Santa Fe — Republicans will seek to appear on New Mexico's June 4 primary ballot to challenge Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich and recover a congressional swing seat along the Mexican border.
Candidates for Congress or the Senate who seek major party nominations can submit signature petitions to the New Mexico secretary of state. Several Republican candidates filed federal election documents announcing primary campaigns and fundraising groups.
Last month, entrepreneur Nella Domenici, daughter of veteran U.S. Sen. Pete V. Domenici, declared her intention to challenge Heinrich for a third term, citing inflation, crime, border enforcement, and youth well-being.
She may face former Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales, who quit the Democratic Party to run for the GOP Senate candidacy.
Gonzales, who served two terms as sheriff in the state's most populated county since 2014, coordinated policing with Trump in 2020 when he sent federal officers to Albuquerque. Gonzales lost the 2021 Albuquerque major to Tim Keller. Democrats seek to maintain their 51-49 Senate majority by defending 23 seats nationwide.
Heinrich won reelection in 2018 with 54% of the vote over Republican Mick Rich and Libertarian Gary Johnson. Republicans are also picking a candidate to challenge U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez in a congressional swing seat near Mexico.
Former one-term Rep. Yvette Herrell wants to win the 2nd District seat she lost in 2022. About a dozen districts are in the national spotlight as Republicans seek to maintain their tiny House majority in 2024.
Republicans failed to dispute a Democratic congressional plan that divided a conservative, oil-producing area into three congressional districts in the 2nd District. In November, the state Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling that the map was not “egregious gerrymandering
STAY TURNED FOR DEVELOPMENT