NM Senate leaders from Las Cruces & Deming lose as primary voting surges, shifts to absentee balloting

SANTA FE, New Mexico — Local election officials struggled Wednesday to fully tally an avalanche of absentee ballots as voting surged in a primary election that locked in a progressive uprising in the state Senate.

Two key leaders in the New Mexico Senate lost their primary bids amid a push by liberal advocacy groups to unseat Democratic lawmakers who have resisted their progressive agenda.

Senate President Mary Kay Papen of Las Cruces and Senate finance committee leader John Arthur Smith of Deming were defeated as more votes were tallied Wednesday.

“What you can see is our electorate is more engaged than it has been in a primary for decades,” said Heather Ferguson, executive director of Common Cause New Mexico. “They’ve had some time for life to slow down. ... They were watching more news, getting more input about this election. They got fired up and wanted to vote.”

Papen lost to Carrie Hamblen, the CEO of the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce. Neomi Martinez-Parra of Lordsburg, a former vice chairwoman of the state Democratic Party, defeated Smith.

Smith, a member of the state Senate since 1989, arguably has been one of the New Mexico Legislature’s most influential voices on budget matters. He’s known for keeping spending in check.

“I’ve had to say ‘No’ to a lot of things,” Smith told the Albuquerque Journal. “I’m one of those who sort of stopped the train. I kept an eye on what we could pay for and what we couldn’t pay for.”

While he has no regrets, Smith said he may resign from his seat after an upcoming special legislative session so other lawmakers could take the lead on crafting the next state budget.

The session that will begin June 18 will focus on budget and economic recovery matters as New Mexico begins reopening the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic response is expected to quickly wipe out state reserves despite more than $1.2 billion in related federal assistance.

Three other Democrat incumbents also lost their primary bids, including two who were targeted for their more moderate positions on spending, the minimum wage, abortion and the legalization of recreational marijuana.

“Big power shifts like this don’t happen very often, and when they do, they can result in significant changes in the priorities of a legislative body,” said James Jimenez, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children, an advocacy group for improving childhood well-being.

State Republican Party Chairman Steve Pearce said his party sees an opportunity to win over moderate Democratic and independent voters in fall elections.

Democrats currently hold a 46-24 majority in the state House and a 26-16 advantage in the state Senate.