ran unopposed: Curtis R. Gurley, R. David Pederson, and Bernadine Martin.
For county positions, Jacqueline Katherine Sloan took 66% of the votes and the county clerk seat. Charles Long ran unopposed for county treasurer. Robert B. Baca ran unopposed for District 3 county commissioner.
County voters moved to retain the seven judges on the ballot: Jacqueline R. Medina for court of appeals; and Bradford J. Dalley, Louis E. Depauli, Sarah V. Weaver, Dalene Ann Marsh, Robert A. Aragon, and Karen L. Townsend as Judges of the 11th Judicial District.
The last question on the county ballot asked if the county should levy a tax of up to four mils for every dollar of taxable property of Rehoboth McKinley Christian Healthcare Services to continue paying for operation and maintenance of the hospital. Seventy-two percent of voters approved the tax with a vote of 15,759 to 6,262.
The McKinley County canvass is set for Nov. 6 at 8 am at the McKinley County Courthouse.
By Cody Begaye
Sun Correspondent