1994 New Mexico gubernatorial election
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County results Johnson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% King: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Elections in New Mexico |
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The 1994 New Mexico gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994, for the four-year term beginning on January 1, 1995. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor ran on a ticket as running mates.
Incumbent
The election was marked by the surprising rise of Republican Gary Johnson, the 41-year-old owner of one of the state's largest construction companies. Johnson, who had never before held elected office, upset a crowded Republican primary field by a margin of fewer than 1,300 votes. With the state's non-Republicans split between the centrist King and progressive Mondragón, King failed to gain a majority and Johnson won the election with 49.8% of the vote.[1] This is the last time a governor of New Mexico lost re-election.
Democratic Party
King faced a tough renomination campaign, being challenged by incumbent Lieutenant Governor Casey Luna, who had a falling out with King in 1993 over King's refusal to give Luna a larger role in King's administration.[2] Former New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Jim Baca also challenged King.
Candidates
- Jim Baca, former Director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and former New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands
- Bruce King, incumbent Governor
- Casey Luna, incumbent Lieutenant Governor
Primary Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Bruce King (incumbent) | 76,039 | 38.8 | |
Democratic | Casey Luna | 71,364 | 36.5 | |
Democratic | Jim Baca | 48,401 | 24.7 | |
Total votes | 195,804 | 100 |
Republican Party
Candidates
- David F. Cargo, former Governor (1967–71) and former State Representative
- Dick Cheney, State Representative from Farmington
- John Dendahl, former New Mexico Secretary of Economic Development and Tourism
- Gary Johnson, businessman
Declined
- Manuel Lujan Jr., former U.S. Representative from Albuquerque (1969–89) and U.S. Secretary of the Interior (1989–93)
Campaign
Cheney ran on a platform highlighting cracking down on violent crime, repealing the gasoline tax, and lowering public spending.[4] During the campaign, he controversially changed his legal name from Richard to "Dick". Opponents including John Dendahl stated that people voting in the polls would confuse Cheney with the former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney from Wyoming, improving his chances of winning the primary. Public polling after the change showed that his numbers increased significantly.[5]
At the state convention, Cheney received 49% of the vote against 29% for Dendahl and 22% for Johnson.[6]
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Gary Johnson | 32,091 | 34.5 | |
Republican | Dick Cheney | 30,811 | 33.1 | |
Republican | John Dendahl | 18,007 | 19.4 | |
Republican | David F. Cargo
|
12,105 | 13.0 | |
Republican | Keith Russell Judd (write-in)
|
57 | 0.1 | |
Total votes | 93,071 | 100 |
General election
Candidates
- Gary Johnson, businessman (Republican)
- Bruce King, incumbent Governor (Democratic)
- Roberto Mondragón, former Lieutenant Governor (Green)
Campaign
Bruce King, the Democratic three-term incumbent, began the general election with the most funding and name recognition.[citation needed] King was a career politician who had first been elected to the Santa Fe County Commission in 1954, when Gary Johnson was just one year old.[7] King also had the support of the Gold Boot Club, a business-backed political coalition that channeled thousands of dollars to his campaign.[8]
King's quest for an unprecedented fourth term faced obstacles from the left and the right. From the left, King was challenged by
Gary Johnson was the nominee of New Mexico's Republican Party, a statewide party that had won just
In November, Gary Johnson won the election with just under 50% of the vote, while King got almost 40% and Mondragón pulled in just over 10%.
Polling
Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Bruce King (D) |
Gary Johnson (R) |
Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Santa Fe New Mexican
|
November 3, 1994 | — | — | 34% | 46% | — | — |
Albuquerque Journal | October 23, 1994 | — | — | 35% | 40% | — | — |
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Gary Johnson | 232,945 | 49.8% | +4.7% | |
Democratic | Bruce King (incumbent) | 186,686 | 39.9% | -14.7% | |
Green
|
Roberto Mondragón | 47,990 | 10.3% | ||
Plurality | 46,259 | 9.9% | +0.4% | ||
Turnout | 467,621 | ||||
Republican gain from Democratic | Swing |
References
- ISSN 2381-1595.
- ^ "Luna Won't Take Sides in the Race". Santa Fe New Mexican. October 25, 1994. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
- ^ New Mexico Secretary of State. June 28, 1994. Archived from the original(PDF) on August 1, 2017. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico · Page 7".
- ^ "The Santa Fe New Mexican from Santa Fe, New Mexico · Page 7".
- ISBN 0472108484– via Google Books.
- ^ Terrell, Steve (January 14, 2020). "After big loss, experts doubt King will run for office again". The Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
Bruce King began his political career in 1954 when he won a seat on the Santa Fe County Commission.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ Marciello, Alex (February 25, 2011). "Former NM governor talks politics". The Daily News of Newburyport. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
Prior to that, he was the CEO and founder of Big J Enterprises, a business that grew out of his door-to-door work as a handyman during college. By the time he sold the company in 1999, it had more than 1,000 employees and was a multimillion-dollar enterprise.
- ^ Lyman, Andy (April 20, 2016). "How Gary Johnson went from 'Governor No' to third party icon". New Mexico Political Report.
- New Mexico Secretary of State. November 29, 1994. Archived from the original(PDF) on March 14, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2021.