Martinez-Parra

We had one prediction right about Primary Election 2020--that most of the excitement would be near the bottom of the ballot not the top. It wasn't only exciting, it was jaw dropping news that we delivered (exclusively) to the state via our KANW-89.1 FM broadcast in the late night hours Tuesday. . .

They drove a Mack truck through the conservative coalition that commands the state Senate, toppling the most powerful legislator of them all---Senate Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith as well as Senate President Pro Tem Mary Kay Papen, Clemente Sanchez of Grants, and Senator Gabe Ramos of Silver City. There are still some votes to be counted but our expert panel called the races knowing where the remaining votes are and how many.

The losses left state politics watchers breathless as the status quo was thrown into disarray and the full impact to be gauged in the days ahead. The coalition that has thwarted Dem liberals for years was put on life support. Of the five Senators targeted by progressive groups only Gallup's George Munoz survived.

The loss of Smith alone is enough to change the fiscal direction of the state. His power as finance chair had grown immensely in recent years. He brushed off Governors as if they were a fly on his shoulder.
But progressives banded together and spent well over a million dollars targeting the coalition, exposing its weaknesses and thumping it to the ground. Those involved in the historic takedown relished the moment with one of them declaring:

The hubris of old school Democrats was their downfall. They were out of touch with voters and unwilling to listen and adapt to changes in the electorate and society. They got plenty of warning when Rio Arriba State Rep. Debbie Rodella was ousted and then Rep. Carl Trujillo but they didn't heed the warning and they paid the price. 

Smith is 78 and Papen 88, hardly ages at which you make major changes.

The Smith loss absolutely stunned the business community that had fallen hard for him for his support of tax cuts. But now, according to one of our Roundhouse wall-leaners:

New Mexico has been following the Reagan philosophy for decades that informed Smith and his ilk that tax cuts and rolling back public spending were a panacea regardless of the outcome. It was their religion. That is over now. Data can be used to solve problems instead of following the trickle down Gods that failed to improve the lives of New Mexicans. Also, where does this leave David Abbey, Smith's powerful counterpart who is the director of the Legislative Finance Committee?

The coalition killers were all women. Neomi Martinez-Parra felled the giant Smith; Siah Correa Hemphill knocked out Ramos; Dem activist Pam Cordova ejected Sanchez and Carrie Hamblen took out Papen. They still have to beat Republicans in November but given the trend primary night they all look like good bets. They benefited from a higher than normal turnout and will again in the high voting presidential election.

OLD NORTH GONE

Dem Sen. Richard Martinez, who sometimes joined with the conservative Dems--like on abortion--was put out of office by Rio Arriba County Commission Leo Jaramillo. It turned out that the brutal and embarrassing video of Martinez's DWI arrest ended his career the day it was released. We just didn't know it--until last night. The old North is gone. It no longer finds charming the wayward ways of senior politicos.

OTHER RACES

Leger Fernandez

The stunning state senate returns made the other contests appear like wall flowers and they came in as expected.

Former TV weatherman Mark Ronchetti easily win the GOP US Senate nomination, garnering 55 percent in a three way race. Ronchetti will challenge Dem Rep. Ben Ray Lujan for the open Senate seat. Yvette Herrell easily handled Claire Chase to win the southern GOP congressional nomination, dominating Chase 45 to 32. She will face Rep. Torres Small in November. Teresa Leger Fernandez put away Valerie Plame and five others by scoring 42 percent of the vote to Plame's 23. She will face Republican Alexis Johnson but the district is solid Dem. Michelle Garcia Holmes is the Republican who will have the difficult task of trying to oust popular ABQ Dem Congresswoman Deb Haaland. Garcia beat two foes to win the GOP nod.

There was much more action but we were on the air well past midnight and now it's much later (or earlier) so for now we'll let you catch up with the rest of the results at the SOS and BernCo Clerk sites.

OH, WHAT A NIGHT!

It was an eventful and memorable primary and a real rush to break the Senate coalition news which will reverberate for years. That was made possible by Democratic consultant Sisto Abeyta, who had insider election numbers that we would have paid for (but won't). Republican consultant Bob Cornelius and independent consultant Steve Cabiedes also pulled rabbits out of their hats to get the job done. Former legislator Greg Payne was tenacious in keeping us on the breaking story line. And a number of our anonymous Alligators joined him by blowing up our phone as the coalition began to crumble. Thanks to them as well as General Manager Michael Brasher and producer Kevin Otero. They all helped make our election coverage some of our best in years. We almost missed it because of the pandemic, but were urged to use Zoom conferencing. We did. And the night zoomed by.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2020